Nimble veteran outclasses field to win thirteenth title

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34132, 20 April 1976, Page 3

Nimble veteran outclasses field to win thirteenth title

(By

BOB SCHUMACHER)

The remarkable veteran of Canterbury table tennis, John Armstrong,' won the men's singles I title at the Easter open championships yesterday for the thirteenth time in 16 years. I The application, consist-i iency, and skilful footwork of the 42-year-old Riccarton stalwart were unequalled by any of his opponents. Seeded third for the event, Armstrong comfortably cruised through to the semifinals where he faced his sternest test against the top [seed, Wayne Adamson. [ The 21-year-old Adamson, [who is ranked fifth in the icountry, had been beaten by ■Armstrong in the summer inter-club series, but the attacking game of the Dall[ington player has usually [proved superior to Armstrong's defence in their many tournament encounters. I Their match never reached spectacular heights. but, nevertheless, it sustained interest, especially when they finished the fourth game at two-all. I The deciding game was an lanti-climax: Armstrong with |his nimble movements, cun[ning placements, and high I ratio of success with his aggressive shots outclassed Adamson, who has won every major Canterbury title except the Easter event. Armstrong's task in the final was made much easier when the second seed and ; champion for the last two ■ years, Maurice Burrowes, [ was beaten by the fourth [seed, Yee Chow Boi, in the i fifth game. They, too, were ; evenly matched throughout i the first four games, but Yee I had a decided advantage in the fifth. Yee has never played with J the same authority against a consistent defender — who [can keep the returns low and vary the chop — as he has against attacking opponents. [ Armstrong. on many [occasions, has proved Yee’s [stumbling block. Yesterday

was no exception. Although] Yee controlled the pace of I the first game and won it! convincingly, he allowed a! grand chance to go begging| in the second game, which he; lost at advantage points. ' I A severe attack of cramp! hindered his movement in I I the third game (although he; (was already behind when the! cramp occurred) and Armstrong stayed comfortably! clear in the fourth game to! regain the trophy that he ! last held in 1973. Of the seeded players, onlyj the eighth seed, Mike War-; ren, failed to survive the round-robin section play and qualify for the quarter-finals, i He was beaten in three! games by Graeme Main, 1 | who, in turn, went down to I another unseeded player. Dennis Kalin. I Adamson, Armstrong, and| I Yee were untroubled to tmake the semi-finals, but ißurrows needed all his resourcefulness to conquer (the unremitting sixth seed, Bill Scott. I Scott’s defensive control i jwon him the first two games,! IBurrowes found some fluency ;in the third which he won easily. But he struggled to (take the fourth at 19 and was behind, 5-10 and 17-19, in the decider before steadying himself and winning the next four points. Adamson, who was never in the first game against; Armstrong in their semi-final,! hit firmly and chose the right! Iball to punish when winning the second. He lapsed again |in the third, but punished 'some rare loose returns from Armstrong to keep command tin the fourth. ! Armstrong elected to take Ithe initiative in the fifth and lit paid handsomely. He attempted four smashes: all; were successful. Two over-; hits and three nets had Ad--amson trailing 3-10 at ends, a deficit which he had no show of overcoming against such a redoubtable opponent. Normally Burrows has the measure of Yee, but the MalI aysian, who was beaten by (Burrows in straight games in Ithe final last year, won the first easily. A fault serve cost Yee the second game and he • dropped the third.

But the tenacious pen-; [gripper kept calm and his! swift change of direction! caught Burrows out of posi-l ition too often in the next! [two games. Whatever tactic Yee tried! [in the final. Armstrong had] !a counter. He forced Yee to l jnet many returns and he was; | quick to hit away any high; I return. j Jan Morris, the top-ranked New Zealand woman, re-j [tained her title in a round-] ] robin contest against three! , opponents. OPEN

Men's singles.—Quarter-finals:; W. D. Adamson beat H. H. Red-1 mond. 21-14. 18-21. 24-22, 21-15; J. Armstrong beat L. A Stewart.) 23-21. 21-18. 21-16; Yee Chow Boi beat D. J. Kalin, 21-17, 21-23, 21-: 11. 25-18; M. W. S. Burrowes beat W. T. Scott, 17-21. 11-21. 21-7,, 21-19. 21-19. Semi-final: Armstrong' boat Adamson. 21-16. 18-21. 21-18, 18-2 J, 21-8: Yee beat Burrowes, 21-14. 21-23. 16-21. 21-17, 21-15.) Final: Armstrong beat Yee. 18-21. 1 21-17. 21-16, 21-17. Men’s doubles.—Semi-finals: | Redmond and Stewart beat H. Thompson and G. C. Main. 21-18. 21-14; Scott and Armstrong beat Yee and Lee Hock Chong, 21-13,' 21-15. Final: Scott and Arm-1 strong beat Redmond and Stewart, 21-13. 21-19. i Women's singles.—Round-robin: | Miss J. G. Morris beat Mrs T. May. 21-17. 21-16: beat Miss J. E. Stead. 21-9, 21-17: beat Miss C.l Kohoe. 21-7. 20-22. 21-14. Mrs May I beat Miss Stead. 21-12, 21-11; beat Miss Kehoe. 21-18. 11-21,; 21-13; Miss Stead beat Miss Kehoe. 21-17, 21-12. Women's doubles. —Semi-finals: t Miss Morris and Mrs L. Adam-, son beat Misses 1. C P. Jagersmaj and D. Laycock. 21-18. 21-13; MrsMay and Miss Kehoe beat Mrs K. Brown and Miss P. M. Shadbolt. 21-15. 13-21. 21-13. Final: Miss Morris and Mrs Adamson beat Mrs Mav and Miss Kehoe. 21-19,1 21-14. Mixed doubles.—Semi-finals: Burrowes and Miss Morris beat Armstrong and Miss Kehoe, 21-9, 21-13; Yee and Mrs May beat Adamson and Mrs Adamson. 2117. 22-20. Final: Burrowes and Miss Morris beat Yee and Mrs I May. 21-15, 21-15? SECOND GRADE singles.—Semi-finals: T. Sargent neat F. Chalk, 21-15. 22-' 20; R. Prisk beat M. Kelly . 22-20, 21-18. Final: Prisk beat Sargent,, 17-21, 21-17. 21-10. Men's doubles. —Semi-finals: P. D. McLean and J. Jars beat M. Clasper and M. Jarvis. 24-22, 2114; R. and M. Prisk beat J. Rich-, ards and J. Simons, 21-16, 19-21,‘ 21-13. Final: Prisk and Prisk beat; McLean and Jary. 21-10, 21-5. Women's singles.—Final: Miss Shadbolt beat Mrs Adamson, 2119. 21-15. Women's doubles. —Final: Mrs K. Thompson and Miss Stead beat Miss Kehoe and Mrs AdamI son. 21-18. 21-17. I Mixed doubles. —Final: F. Le

! Roi and Miss Kehoe beat K. (Watson and Miss Shadbolt, 18-21, ( 21-16. 21-17. VETERAN I Men's singles.—Ron nd-robin: IR. G. Hart beat F. H. Sargeant. 19-21. 21-9. 21-14. Men’s doubles.—Sargent and Hart beat A B. McCallum and F. J. O'Gorman (South Canteri bury). 21-7. 21-9. j Women’s singles.—Final: Mrs Max 1, Mrs Thompson 2. Women's doubles. —Final: Mes- • dames May and Thompson beat Mesdames 1. Mehrtens and J. Murphy, 21-9. 12-21, 21-12. j Mixed doubles.—Final: Sargent and Mrs Mac beat Hart and Mis i Mehrtens. 18-2 L 21-16. 21-13