Canterbury women easy winners of tennis title

Press, 30 December 1976, Page 20

Canterbury women easy winners of tennis title

Bv

JOHN BROOKS

Sweeping success by Canterbury’ in the women's section and a determined victory charge by Auckland in the men’s division marked the final rounds of the Rothmans inter-district teams’ tennis tournament at Wilding Park yesterday.

Canterbury claimed wom-; en’s supremacy for the fourth: consecutive vear ar.d its No 1 player. * Robyn Hunt, emerged as the dominant personality in her field with a string of crushing wins. In the crucial men’s encounter. Auckland toppled the title-holder. Wellington, by four matches to two in a hotly contested duel which provided a fitting climax t petition. There was not so much tension attending the final! round of the women’s chain-1 pionship. for Auckland had been well beaten by Northern Districts an hour or twoi

; before facing the powerful : Canterbury quanet. The home side gave Auckland another 6-0 defeat, with Hunt, in superb form, crushing Brenda Perry with the loss of only one game in :the top singles. Gary Olive/, a brother of the famed weight-lifter’ and (Commonwealth Games gold ‘medaHisl, Don Oliver, played 'he key rsle in Auckland’s ‘victory against Wellington in •the men’s division. He fought back from the (brink of deteat in his singles iagainst the former Davis Cup .player. R’chard Hawkes, to gain the win Auckland needed i most. One set down and trailing, 'J2-5. in the second, Oliver (produced a blazing forehand : drive down the line to save match point. His blistering ‘serves and gutsy volleys (brought him back into contention at five-all, and although he then dropped his ; serve. h“ broke Hawkes’s i service and won a close tieI breaker. The seasoned Hawkes gave an admirable display, highlighted by splendid placement- and excellent anticipation. But the left-handed Oli;ver prevailed in the tough ithree-setter chiefly through I the consistency of his big serve-and-volley game. ' But power is not everyI thing in tennis, as lan Beveriley (Auckland) demonI strated in the top singles (against the formidable David; I Simmonds. Beverley’s accurate lobs and back-hand vol-! leys kept the points coming! (steadily, and Simmonds’s; (occasional brilliant passing! phots and aces were not! ■enough to bring him his ex-1 (peered win.

| The young Canterbury side finished full of running bv 1 beating Northern Districts, (thus taking third place. Peter (Hampton’s win in the top singles against Gary Slater, Thirteenth on the national rankings, was of particular (significance, and showed that 1 Hampton is the better man in a crisis. The Canterbury Women’s side of Mrs Hunt, Sally Chapman. Christine Newton

and Judith Phillips went through the five rounds without losing one match; indeed, the team dropped only three sets. Concentration and dedication were evident in the players’ winning performances yesterday, with Mrs Hunt commanding the limelight on the centre court. She ruthlessly exposed Miss Perry’s uncertainty on the backhand, and volleyed and drove her way to an impressive victory against a girl who seemed relucant to leave the baseline. Final points were:— Men: Auckland 35. Well-

jington 30, Canterbury 25, Notrhem Districts 13, Central Districts 12, Otago 5. : Women: Canterbury 7 40, (Northern 31, Auckland 24, Otago 10, Central 8, Welling(ton 7. MEN FOURTH ROUND Canterbury 5, Central 1 P. Hampton beat P. White, 4-6, 6-3. 6-1: 8. Harley beat R. (Delaney, 6-1, 6-1; M. A. Mooney (lost to It. 11. Purser, 3-6, 3-6; B. Hibbert beat R. Walker, 6-3, 6-3. ■ Hampton and Hibbert beat ■White and Walker. 6-3, 6-4; i Mooney and Harley beat Delaney (and Purser, 6-4, 6-3. Auckland 5, Northern 1 I I. Beverley beat G. D. Slater. 6-1, 6-0; G. Oliver beat J. ' Ferguson, 6-1, 6-1; J. Mills beat !K. Brady, 7-6, 6-3; R. MeGhie | beat G. Bancroft, 6-2, 6-1. Oliver and Mills beat Brady ' and Bancroft, 6-1, 6-1; Beverley I and MeGhie lost to Slater and ; Ferguson, 3-6, 1-6. Wellington 6, Otago 0 D. Simmonds beat D. Radford, 6-2, 6-4; R. N. Hawkes beat G. Webb, 6-2, 6-2; S. Temple beat M. Searle, 6-2, 6-0; M. Elley beat J. ; Alexander. 6-0, 6-1. Simmonds and Hawkes beat Radford and Webb, 6-4. 6-3; Temple and Elley beat Searle and Alexander. 6-4. 6-1.

FIFTH ROUND Auckland 4, Wellington 2 ‘ Beverley beat Simmonds, 6-4. [ 7-5; Oliver beat Hawkes, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4; Mills beat Temple, 6-4. 6-4; I MeGhie lost to Elley. 3-6, 4-6. ; Beverley and MeGhie lost to i Simmonds and Hawkes, 6-7, 2-6; ( Mills and Oliver beat Temple and Elley. 6-4, 7-6. Canterbury S, Northern 1 ; Hampton beat Slater, 6-3. 4-6, '7-6; Harley beat Ferguson, 6-3, 1 3-6, 6-1; Mooney beat Brady, 6-1, i 3-6, 6-4; Hibbert, beat Bancroft, 6-3, 6-3. ! Hampton and Hibbert beat 1 Slater and Ferguson, 6-3, 6-2;

.Mooney and Harley lost to Brady ( and Bancroft. 3-7, 6-4, 3-6. Central 5, Otago 1 ! P. White lost to Radford, 5-7. 16-2, 5-7; E. D. White beat Webb. 7-5, 6-1; Delaney beat Searle, 6-2, (6-4; Purser beat N. Pattinson, (6-4, 6-1. | E and P. White beat Radford land Webb. 6-3, 6-4; Delaney and Purser beat Searle and PattinJ son, 6-1. 6-1. WOMEN FOURTH ROUND ; Central 4, Wellington 2 I J. Sim beat S. Fleming, 6-4, 6-1; G. Taylor lest to D. Scott. 14-6, 0-6: C, Frederickson beat D I Ord, 6-1, 6-0; L- Persson lost to j N. Sturman, 6-6, 1-6. I Misses Sim and Frederickson : beat Mrs Fleming and Miss (Scott, 6-3, 6-2; Mrs Taylor and Miss Persson beat Misses Ord and Sturman, 0-6, 6-4, 6-1. Canterbury 6, Otago « R. Hunt beat L. Milne, 6-4, 6-2; S. Chapman beat M. Rennie, 6-3, 64; C. Newton beat B. McCone, 6-2, 6-0: J. Phillips beat L. Cardwell, 6-1, 6-2. Misses Newton and Chapman beat Mrs Rennie and Miss Milne, 4-2, 6-4; Mrs Hunt and Miss I Phillips beat Mrs McCone and : Miss Cardwell, 6-2, 6-2, Northern 6, Auckland 0 i P. F. Elliott beat B. Perry, 4- 6-2, 6-4; S, Munds beat B. Ward, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2; S. Tebbutt beat .1. Goulding, 6-4, 6-3; H. Harris beat T. Singer, 6-4. 4-6. 6-3. Misses Elliott and Monds beat Misses Perry and Goulding, 6-3, 5- 6-4; Misses Tebbutt and Harris beat Misses Ward arid (Singer, 7-6, 6-2. FIFTH ROUND Canterbury 6, Auckland 6 Mrs Hunt beat Miss Perry, 8-1, 6- Miss Chapman beat Miss Ward, 6-1, 6-3; Miss Newton beat Miss Goulding. 6-3, 6-4; Miss Phillips beat Mrs E. Stephan, 6-2, 67, 6-2. Misses Newton and. Chapman beat Misses Perry and Goulding, 6-4, 6-1; Miss Phillips and Mrs: Hunt beat Miss War’d and Mrs Stephan, 0-4. 6-4. Northern 6, Wellington 0

Miss Elliott beat Mrs Fleming, 6-1, 6-1; Miss Monds beat Miss Scott, 6-3, 6-1; Miss Tebbutt beat Miss Ord, 6-2, 6-2; Miss Harris beat Miss Sturman, 6-1, 6-0.

Misses Tebbutt and Harris beat Misses Ord and Sturman, 6-0, 6-2; Misses Elliott, and Monds beat Mrs Fleming and Miss Scott, 6-4, 6-4. Otago S, Central I

Mrs Rennie lost to Miss Sim, 3-6, 1-6: Mrs McCone beat Mrs Taylor, 6-1, 6-1; Miss 1, Wilson beat Miss Frederickson, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; Miss Cardwell beat Miss Persson, 6-2, 6-2.

Mrs McCone and Miss Wilson beat Mrs Taylor and Miss Persson, 6-1, 64); Mrs Retime and Miss Cardwell heat Misses Sim and Frederickson, 5-7. 7-6. 7-5.