Badminton singles trophy to Purser

Press, 16 August 1976, Page 19

Badminton singles trophy to Purser

Bryan Purser (Lower Hutt) left more than the memory of a fine i singles win in the Skellerup Can I terbury badminton champion I ships behind him in Christchurch at the week-end. ! Tiie second-ranked New Zealand player took one trophy from the province after narrowly beating the title-holder. Steve Wilson i Otago i but compensated by leaving another—one of his own designing. During the men's doubles final against Wilson and Nigel Skelt (Southland) Purser clipped his partner, Jacob Van Seim, as he tried to make a return and the handle of the racket bent right over as though it bad been rubbed by Uri Geller. Later, at the prize-giying, Purser joked about the episode and asked that the racket “suffering badly from metal fatigue” be awarded every year tn the player responsible for the “most amusing incident.” Purser also caused some amusement during the final of the mixed doubles with the way he twice inspected the nonexistent damage to his shorts after doing the splits as he made a retrieve.

‘t; The singles final was quite an. e entertaining affair with the i* promising 22-year-old Thomas i-i Cup representative. Wilson, in a h! determined mood. Wilson started confidently in i-’lhe first game—which saw five n | shuttles being used (the first t-1 lasted only two rallies!—-to lead nj 5-1 but Purser started to turn - tiie power on. smashing very accurately, and had a lour point dead at 1(1-6. However. Wilson came back lt with some magnificent winners,: s some of which caused his oppone|ent to gasp in astonishment. e .‘and won the last nine points in ,♦ a row. n The second game was all Purser's with Wilson having no answer to smashes placed and r : timed superbly. Purser carried a on in similar vein in the decid- ” Ing game and led 8-2 at ends and e then 11-4 but Wilson showed r great touch as well as some ad-; 5 ‘ mirable fighting qualities to level, at 12-12 before, in his own words , e he “blew it" and lost the last ►f three rallies very quickly when \ I Purser hit the shuttle straight at i-jhim. ,s! As expected, the women’s title e went to the local player. Alison Ross, for the third successive ~ year and the fourth time in five

Iler Wellington opponent. Gilda Tomkins, matched her for a while in the first game but was never in the hunt in the second! and lost, 811, 1-11. Easily the most entertaining nv.-.- 1 . , ' Gnals evening on Sat index was the men's doubles whir rallied setting in both the 'I-St and then last games. Wilson >'d Skelt scraped home ■ 1817 in the first game against their top-seeded opponents with all four players showing some I. amazinti reflexes in a number of hjenthralling rallies. s- Purser was the dominant o I player tn the second game re-j t-ltrieving brilliantly from all over y I the court, and bls combination e won this one easily, 15-6. nj Van Seim and Purser went to; it I a normal!' decisive lead of 13-8' d I in the last but in a thrilling I 1- finish their opponents levelled! ojand then dropped only two points; ! in setting I Miss Ross and Terri Perry ®|failed to strike no any sort of *• effective combination in the w o- “ I men’s doubles and were deservedly beaten bv the Wellingli ton pair. Miss Tompkins and I. Sue Thompson. •> Geoff Miller played some par- >> ticularly good badminton during :: the tournament and it was nleas--11 ing to see him and Glenys Waller •> get some tangible reward with a good win over Purser and Miss ■■ Thompson in the mixed doubles I final d At times the match almost ft looked like a singles with Miller )> and Purser smashing at each >’ other from the back court with the girls standing unnecded at A the net. 1- Last year’s single runner-up. ’ I Peter Whiting (Canterbury I, was justifiably pleased with the way It he performed. Whiting looked 4, very sharp in the second game of the semi-final against Wilson and all but took It. He also comMbined very well with Miller. Alison Ross’s brother. David, 4. 1 helped to make the night a Ross

benefit with a three game win in the junior boy*’ singles final lover Ross Campbell. Results:— OPEN Men’s singles —Quarter-finals: B. Purser Lower Hutt beat W Edgecumbe, 15-5. 15-7: G. A. Miller beat N Skelt Southland*. 15-3. 15-13. P Whiting beat J Van Selin Wellington*. 15-9. 15-7; S w ■ ( »•. go Im a! I Robil son. 15-10. 15-2 Semi-finals Purser beat Miller. 15-6. 15-8; Wilson beat Whiting. 15-5, 17-15 Final Purser beat Wilson. 10-15. 15-3. 15-12. Women’s singles — Quarter* I naif | Roes Imn I J mUm 11 •*■ 11-6: S Thompson Wellington beat T Pern. 11-8. 113. < Reay beat R Ritchie. 11-2. 116; G. Tompkins (Wellington) beat P. Duckmanton. 11-1. 11-3. Semifinals: Ross beat Thompson, 114, 11-6; Tompkins beat Rea'. 11-1. 111-3. Final: Ro>s beat Tompkins, 11-8. 11-1. Men’s doubles. ■ Semi-finals Purser and Van Seim brat D Reid and B Crofts. 15-2. 15-2; Wilson and Skelt beat Miller and Whiling. 17-15, 15-9. Final Wil [son and Skelt beat Purser and Van Seim. 18-17, 6-15. 18 15 I Women's doubles. —Semi-finals {Tompkins and Thompson beat Duckmanton and G. Wallet. 15-3 15-8; Perry and Ross beat Miles land S. Chapman. 15-10, 6-15. 15-1? Final. Tompkins and Thompson [beat Pern and Ross. 15-6, 15 5 Mixed doubles Semi-finals Purser and Thompson beat Skel‘ land Perry. 15-8. 15-8: Miller an< I Waller brat Van Seim and Tomp I kins, 15-7. 15-18. 15 6 Final Miller and Waller beat Pursci land Thompson, 15-7, 15-7. OPEN I Boy’s singles. Semi-final* R I Campbell beat G. Paskell, 11-15, 15-12. 15-10; D Ross b. at P Wilson. 15-10 15-1! Final Ros* ’beat Campbell. 10-15. 18-17. 15 2 Girl's singles.—Semi-finals: <. Foster beat T. Germon, 117, tt •.*, K Burn beat R Kerr. 11-8, 1‘ 5 [Final: Burn beat Foster, 11-3. II- • Boy’s double* -Semi-final* D Ross and R. < ampbell beat l> WOods and R. Clements. 15 8 115-9; P. Wilson and P Paskrl beat .1. Neiman and M Reid. 15-5, 15-7. Final: Wilson and Pa* kell beat Ross and Campbell 15-5. 17-16. Girl’s doubles.—Semi-finals K Burn and R. Kerr beat C. Camp bell and J. Brimicombe, 15-3. 15-1 G. Foster and D Foster beat I Germon and J Camnbell. 13-1 15-7 15-7 Final Foster and Foster beat Burn and Kerr. 154 18-13 Mixed doubles.—Semi-finals G Paskell and K Burn beat P Wilson and T. Germon, 15-9. 15-11 D. Ross and J. Brimicombe bei R Campbell and C Campbel: 15-16, 15-7. Final Paskell ar." Burn beat Ross and Brimicombe 15-9, 15-2. UNDER U Boy’s singles.-—Semi finals: D Eastwick beat R Strange. I'* 15-5; M. Reid beat S. Steel 15- 4 15-0 Final: Reid beat Ea.vtw n i 18-15. 15-7, 18-16 I Girl's singles.—Semi-finals D (Foster beat C. Campbell il 111- I. Brimicombe boat S Wi . son. 11-3, 11-3. Final* Foster bcr