Elmwood improves men’s tennis lead

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33753, 28 January 1975, Page 17

Elmwood improves men’s tennis lead

Elmwood has a good lead at the half-way mark in the Christchurch senior men’s tennis competition, and it was helped into that position by North Linwood.

While Elmwood was! beating United by 4 matches to 2, North Linwood was disposing of Elmwood’s nearest rival, Edgeware, with the loss | of only one match. So whereas Elmwood was leading Edgeware by only two points before Christmas, it is now leading by 12. The points are.—Elmwood 55, Edgeware 43, Shirley 32, United 26, North Linwood 19, Woolston 5. The last round before Christmas, on December 14, was washed out and matches from this round still have to be tidied up. Edgeware suffered from being without two of its regular team. Michael Mooney was busy winning the New Zealand under 17 championship and Paul Boatwood has an injured foot.

However, the North Linwood players played better than they have previously this season and the only match lost was the top singles in which Simon Menzies (Edgeware) beat Carey Brading, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

A former top man for the club, Jim Martin, wh,o has not been back long from overseas, played at second for North Linwood after spending most of the rest of the season in senior reserve. He conceded his Edgeware opposite, Terence Mooney, only three games. In other top singles, Warren Edgecumbe (Elmwood) beat Ralph Webster (United), 6-2, 6-2, and Peter Hampton (Shirley) beat David Neilson (Woolston), 6-4, 6-3. Edgecumbe was much too steady for Webster, and Hampton showed the benefits of his visit to recent Australian touramerits. He has gained in pace and placement. WOMEN'S MATCHES The women’s competition has also reached half-way and, as each team has had a bye, the positions are clear. Avonside leads by 14 points from Elmwood, and in the fifth round it scored the maximum points by beating Edgeware by 6 matches to 0. Elmwood beat North Linwood by 4 matches to 2, and Beckenham had the bye.

The points are: Avonside 44, Elmwood 32. North Linwood 16, Edgeware 15, Beckenham 11.

The top woman for Elmwood, Mrs Robyn Hunt, who had to withdraw from the national championships last week because of injury, was back in good form when she beat Miss Ann McMaster without the loss of a game. Miss Christine Newton, top for Avonside. kept up the good play »he showed during the New Zea-

land tournament by beating Mrs J. Langford (Edgeware), 6-2, 6-3. Results:— SENIOR MEN North Linwood S, Edgeware 1 Singles.—C. Brading lost to S. Menzies, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6; J. Martin beat T. Mooney, 6-2, 6-1: S. Burns beat M. O’Flaherty. 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; T. Ralfe beat E. Ogier, 6-4, 0-6, 7-5. Doubles.—Brading and Martin beat Menzies and Mooney, 6-2, 6-1: Burns and Ralfe beat O’Flaherty and Ogier, 6-0, 6-2. Elmwood 4. United 2

Singles.—W. Edgecumbe beat R. Webster, 6-2, 6-2; W. Thom lost to R. McCutcheon, 7-6, 5-7 I (by default); G. Harris lost to J. Taylor, 3-6, 4-6; S. Bentley beat J. Dickie, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Doubles.—Thom and Harns beat Webster and McCutcheon. 7-6, 3-6. 6-2; Edgecumbe and Bentley beat Taylor and Dickie, 6-4. 6-1.

Shirley 4, Woolston 2 Singles.—P. Hampton beat D. Neilson 6-4, 6-3; R. Adams beat C. Hunt, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2: D. Haworth beat P. Gibson, 6-4. 6-4; J. Hampton lost to G. Wilson, 7-6, 3-6, 2-6. Doubles. —P. Hampton and Haworth beat Hunt and Neilson, 6-1. 6-3; Adams and J. Hampton lost to Gibson and Wilson, 3-6, 6-4, 3-6.

SENIOR WOMEN Avonside 6, Edgeware 0 Singles.—Miss C. Newton beat Mrs J. Langford, 6-2. 6-3; Mrs D. McKinnel beat Mrs L. Brown, 6-1, 6-0; Mrs A. Grant beat Miss J. Duggan. 6-1, 6-2; Miss J. Sloper beat Mrs M. Ogier, 6-2, 6-3,

Doubles. —Miss Newton and Mrs McKinnel beat Mesdames Langford and Brown, 6-3, 6-0; Mrs Grant and Miss Sloper beat Misses Duggan and Ogier, 6-7, 6-1, 6-2. Elmwood 4, North Linwood 9 Singles.—Mrs R. Hunt beat Miss A. McMaster. 6-0, 6-0; Mrs A. Chambers beat Miss R. Smith. 6-2, 6-3; Miss E. Smith beat Miss G. Palmer, 2-6 7-6. 6-2; Mrs A. Poole lost to Miss S. Lynne, 7-6, 2-6. 1-6. „ , Doubles.—Mesdames Hunt and Poole beat Misses McMaster and Palmer 6-2. 6-1; Mrs Chambers and Miss Smith lost to Misses Smith and Lynne, 4-6, 3-6. Low'er grade matches m the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association’s competitions resulted as follows:— Senior reserve Elmwood 4, St Ninians 2; North Linwood 6, Edgeware 0; Shirley I 5, Linwood Avenue 1; Burwood Park 4, Shirley II 2; United I 4, United H 2. Second men St Martins 5. Burwood Park 1; Spreydon 6, Edgeware 0; United 5, Riccarton- Domain 1; South Christchurch 7 sets, North Linwood 6; Bishopdale beat Waimairi by default. First mixed A Shirley 10. Edgeware 6; Spreydon 12, Linwood Avenue 4; Elmwood I 13, Avonside II 3; Avoniside I 13, Elmwood II 3.