Canterbury wins easily

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33706, 2 December 1974, Page 13

Canterbury wins easily

The Canterbury tennis team had a remarkably easy victory over Wellington in its first representative match of the season at Wilding Park yesterday. In fact, the win was so clear-cut that the impression may have been that the Wellington players had been up all night watching their All Black captain while the Canterbury players had been resting.

After the mixed doubles and singles had been completed, Wellington had won only three matches and Canterbury had an unbeatable lead of 9 matches to 3. Wellington eventually won two of the four doubles, one by default, but the score was 11-5 to Canterbury, and it took the Dunlop cup.

The former Davis Cup player, R. N. Hawkes, was as competent and consistent as usual. First he won his mixed with Miss S. MeaIchen, the young Wellingtonian who was overseas this year, and then he beat S. Menzies, 6-4, 6-2 in his singles.

Menzies made too many mistakes against a player as steady as Hawkes, and

Hawkes, as usual was volleying with distinction. But Hawkes's brother, D. Hawkes, who has been one ot New Zealand's better players over a long period, was strangely out of room when he lost 4-6, 1-6 to W. Edgecumbe. Wellington's other singles win went to P. Smith, in a long three-setter with R. Webster. He was helped by the fact that Webster suffered from cramp — so much so that he had to default in the doubles — but Smith deserved his success which came from two tense tie-breaks.

Miss Meachen was no match tor New Zealand's second woman, Mrs R. Hunt, in the top women’s singles, jand could win only Tour games. Mrs S. Haig, Canter'bury's second woman, gave away <nly one to Miss P. Dwyer.

Although R. N. Hawkes [lost h:s only match of the |diy ,n the men’s doubles. Wellington was able to share the doubles, because, the Canterbury women lost their only match when the top pair, Mrs Hunt and Miss C. Newton lost to Misses Meachen and Grapes |in a three-setter with a tieb’eak at the end. The WelI lington women combined wer. Result* (Wellington nimer | first):— Men's singles R. N. Hawkes best b. Menzies, 6-4, 6-2; D. Hawkes lost to W 1 Edgecumbe. 4-6, !•<; P Smith (beat R Webster, 76. 26, 76; F (Scarlett lost to G. Harris, 26, 136. Women's singles Miss S. Meachen lost to Mn , R Hunt, 36. 16; Miss P Dw-ver poet to Mrs S. Haig 16, 04; Mis* IP. Grapes lost to Miss C. Newton. 24, 44; Mr* J Pickett lo»t to Mi** S. Chapman, 5-7. 44. Men's doubles Hawkes and Hawke* lost to Menzies and Fxlgecumbe, 6-2, 04. 34; Smith and Scarlett beat Webstar and Harris, by default Women's doub'es Misses Meachen and Grapes beat Mr* Hunt and Miss Newton. 6-2. 26. 74; Miss Dwver and Mrs Pickett lost to Mrs Haig and Miss Chapman. 1-6. 1-6. Mixed doubles ! R. Hawkes and Mi** Meacl.ee beat Menzies and Mrs Hunt, b-4 jH; D. Hawkes and MGs Dwver

lost to Edgecumbe and Mrs Hau*. 4-6 ’.-6; Smith and Mln Grape, 'lost to Webner and Miss Chap man, 3-6, 6-7, Scarlett and Mr* iPickett lost to Harris and Mu* 'Newton, 46, 1-6.