Junior tennis upsets

Press, 16 October 1976, Page 52

Junior tennis upsets

Play in the Puma national junior invitation tennis tournament began sensationally at Wilding Park yesterday with three upsets. In the most notable reversal of form, the New Zealand Linton Cup representatives and hot favourites for the under 19 boys’ doubles, Michael Mooney and Stephen Harley (Canterbury), were eliminated by the scratch combination of Stephen Guy (Wellington) and Douglas Chapman (Canterbury). The national champion and top seeded player in the under 16 girls’ singles, Arlene Rolleston (Bay of Plenty), . succumbed to the steady play of Lyn Cowie (Canterbury), and the second seeded player in the under 19 girls’ singles, Julie Verdellen (Canterbury), was well beaten by Nickie Robinson, an unranked schoolgirl from Woodend.

Guy and Chapman had not previously joined forces in doubles, but they displayed admirable understanding against an erratic Harley and Mooney. The unseeded Guy and Chapman faltered when on the brink of winning in straight sets, but recovered their composure to take the deciding third set. They handled the big serves of their noted rivals with confidence, and their accurate lobbing had Mooney and Harley in trouble. Harley made many errors, and this appeared to affect his concentration.

Miss Robinson gained a decided edge over Miss Ver-

dellen in the first set of their singles, and had matters much to herself from then on, winning the second set without the loss of a game. Miss Cowie had a harder battle in achieving her upset win, but her greater consistency of stroke was the vital factor in her defeat of Miss Rolleston. But Miss Cowie was subsequently beaten by Karen Rahui (Auckland), who will play her doubles partner, Bronwyn Corson, in the second life final.

Mooney and Harley reached the second life semifinals of the under 19 boys’ singles, but the most impressive performances came from Brett Hibbert (Canterbury). He conceded only two games in beating Graham Liddell (South Canterbury), conqueror of the fourth ranked New Zealand junior, Joe Harvey (Auckland). Harvey and the other singles semi-finalist, Glen Ryder, had to come from 1-5 down in the first set to win their doubles match against David Patterson and Stephen Smith, two much younger boys. "I’m only just becoming acclimatised,” joked Harvey, as he shivered in the chill breeze.

Abbreviations used in the results are:— A. Auckland; W. Wellington; C. Canterbury; O, Otago; NS, North Shore; Wk, Waikato; HB, Hawke’s Bay; T. Taranaki; HV, Hutt Valley; M. Marlborough; N, Nelson; WC, West Coast; SC, South Canterbury; S, Southland; BOP, Bay of Plenty.

Results were:— BOYS UNDER 1» Singles

First round. M. Mooney (C) beat D. Patterson (W), 6-1, 6-2; M. Elley (W) beat L. Walton (C), 7-5, 6-0; G. Liddell (SC) beat J. Harvey (A), 6-4, 6-2; B. Hibbert (C) beat S. Smith (A), 6-0, 6-4; W. Gray (HB) beat H. Robiison (C), 6-4, 6-3; G. Ryder (A) beat P. Smith (W), 6-7, 7-6, 6-3; D. Mustard (A) beat D. Chapman (C), 6-2, 6-2; S. Harley (C) beat S. Guy (W), 6-1, 6-4.

Second round.—Mooney beat EUey, 6-3, 6-2; Hibbert beat Liddell. 6-1; 6-1; Ryder beat Gray, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3; Harley beat Mustard, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Doubles First round.—Guy and Chapman beat Mooney and Harley, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3; Elley and Mustard beat Hibbert and P. Smith, 6-3, 6- Harvey and Ryder beat Patterson and Smith, 7-6, 6-4. GIRLS UNDER 1* Singles First round.—G. Robinson (O) beat P. Lewthwaite (C), 6-3, 6-4; C. Oakley (C) beat A. Smith (NS), 7- 6-2. Second round. —S. Chapman (C) beat S. Johns (S), 6-1, 6-1; G. Robinson beat A. Bidwell (NS), 6- 6-2; L. Harris (Wk) beat C. Oakley, 6-4, 6-3; N. Robinson (C) beat J. Verdellen (C), 6-3, 6-0. Doubles G. Robinson and L. Harris beat S. Johns and P. Lewthwaite, 6-3, 6-4. BOYS UNDER 16 Singles First round.—R. Mason (C) beat A. Bramwell (W), 6-2, 7-6; S. Chambers (WC) beat B. Hayman (SC), 6-3, 7-6. Second round.—M. Lewis (A) beat C. Morris (M), 6-3, 6-2; Mason beat D. Mahy (BOP), 7-5, 4-6, 6-4; J. Dunphy (HV) beat Chambers, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4; C. Luxton (Wk) beat N. Carter (HB), 7- 6-0. GIRLS UNDER U Singles First round.—L. Cowie (C) beat A. Rolleston (BOP), 6-4, 5-7, 6-4; K. Rahui (A) beat K. Waddell (HV). 6-2, 6-2; K Ross (N) beat W. Hitchcock (T), 6-1. 7-5; B. Corson (A) beat S. Odey (C), 6-2, 6-3.

Second round.—K. Rahul beat L. Cowie, 6-1, 6-3; B. Corson beat K. Ross. 6-1. 6-4.