Elmwood takes lead in men’s tennis

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33154, 19 February 1973, Page 5

Elmwood takes lead in men’s tennis

1 .inwood Avenue-Woolston was unseated from its place at the head of the Christchurch senior men’s tennis table on Saturday when it was narrowly beaten by its nearest rival,; Elmwood.

They faced one another 1 ! on the sixth day of play, neither having lost a fixture. Linwood Avenue-! Woolston had lost only! two individual matches to Elmwood’s six and therefore was ahead by four points—sB to 54. These two teams were toi have met on December 2 but| that round was postponed, because of rain, to March 17. On Saturday, in a tense after-' noon, each won a doubles.; with Linwood Avenue-Wool-1 ston obtaining an extra set:! then each won a singles ini straight sets so that Linwood! Avenue-Woolston still held; the odd set. The tension continued toi the end of the day because in! the last two crucial singles,' the former Wellingtonian, G. Harris, of Elmwood, beat D.j Blackwell in straight sets.! while B. J. Aldridge, a Wool-' ston club stalwart of many years, lost his first set to an, old opponent, W. Thom, who! is making a comeback for: Elmwood after several sea-j sons away from the game.; Aldridge made a supreme effort for the second and third; sets to make the match equal,; 3-8, and the sets also equal,; at 7-7. When the games county was made, Elmwood won by 70 to 66. It was a good result for two sound and closelymatched teams, and it allowed Elmwood to take a two-point lead-—63-61. When thev meet again on March 17

the result should be just as: C ] ose — but it could also just h as easilv be the other way. Saturday was also notable., for a first success to Shir-j ley. which beat North Lin- ] wood by eight sets to seven.;, Edgeware beat United by four;, matches to two. J The points are:— Elmwood ; 63 Linwood Avenue-Wool-1 ston 61. United 32. Edgeware ’) 27 North Linwood 19. Shir- L ley 14. The Linwood Avenue-Woolston : and Elmw ood meeting mas .turn i ■ out to be the crucial one of the competition. The combination of. Linwood Avenue, winner of the championship last season hut the; iSeTof two of its leadng; placers, and Woolston, one of the, m«,t consistent entrants in the erade over a long period, but; bottom last season, looked very strong from the start. However, the return of Thom m the Elmwood side nas strengthened it. and although i ThSSf lost his singles to Mjl ridge on Saturday he obtained the set that evened and the, cames that might have won , S TW is not the story behind a fine team effort. Edge-; .umbe, at top for Elm«J**- ‘J*’ 1 ' not begin this season at Ills best, whereas James has had some mprcoive victories tn both club, and tournament play. Edgecumbe, " now back on top and lus de-, feat of James means he nas, suffered only one dub singles loss—io S Menzies, of James himself had lus first club loss on Saturday when the wilv Edgecumbe placed the bau tantalisingly, forcing him to leave openings and make errors t"I ha<e not shown in his other m Another junior. N. B !’^ kbu t r .. n ' had no trouble evening _thg

I scores for Linwood AvenueWoolston when he beat H. Loveridge with the loss of onlv three games, but D. Blackwell, who was expected by Linwood Avenue-Woolston to win, was imastered by Harris. i Harris has been a worth-while acquisition for Canterbury tennis. As a young player, he iwas knocking on the door of the best national standards, but he is; now content to serve at club ; level. His stylish strokes and strong net play gave him a 6-4, 6-3 win over the left-handed i Blackwell. I Aldridge is one of the most experienced and solid men in the] j Christchurch competition and it was surprising to see Thom, who ; has not had nearly as much} i tennis in recent seasons, take; the first set from him so easily, |6-2. Aldridge recovered, but only ifor a tie-break 7-6, and a third set of 7-5. Thom might congratiialate himself that, after; Harris’s win, his own losing) • match obtained the necessary] margin of games. Shirley and North Linwood also had a close struggle. The] top man for North Linwood, S. (Burns, played efficiently to beat P. Hampton, another junior, 6-3, 6-2, and R. Adams (Shirley) not long away from junior ranks excelled himself by giving R. • Bruce, the victor in many a club< • match, only one game in each; United, which was third, and L which has retained that position II with a reduced margin, faced .‘Edgeware without its two top players. R. Webster and N. Pat- ’ I tins on. Back in the team was R. . McCutcheon, for many seasons .its top man. McCutcheon has i been overseas for tw’O years, ‘ mainly in South Africa, and he ,: played no tennis. He was not i the McCutcheon of old when he ’! lost the third singles 2-6. 2-6. to !R. Pratley. »• Avonside is still well in the /lead in the women’s competition, , and a 6-0 win over Beckenham

on Saturday helped it further' towards almost certain honours., lln the other contests United; beat Elmwood. 4-2. and Edgeware i beat Shirley bv the same score. The points are:—Avonside 54, Edgeware 33, United 33, Beckenham 28, Elmwood 20, Shirley 11. With Mrs R. Hunt, formerly I Miss Legge, back at the end of (the Elmwood team, it was expected that Elmwood might pull j (up quickly from its lowly position. Although Mrs Hunt won I both singles and doubles against •United on Saturday, the team was still beaten. One of the most meritorious wins was that of the I voting Miss R. Smith over Miss iS. Field, a player of vast experience, 6-4. 6-2. I Top for Avonside. Mrs D. Me'Ktnnel, who has the best club | record of any Canterbury tennis ■pl aver over a long period retained her unbeaten sequence this season by beating Miss A. | Meates. 1-6. 6-1. 6-4. after some difficult moments. Miss J. Phillips (Shirley), top | of the Canterbury Howe Shield! 1 team who did so well to beat; two members of the national; Wilson Cup team recently, continued her improved form by beating a leading representative player. Mrs J. Langford, 6-2, 7-6. 1 Results: — SENIOR MEN Elmwood v. Linwood AvenueWoolston Singles.—A. James lost to w ] Edgecumbe. 4-6, 2-6; B. Aldridge: • beat W. Thom. 2-6. 7-d, 7-o; N. Blackburn beat H. Loveridge,! ; 6-0 6-3; D. Blackwell lost to G. Harris, 4-6. 3-6. Doubles. —James and Black-; burn beat Edgecumbe and ’’Loveridge, 7-6, 6-4; Aldridge and, ‘Blackwell lost to Thom and! ’, Harris. 6-4. 3-6. 3-6. ’ Elmwood won by 70 games to Shirley v. North Linwood ! • Singles.—P. Hampton lost to S. i Burns. 2-6. 3-6; R. Adams beat; j R. Bruce. 6-1, 6-1; D. Haworth beat T. Ralfe 6-3, 6-4; J. Hamp-. ’ ton beat C. Brading, 6-2. 4-6. 6-4 Doubles—P. Hampton and! Haworth lost to Burns and Brad- >' ing, 5-7, 6-2. 6-7: Adams and J. - Hampton lost to Bruce and Ralfe. “ Shirley won by 8 sets to 7. Edgeware v. United Singles.—S. Menzies beat J. Tavlor. 6-1. 6-3; T Mooney beat D." Preston. 4-6. 7-6. 6-3; Pratlev beat R. McCutcheon. 6-2. 6-2: C. Wood lost to R. Blunt. 2-6. 2-6. Doubles. —Menzies and Mooney beat Taylor and McCutcheon, 6-3. j 3-6. 7-6;* Pratley and Wood lost e to Preston and Blunt. 1-6 2-6. ? Edgeware won by 4 matches to 2. SENIOR WOMEN United v. Elmwood J Singles.—Mrs J. Bartkevics lost to Mrs R. Hunt, 5-7. 4-6; Miss R. Smith beat Miss S. Field. 6-4. 6-2; 1 Mrs C. Winterbourn beat Mrs A. Chambers. 3-6. 6-2 6-0: Miss K. ‘ Davey beat Miss E. Smith. 6-3. ' 6-0. f • Doubles. —Mesdames Bartkevics and Winterbourn lost to Mes- ■ dames Hunt and Chambers. 1-6. 0-6; Misses Smith and Davey beat lt Misses Field and Smith. 7-5, 3-6, «7-6.

United won by 4 matches to 2. Avonside v. Beckenham Singles.—Mrs D. McKinnel beat Miss A. Meates, 1-6, 6-1. 6-4; Mrs K. Graham beat Miss S. Chapman, 6-4, 7-5; Mrs M. Murray beat Miss P. James, 6-2 3 6-4; Miss A. Howman beat Miss M. Mills. 6-1. 6-3. Doubles. —Mesdames McKinnel and Graham beat Misses Meates and Chapman, 6-3. 7-5; Mrs Murray and Miss Howman beat ■ Misses James and Mills, 6-4. 6-4. ‘ Avonside won by 6 matches to 0. • | Edge war® v. Shirley J Singles.—Mrs J. Langford lost; ►I to Miss J. Phillips. 2-6. 6-7; Miss JA. McQueen lost to Miss J. Dal-] Jzell, 4-6, 2-6; Mrs F. Hindson beat J Mrs N. Power, 7-5. 6-3; Mrs L. Brown beat Mrs A. Haberfield,] I 6-4. 6-3. . Doubles. —Mrs Langford and* •I Miss McQueen beat Misses', r Phillips and Dalzell, 7-5, 6-3;] • ’ Mesdames Hindson and Brown , beat Mesdames Pow er and Haber- * I field, 6-1. 7-5. i > i Edgeware won by 4 matches ■ ; to 2.