Edgeware's lead in women’s tennis

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32861, 9 March 1972, Page 26

Edgeware 's lead in women’s tennis

(By

A. M. MENZIES)

Points in the Christchurch senior women’s tennis competition have changed without a stroke being played. Edgeware, which shared the lead with Elmwood on 66 points, now goes to a sevenpoint lead on 73. At the same time, Avonside, lying third, has dropped back seven points to 48, but this still leaves it in third position.

These changes are the result of the resolving of a difference of opinion over the meeting between Edgeware and Avonside on December 18. Edgeware beat Avonside by four matches to two but the competitions committee later decided that by playing Miss J. Miles at second, Edgeware had sacrificed her in a higher position than her record warranted.

The committee therefore, awarded the contest to Avonside by 71 games to 58, so instead of getting 10 points, Edgeware got three, and Avonside received nine points instead of two.

This adjustment made Edgeware equal with Elmwood in the lead, and they had remained equal for the subsequent two rounds by winning their fixtures by the same margin. However, the Edgeware club, which protested strongly was offered the opportunity of explaining its placing of Miss Miles. It has now done so, the explanation has been accepted by the competitions committee, and the points reinstated. The teams will go into the second-last round on Saturday with the points as follows: Edgeware 73, Elmwood

66, Avonside 48, Beckenham ’ 42, United 33, Shirley 26: However, if Edgeware and Elmwood both win again, the vital match will be their meeting in the last round on March 18. By that time, Elmwood will be without Miss R. Legge, who will be in South Africa with the Federation Cup side, and so Edgeware’s success now looks assured. Linwood Avenue is in a similar happy position in the senior men’s grade. With 68, it is 12 points ahead of its nearest challenger, Edgeware, which it will meet on Saturday. So even if Edgeware won, 6-0, which is extremely

unlikely, it would only draw eVen, and Linwood Avenue is drawn against the - bottom side, Woolston, in the last rpund. The winning team must have a margin of six points to the second one, or a play-off is required. Surprisingly, when they met before Christmas, LinWood Avenue beat Edgeware 6-0. The line-up then, Linwood Avenue names first, was C. G. Judge v. S. Menzies; N. Dillon v. I. Stanton; A. James v. R. Pratley; N. Blackbum v. T. Mooney. On the last day a fortnight ago, James was ahead of Stanton and Mooney ahead of Pratley.