Shirley sets a hot pace in men’s tennis

Press, 29 November 1976, Page 23

Shirley sets a hot pace in men’s tennis

Shirley is setting a scorching ice in tiie senior mens tennis •mpetition. in a bid to build substantial lead before losing eter Hampton to the national ircuit. On Saturday at Wilding Park, lirley claimed maximum points •om its encounter with Woolon to open up a 10-point lead n the field, Shirley’s quartet was in asser-' ive mood. It did not concede ne set, and a struggling Woolton’s return from the four ingles matches was a pitiful 13 ames. The playing through champion. Imwood. came perilously close o losing for the second week •n end. It scraped home on a •ount-back of sets from one of he two new sides in the cradc. Vons>ide. but not before its re■loxvned top man Warren Edge’umbe. had gone down to Alan Croad. North Linwood, the side which overthrew Elmwood in the previous round, was unable to re»eat the process on United. Good play by Lindsay Walton ; md Hugh Robinson in the doubles and b> Walton tn the -ingles denied North Linwood two expected victories. United’s convincing 5-1 win enabled it to draw level with Elmvnod in second place Edgeware advanced to fourth* beating the bottom side,, Sumner. But the win was not! achieved without sacrifice. The accomplished Edgeware No 1. Michael Moonev who heat 'lamnton in tiie previous round lost to Grantley .Judge in a close and exciting match/ Points are: Shirley 44. Elmwood 34. United 34. Edgeware 25. North I.inwood 22, Avonside 16, Woolston 12. Sumner 5.

The businesslike mood of the Shirley players and their wide range of shots proved too much for Woolston. Hampton, Day id Haworth and Ron Adams breezed thrugh their singles, and Brett Hibbert completed the clean sweep, although he encountered tougher opposition from Colin Hunt. Going down with guns blazing. Hunt burst a ball as he tried to fight his way clear of Hibbert’s offensive. Hampton, who will open his national campaign at the Wellington championships in midDecember. moved sharp]} and hit the ball hard on the rise.

North Linwood might have anticipated a three-all result with United, but Walton and Robinson changed the picture dramatically. They combined extremely well and cracked awav winners with aplomb to defeat the highly rated pair. Jim Martin and Stephen Harley. Walton had a late start to the season because of examinations, but he proved this was no handicap by edging out Martin in a crucial singles. The United No. 2 saved five match points when down 4-5 in the second set and eventually w’on a tie-breakei* with something to spare. In a third set in which firm driving from the baseline was a feature. Walton shaded Martin. 6-4.

John Taylor gave Bruce Scott a lesson in concentration in winning the fourth singles. and Robinson came home a winner after a testing game against Barry Finch. Only Harley secured a win for North Linwood, in the top singles against Ralph Webster. The match was played in twilight with the park all but de serted. Probably because of the lack of atmosphere the rivals mixed brilliant winners with careless errors. Deuce was the operative word. Elmwood started on the wrong foot with its leading doubles team of Bill Thom and Gary Harris going under for the second successive week-—this time

:jto Croad and Barty Knight • But Thom was steadfast in tne [singles, and remained unflapp I able even thougn Harris, on jthe adjacent court, was expressing grave doubts about his, own [ability. However, with the aid oi sonic snarplv angled shots :rotn a net | hugging position, Karns winkled past Knight, while Thom von- ' founded lorn Tyler with some irret rie\ able shots. Elmw ood needed thos e wins. for the [Avonside \etcran. Jack Reade [who sprained his ankle ’ieaj the [end— upset Lew Elliott. ano Croad came home handsomely against Edgecumbe, The 6ft Jin Croad brought [some thunderous serves down .'from the clouds to ace Edge cumbe several times, but his best play was from mid-court. On a numbei oi occasions In foiled Edgecuinbe’s famed powers of anticipation b? dciaying a forehand until his rival jhad committed himself to a cross-court move.

It was a satisfactory da\ tot with Bi)] Watkins re turning to the courU aftet a long absence to win his singles and combine with Noel Dillon for a double victory.

Terry Mooney put Edgeware past the break-even point will a remarkable win against R>an McCutcheon. The bimmer man. putting a lot of work on the ba J. built up a 5-0 lead but Moonev. gasping in tiie centre court heat, announced that he was going to win in straight sets "the hard wav

The psychology worked Moonej won 13 of the next 15 games to take the match. His cross-court backhand was particularly effective.

His younger brother. Michael, was unable to follow suit in his match against Judge. The Sumner No. 1 galloped away with I the firfst set, and Moonev was clearl.v on top in the second. Tin deciding set was close all the wav. with Judge prevailing In a dramatic tie-breaker.

Judge’s serving was impressivt for its accuracy and power and .some of his ot)w shots were [executed classicallv. especially in tJi-e first set. Mooney, noted for his power switched tactics and produced some effective lobbing, which sapped much of Judge’s stamina. A fortunate winner against Beckenham a week before. Vonside took the lead In the senior women’s competition by beating the champion Elmwood side. 4-2. after all four singles matches had gone to three sets. Christine Newton atoned for her loss to Sally Chapman th-e pevious week bv downing Robv n Hunt in a hard-hitting top singles, and Diane McKinnel followed up by beating \nn McMaster. Earlier Mrs Hunt and Miss McMaster had beaten their rivals at doubles. United made an inauspicious start to the competition by losing to Beckenham. Miss Chapman accounted for Judith Phillips in the top singles, and Julie Verdellen recaptured her old form to figure prominently in crushing singles and doubles wins for Beckenham. Points are:— Avonside 19. Elmwood 14. Beckenham 13 United 2. Edgeware 0. SENIOR MEN Shirley 6, Woolston 0 P. Hampton beat D. Hunt. 6-1. 6-2; B. Hibbert beat C A. Hunt, 6-3. 6-2: R. Adams beat D. Chapman, 6-2. 6-1; D. XV. Haworth beat G. OUiver. 6-1. 6-1. Hampton and Hibbert beat < . Hunt and Chapman. 6-4. 6-4: Adams and Haworth beat D. Hunt and Olliver. 6-3. 6-2 Elmwood 8 sets, Avonside 7 W Edgecumbe lost to A

.Uroad 3-6, 46, G Harns be* B. K’Jght 6-4. 6-3 W Th<n oeat 1. Tyler 6-1, 6-3; L Elliot! lost to J. Reader. 46. o.i 4 6 Thom and Harns lost to ■Croad and Knight. 2-6. 6-j Elliott and Edgecumbe be„t Pyler and Reader. 7 5 6-7 •» Edgeware 5 ( Sumner 1 XI Moonev lost to C. G Jud*;t 2- 6-2. 67; T J Moonev br i’ R. M. MvUutiheon, 76. 6-1. N Dillon beat L. G Milne. *-4. 7 .. I. W Watkins beat R. ( Neu man. £2. 3-6. 6-1. T. and M Mooney beat Judg< and McCutcheon. 6-4. 6 1. DiUor and Watkins beat Milne ,<i.g Neumann, 4-6. 6-1. 6-4 United 5. North Linwood ’ R. D.~ Webster lost to > H*r Icy. 5-7, 4-6; L. Walton beat J. P Martin. 4-6. 7-6, 6-4. li Robinson beat B Finch 6-2 6 7 6-2; J Taylor beat B Scott 6-2. 62. Robinson -nd Walton boat tin and Harley. 6-4. 2-6 64. Taylor and Webster beat Finch ai d Scott. 6-4. 6-4 SENIOR WOMEN Avonside 4 Elmwood 2 C. Newton beat R Hunt 7 5 6-2: D McKim.eJ beat McMaster. 4-6. 6-2, 6-3; J W tlsc - ’ lost to C . Oakley . 3-6. 7 6. V 7 J MacDonald beat N Robinson 6-1 3-6. 6-0. Miss Newton and Mrs M K nej lost to Mrs Hunt and M • McMaster 5 7 1-6; Mis- Uil and Mrs MacDonald beat Mb Oal Beckenham 4, United 2 S ( hapman beat ' Phillip 6-3. 7-5: I Verdellen beat i Lewthwaite. 6-1. 6-1; X l)a\ son lojjt to P. Lewthwaite i> 3- P Grace beat R. Aitken Chapman and Vcrdelr beat Misses Philips and Aitk< 6-3 6-0: Miss Davidson and M Grace lost to Misses I and F‘ Lewthwaite. 4-6. 4-6. SENIOR RESERVE Elmwood 6. Bishopdale 0. ley 5 Linwood Venue 1 N Linwood > F.dgeua»e ?. Hi wood 4. Lulled 2; XXoolstor sets. St NinianV 6 SECOND GRADE WOMEN Bishopdale 5 XVatmairi Edgeware 6. Beckenham (»; Bn wood 5. \v onside 1; Shlrlev Cashmere I SECOND GRADE MEN Section A. -Elmwood 1 6. X' ■ side 0; St Martins 5. Cashme 1: Spreydon 6 1 tmwood i l Wvcola 8 sets Sldrlcy 7 *• ’ Beckenham 6 l.nited (• Section 8.--Linwood Venue -• Bishopdale l 2; Fcndalton 1 South Brighton 11 ?■ North 1 i wood 6. South Brighton I * Burwood 9 -ets. South Chn church 6; Bishopdale II 5 Martins 1. FIRST MIXED B GRADf St Paul’s 16. Edgeware South Brighton 9. Rarnngto Elmwood 11. Avonside 5