Seeded players beaten in badminton

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32708, 10 September 1971, Page 12

Seeded players beaten in badminton

Several seedings were eliminated and many of the more favoured players were forced to flight hard for their victories wh?n the New Zealand badminton championships reached the quarter-finals at SkeUerup Hall last evening. Perhaps the best contest of the evening was that between J. W. Compton (Wellington) and Miss J. Purserd (Taranaki) and M. Stossel (Wellington) and Mrs A. Branfield (Auckland) in the mixed doubles. The teams shared a game each after both had gone into setting. In the third and vital game, Compton appeared to suffer a bout of cramp, and since play cannot be halted, their opponents gained a 6-1 break, the greatest of the contest. However. Compton and Miss Purser, who was outstandingly quick at the net and gained a number of winning placements, drew level. They were tied at 9-9, but then the seventh-seeded Compton and Miss Purser were able to gain the break to reach match point at 14-9, and finally win 15-10. Stossel and Mrs Branfield were the fourth seeds. The 21-year-old Hawke’s Bay player, P. Shirley, had his run of successes end rather abruptly when he was eliminated by the six times New Zealand champion, R. H. Purser (Taranaki). Purser dealt his young opponent a severe lesson in most of ( the facets of tournament badminton at this standard, winning 15-3, 15-1. He seldom allowed his opponent to use his , powerful smash and uncovered • a serious deficiency—the lack of a finely-directed drop shot—in Shirley's repertoire. Purser’s display was intermingled with patient control, as ■ he allowed Shirley to make the . errors, and unrelenting aggres- ( sion, whenever the openings - appeared. He demonstrated his extremely long forward reach to i intercept Shirley’s smashes, as well as a deceptive cross-court drop, delivered back-hand and sliced off the racket. . 1 Sixth seeded Compton caused yet another upset in another men’s singles quarter-final when 1 he beat the third seeded W. B. < Johns (Auckland). 17-18, 15-5, < 15-11. 1 Their first game was characterised by many long rallies as 1 both players cleared beautifully, i The service changed hands sev- < era! times at 4-4 and the match- r point in setting and it was only (

■ a fortunate drop shot which : tickled the net cord and toppled > into fair territory which gave I Johns the decision. ■ Johns’s attempt to smash his i way to ascendency in the second I and third games met with determined resistance from Comp- ' ton, who was content to play a waiting game. These tactics paid j handsome dividends and the Wel- [ lington player was able to take i the games comfortably. The second-seeded R. Livingston (Australia), was able to eliminate the eighth-seeded D. 1 Gloyn (Manawatu), reasonably comfortably in a third quarter- ’ final, but R. B. Purser (Taranaki), : the fourth seed, dropped his first game to the unseeded J. Rowe (WeUington), before finding his best form to win with ease. The four women’s singles seeds, Misses R. Glenle and F. Walters (Auckland), and G. Tompkins (Wellington), and Mrs A. Branfield (Auckland), have all won their way into the semifinals. However, Miss Glenle,; the second seed, encountered some fierce opposition from the third-seeded junior girl, Miss M. i Skeen (Auckland). Miss Glenle I won, 11-0, 10-12, 11-8. I The Influence and guiding 1 hand of the national coach, Mr 1 Eddie Ng Boon Ooh (Malaysia), : was again apparent last evening I when the unseeded Hawke’s Bay i pair, Shirley and K. Atkinson, ■ convincingly beat the third seeds, Compton and J. Rowe (Wellington), in a quarter-final of the | men’s doubles. The Hawke’s Bay pair showed ; impeccable understanding of i each other’s play, with Atkinson < manoeuvring their opponents i Into disadvantageous positions < for Shirley to provide the winning ( shot from the back of the court. < The unseeded Canterbury pair, 1 W. Edgecumbe and G. Ellis, ellm- I Inated the fourth-seeded Aucklanders, B. Hall and D. Reeks, in a men’s doubles quarterfinal. The unseeded Auckland pair, Mrs V. Gow and Miss A. Gow, have reached the semi-finals of the women’s doubles. < One of the youngest players i at the tournament, N. Skelt, the present New Zealand under 16 champion, beat the third seed, E. . Gloyn (Manawatu), in a boys* 5 singles’ quarter-final. ( The top-seeded girl, Miss A. Wilson (Orona), was forced to withdraw from her singles quarter-final because of Illness. J This allowed Miss C. Bullen I (Auckland), an unseeded player, 1

1 to reach the semi-finals by a 1 walk-over. > Results were:— Men's singles • Quarter-finals: R. Livingstone 1 (Australia) beat D. Gloyn (Manar watu), 15-2, 18-14; J. W. Compton b (Wellington) beat W. B. Johns } (Auckland)/ 17-18, 15-5, 15-11; B. 1 R. Purser (Taranaki) beat J. - Rowe (Wellington), 8-15, 15-1, s 15-6; R. H. Purser (Taranaki) beat P. Shirley (Hawke’s Bay), 15-3, ■■ 15-11. 3 Women's singles Quarter-finals: Mrs A. Bran- ( field (Auckland) beat Miss L. '■ Goa (Auckland), 11-3, 11-3: Mias , R. Glenle (Auckland) beat Miss 1 M. Skeen (Auckland), 11-0, 16-12, . 11-8; Miss F. Walters (Auckland) . beat Mrs P. Stevens (Northland), 11-4, 2-H, H-4; Miss G. 1 Tompkins (Wellington) beat Miss L. Hetherington (Wellington), i 0-11, 11-3, 11-5. Men's doubles I Quarter-finals: W. Edgecumbe ■ ana G. Ellis (Canterbury) beat . B. Hall and D. Reeks (Auckland), I 15-4, 15-5; R. and B. Purser ! (Taranaki) beat R. Logan (Nelson) and A. G. Duckmanton (Wai- ! kato), 15-0, 15-3; W. B. Johns (Auckland) and M. Stossel (Wellington) beat P. Whiting and Pat • Leng Kon (Canterbury), 15-5, , 15-5; P. Shirley and K. Atkinson ; (Hawke’s Bay) beat J. W. Compton and J. Rowe (Wellington), 15-5. 15-10. Women's doubles Quarter-finals: Miss G. Tomp- ■ kins (Wellington) and Mrs B. ■ Parr (Wanganui) beat Mrs R. Moran and Miss T. Mitchell (Canterbury). 154), 15-3; Mrs P. i Stevens (Northland) and Miss F. Walters (Auckland) beat Misses : O. Mason (Manawatu) and L. Gow ; (Auckland), 15-1, 15-2; Mrs V. Gow and Miss A. Gow (Auckland) beat Misses J. and M. Skeen (Auckland), IM, 15-9; Mias R. Glenle and Mrs A. Branfield (Auckland) beat Miss C. Coetzer (Manawatu) and Mias B. Coetzer 1 (Hutt VaUey), 154), 15-4. Mixed doubles Quarter-finals: R. H. Purser 1 (Taranaki) and Mias G. Tomp- J kins (Wellington) beat D. Gloyn > (Manawatu) and Mrs V. Gow : (Auckland), 15-3, 154); R. Living- 1 ston (Australia) and Mrh G. 1 Waller (WeUington) beat B. HaU 1 (Auckland) and Mrs P. Stevens 1 (Northland), 15-2, 15-3; J. W. 1 Compton (Wellington) and Miss ■ J. Purser (Taranaki) beat M. Stossel (WeUington) and Mrs A. Branfield (Auckland), 17-16, 14-18, 15-10; B. R. Purser (Taranaki)

i and Miss R. Glenle (Auckland) beat W. B. Johns and Miss F. Walters (Auckland), 15-8, 15-10. Boys' singles Quarter-finals. —P. Skelt (South- . land) beat F. Elsmore (Auckland), 1 15-4, 15-3; S. Wilson (Otago) beat i B. Sanders (Canterbury), 17-J5, . 15-9; N. Skelt (Southland) beat , E. Gloyn (Manawatu), 15-5, 15-9; , C. Bullen (Auckland) beat J. : Lawson (Wanganui), 15-2, 15-4.’ Girls' singles x Quarter-finals.—Miss L. Ward . (Auckland) beat'Miss D. Palmer (Hutt VaUey), 11-1, 11-3; Miss D. Shannon (Oroua) beat Miss S. McLeod (Taranaki), 3-11, 11-9, 11-9; Miss M. Skeen (Auckland) beat Miss B. Coetzer (Hutt Valley), 11-0. 12-10; Miss C. Bullen (Auckland) beat Miss A. Wilson (Oroua) by a walk-over. Boys' doubles T Quarter-finals.—C. BuUen and G. Elsmore (Auckland) beat J. Sullivan (Taranaki) and J. Lowson (Wanganui), 15-2, 15-0; N. Skelt and K. Grace (Southland) beat G. Steel and P. Lenhart (WeUington). 15-6, 17-16; A. Seerup and J. Gilmour (Hutt Valley), beat B. Sanders and D. Curtain (Canterbury), 18-8, 15-9; S. Wilson (Otego) and P. Whiting (Canterbury) beat E. Gloyn (Manawatu) and P. Skelt (Southland). 15-4, 15-11. Giris' doubles Quarter-finals. —Misses A. Wilson (Oroua) and L. Ward (Auckland) beat Mieses D. Palmer and M. Connor (Hutt VaUey), 15-5, 15-6; Misses S. McLeod (Taranaki) and L. Ward (Auckland) beat Misses J. Eden (Nelson) and A. Ross (Canterbury), 15-2, 17.15: Misses S. Wells and M. Steel (WeUington) beat Misses S. HorreU and S. Kltchlngham (Southland), 15-7, 15-3; Misses B. Codtzer (Hutt VaUey) and S. Gloyn (Manawatu) beat Misses D. Shahnon (Oroua) and M. Skedn (Auckland), 15-8, 15-10. i Junior mixed doubles . Quarter-finals. C. Bullen (Auckland) and Miss A. WilsOn (Oroua) beat A. Seerup and Mies D. Palmer (Hutt Valley), ISfi, 154; P. Whiting and Mies £ Ross (Canterbury) beat S. Wilson and Miss D. Shannon (OrouO, 15-1, 15-8; S. Bresanello and Miss M. Skeen (Auckland) beat 3. GUour (Hutt VaUey) and Miss J. Eden (Nelson), 15-10, 18-16; E. Gloyn and Miss S. Gloyn (Manawatu) beat P. Skelt (Southand) and Miss L. Dard (Aucjtand), 9-15, 15-11. 154.