Robyn Hunt on the comeback trail

Press, 12 October 1976, Page 26

Robyn Hunt on the comeback trail

Robyn Hunt seems set to storm back into top-class tennis. On Saturday the former national singles champion and Federation Cup repre-i sentative triumphed in the; women's section of the* Trans Tours invitation clas-; sic by beating the last of; her junior rivals, Julie Ver-1 dellen and Phillipa Lewthwaite, with the loss of only three games in each match. M r s Hunt moved confidently into her shots on the porous courts at Wilding Park. Her timing was good and she hit her volleys with the venom of old. Last season Mrs Hunt restricted her appearances in big tennis because of the

birth of her second child. But on a limited preparation, she reached the semi-finals of the national singles chami pionship, and was runner-up |for the Canterbury title. I This summer she intends ■to make a full-time return to I the fray. On the evidence of I the play in the Trans Tours ievent, it should be a successful one The six-round classic ended on "aturday with sen-; ior and junior winners being I declared in each of the three! sections. The Canterbury men’s] singles champion, Peter j Hampton, was an impressive winner in pool one. Displaying power and unwavering concentration. he

downed Stephen Harley, the national Linton Cup player. The junior winner in Hampton's pool was Brett Hibbert, a young player with! excellent tennis prospects. In i his last two games he beat! the nationally-ranked Ralph! ’ Webster and a joint holder! of the Canterbury men's: doubles title. Colin Hunt. i ' Stephen Burns won thej i senior section of pool two. i (after being fully extended :n' la tough three-setter by the! 'junior winner. Douglas(Chapman. | Douglas's sister. Sally,; produced consistently-good' tennis to win the junior sec-1 tion of the women's pool. She seems certain of win-| ning national junior honours! this season. The awards were presented on behalf of Trans Tours by Mr Dennis Young. Results were:— MEN Pool 1 Fifth round. —M. Mooney beat D. Haworth. 6-1. 6-2; P. Hampton beat S. Harley. 6-2. 6-3; H. Robinson beat B. Held. 6-1, 6-0; C. Hunt beat L. Walton. 3-6. 6-1. 7-6; B. Hibbert beat R. Webster. 6- 6-2; A. Croad beat D. Lawn. 7- 6-2. Sixth round.—Mooney beat Croad. 7-6. 4-6. 6-2; Harley beat Haworth. 7-5. 6-3: Hampton beat Robinson, 6-3. 6-3; Walton beat B. Finch. 6-2, 0-6, 6-4; Hibbert beat Hunt. 6-2. 6-0; Webster beat Lawn, 7-5, 3-6. 6-4. Pool 2 Fifth round. —S. Burns beat D. Chapman. 3-6. 6-4, 7-5; D. MeKav beat S. Agar. 6-4. 7-6: C. Abbott beat D. Hunt, 6-3, 6-2; S. Craib heat D. Neilson, 1-6. 7-6. 6-2; D. Shapcott beat G. Hayes, 6-3, 6-4: D. Adair beat J. Dillon, 6-3, 6-1. Sixth round.—Chapman beat Adair. 6-3. 7-6: Burns beat Agar, 6-3, 6-7, 6-0; McKay beat Hunt, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1: Craib' beat Abbott, 6-2. 6-2; Hayes beat Neilson, 6-3, 6-3; Shapcott beat Dillon. 6-4. 6-3. WOMEN Fifth round —R. Hunt beat .J. Verdellen. 6-2. 6-1: A. Grant beat L. Cowie, 6-3. 6-1; .). Wilson beat A. Davidson, 6-4, 6-3; P. Grace beat J. Mackie, 6-0, 6-2; S. Chapman beat J. Duggan, 6-0, 6-4; J. MacDonald beat N Robinson, 7-6, 6-1: C. Oakley beat J. Nelson, 6-1. 6-3: P. Lewthwaite beat L. Duffy. 6-0, 6-0. Sixth round.—Mrs Hunt beat Miss Lewthwaite. 6-1. 6-2; Mrs Grant beat Miss Mackie, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1; Miss Wilson beat Miss Cowie, 6-1, 6-3; Miss Davidson beat Mrs Grace, 6-7, 6-0, 6-2; Miss Robinson beat Miss Duggan, 6-0, 6-1; Miss Chapman beat Mrs MacDonald. 6-2. 6-2; Miss Verdellen beat Miss Nelson. 6-4. 6-0: Miss Oaklev beat Miss Duffy. 6-3. 6-3.