Top seed beaten in under 17 tennis

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33740, 13 January 1975, Page 4

Top seed beaten in under 17 tennis

(By

A. M. MENZIES)

A report from Wellington said that Michael Mooney, of Canterbury, had established himself as the best under 17 boy tennis player in New Zealand when he won that section of the Wellington age championships.

However, Mooney’s establishment took a set-back at the week-end when he was beaten in the final of the under 17 singles in the Ballins Canterbury age championships by .a young man from Waikato, Fraser Hodgson. Mooney was the top seed, but Hodgson was only eighth. On his way to the final, Hodgson had also disposed of

Stephen Harley, of Canter-1 bury, the second seed, in a quarter-final, and G. Sim-' mons, of Auckland, seeded sixth, in a semi-final. Hodgson won the final, 6-7. 6-2, 6-1. Mooney has a wide range of well-produced [strokes but some of his excursions to the net were illtimed and Hodgson, who based his game on a quick service, was able' to pass Mooney at net with good angles on his drives.

The girls’ under 17 final was an all Canterbury affair between two old rivals and doubles partners, Sally Chapman and Julie Verdellen. Miss Chapman won, 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, coming back with determination after losing the second set, even though she was not well. These two combined with their usual understanding to win the doubles. PLAYER RATTLED

The Aucklander, Mark Lewis, who . was third seed, beat himself in the final of the under 15 boys’ singles. The unseeded Denis Kingston, of Bay of Plenty, was calm and steady while Lewis got rattled to such an extent that at 4-5 down in the second set he threw his racket over a fence into a house at the back of the courts. He recovered to 5-5 -but Kingston won the next two games for the match, 6-4, 7-5. An Otago girl, Gaye Robinson, who is not a stranger to Canterbury tournaments, won the under 15 girls’ singles when she beat Nick! Robinson, of Canterbury, 6-3, 6-2. Gaye Robinson had the superior placement. James Dunphy, of Hutt Valley, a good all-rounder for his age, beat Brian Davidson with the loss of only one game in the under 13 boys’ final, while Angela Brading and Shellie Palmer, both of Canterbury, had a much closer game in the girls’ section. Brading won, 9-7, with slightly better tactics. Results (players from Canterbury unless otherwise stated):— UNDER V Boys' singles Semi-finals.—W. Mooney beat M. Elley (Wellington), 6-3, 6-2; F. Hodgson (Waikato) beat G. Simmons (North Shore), 6-3, 7-5. Final.—Hodgson beat Mooney, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1. Boys' doubles Semi-finals.—Simmons and 3. Harvey (Auckland) beat G. Mays (Auckland) and G. Ryder (Auckland), 6-4, 7-5. Girls' singles Semi-finals.—S. Chapman beat D. Leat (North Shore), 6-2, 8-1; J. Verdellen beat E. Coffey, 6-1, 6-3.

I Final.—Chapman beat Verdellen, 6-4, 3-6, 6-0. Girls' doubles I Semi-finals. —Chapman and I l Verdellen beat A. Smith and D. I ; Parquhar (North Shore), 6-4, 6-2: ■Lent and S. Brown (North Shore) I beat G. Palmer and Coffey, 6-3, 13-6. 5-2. i Final.—Chapman and Verdellen] 'beat Leat and Brown, 6-0, 6-2. Mixed doubles Final.—Simmons and Leat beat B. Hibbert and Chapman, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. Boys' plate Final.—R. Brace (Auckland) beat H. Robinson, 9-7. Girls' plate Final.—A. Smith beat I. de Meyer, 9-5. UNDER 15 Boys' singles Final.—M. Lewis (Auckland) beat S. Norman (Wellington), 7-5, 2-6, 6-3; D. Kingston (Bay of Plenty) beat J. Dillon, 6-4, 6-1. Final.—Kingston beat Lewis, 6-4, 7-5. Boys' doubles Semi-finals. —D. Patterson (Wellington) and Norman beat Lewis and G. Jalne (Auckland), 6-4, 6-1; D. Chapman and Dillon beat G. Carr and M. Wilson, 6-2, 6-1. Final.—Patterson and Norman beat Chapman and Dillon, 6-2, 6-2. Girls' singles Semi-finals.—G. Robinson (Otago) beat D. Peter, 6-2, 6-0; N. Robinson beat S. Odey, 6-0, 6-0. Final.—G. Robinson beat N. Robinson, 6-1, 6-2. Girls' doubles Semi-finals.—G. Robinson and N. Robinson beat K. Woods (Southland) and J. Daly, 6-0, 6-2; K. Burn and Peter beat N. Tooker and A. Davidson, 6-3, 6-3. Final.—G. Robinson and N. Robinson beat Burn and Peter, 6-3, 6-2. Mixed doubles Final.—Dillon and N. Robinson beat Chapman and Peter, 6-2, 6-3. Boys' plate Final.—L. Abbott beat A. Sullivan, 9-6. Girls' plate Final.—W. Brown (North Shore) beat A. Davidson, 9-6. UNDER 13 Boys* singles Semi-finals.—J. Dunphy (Hutt ■ Valley) beat M. Todd (South Canterbury), 9-0; B. Davidson beat J. Taylor, 9-8. Final.—Dunphy beat Davidson, 9-1. Boys' doubles Final.—P. Beumelberg and D. McKinnel beat A. Chapman and B. Hayman, 9-7. Girts' singles Final.—A. Brading beat S. Palmer, 9-7. Girls' doubles Final.—G. Munro and S. O’Flaherty beat S. Hughey and N. Craw, 9-5. Mixed doubles Final.—Beumelberg and Brading beat McKinnel and J. Hibbert, 9-5. Boys' plate Final.—Beumelberg beat 3. Lloyd, 6-1. Girls' plate Final.—E. Daly (Southland) beat S. Richards, 6-1.