Champion tennis team has loss in final match

Press, 14 March 1977, Page 17

Champion tennis team has loss in final match

Elmwood played the role of the over-enthusiastic tennis victor who trips while attempting to hurdle the net when the Christchurch senior men’s competition ended on Saturday. Already assured of the championship — for the fifth successive season — Elmwood failed to finish with a fillip because of the unflagging persistence of the North Linwood team.

Although languishing in sixth place, North Linwood made a bold showing against the title-winner to win on a count-back of sets. But the “Golden Oldies” of Elmwood were still left with a 22-point margin over the second-placed Shirley side, which had nad many heartburnings before stopping Edgeware. United (third) and Avonside (fourth) completed their assignments with convincing wins, against Sumner and Woolston.

Avonside added a little colour to the afternoon’s sport at Wilding Park by opening with what seemed to be a pakeha version of a haka — but which, according to the team’s captain, ■Barry Knight, is more properly described as a “team theme.”

The most surprising results of the day were the wins by Terry Mooney (Edgeware) over Brett Hibbert (Shirley), and by Jim Martin (North Linwood) against Warren Edgecumbe (Elmwood). Both victories were deserved. Not far behind came the success of the dedicated Michael O’Flaherty (Edgeware) against Ron Adams (Shirley), who loses only rarely. O’Flaherty remained unruffled, in spite of having

to rush home to retrieve his forgotten tennis shoes. The chief spectacle of the round should have been the clash between Peter Hampton (Shirley) and Michael Mooney (Edgeware), the two globe-trotting young men who are soon to return to the European circuit. However, largely because they know each o + ht.r’s apiproach so well, their match never sparkled, and a far more entertaining encounter was that in which Ralph Webster (United) downed Grantley Tudge (Sumner). Rich strokes and robust rallies abounded, with the powerful Webster prevailing, i Final points were:— Elmwood 136, Shirley 114; United 109, Avonside 94, I Edgeware 80, North Linwood 66, Sumner 49, Woolston 23. Edgeware appeared to have a bright chance of toppling Shirley on the centre courts, in spite of losing both doubles matches. Terry Mooney became a member of an exclusive club by beating Hibbert in three sets. Mooney should have clinched victory in two, but faltered when up, 5-1, in the second set.

However, after much self reproach Mooney reasserted himself to take the third set comfortably.

Adams patrolled the baseline much more than usual and O’Flaherty moved frequently to the net to hit angled winners. Adams came back strongly, and the match ground on into a close third set. which culminated in a tie-breaker. Tile Shirley man seemed certain to win when he left his rival prostrate with two beefy drives. But O’Flaherty recovered to win on the strength of a sizzling serve and a well judged passing shot Those wins enabled Edgeware to draw level with Shirley on matches. Then David Haworth (Shirley), in spite of missing several scoring chances through unsoundness overhead, nosed out Noel Dillon in another close three-setter. Hampton made Shirley a certain winner by coming from behind to beat Michael ' Mooney. Tn accordance with the usual .nattern, Mooney looked a likely winner with his snanpy serving

and volleying In the first half of the match. Then Hampton, poker faced for most of the encounter, gradually gained the upper hand, although he never threatened to run away with the match.

At match point, Hampton announced to Mooney, Hibbert (who was umpiring), and the two or three other survivors at the park, “here it is — the last point of the season.” His serve was a good one, but Mooney returned well, contested the rally spiritedly, and won the point. “I didnlt expect you to try,” grinned Hampton. But Mooney continued to try, and prolonged the match for another two or three minutes before being left stranded by a superb cross-court shot from Hampton. Jim Martin was the toast of North Linwood on Saturday night. Promoted to No. 1 because of tlie presence of Stephen Harley at a tournament in Auckland, he confounded predictions by beating the top Elmwood player, Warren Edgecumbe, in the final, crucial match to give his side victory.

Martin is a canny player, and he got the better of his bustling opponent by slowing the pace of the match. In addition, Edgecumbe’s volleys were not deep enough to place Martin at a disadvantage, and the North Linwood man was able to set up convincing winning plays. The injured Gary Harris failed an eleventh-hour fitness test, and his replacement. Howard Loveridge, found Stephen Burns too wily an opponent. But Bill Thom recovered from a losing position to beat the bare-footed Barry Finch, and Lew Elliott who has enjoyed his most successful season, dropped only one game In beating Mike Sibley. However, Sibley and Martin struck a vital blow for North Linwood by taking a set from Edgecumbe and Thom in the top doubles. Sumner was heavily beaten in the doubles by United, but saved some of its reputation by offering more determined onposition in the singles. P.yan McCutcheon scored a solid win against Lindsay Walton, and David Blackwell took John Taylor to three sets.

Judge, too. contributed fully to Sumner’s fight-back, and he might have made Webster’s task harder had he not overhit so many drives.

But Webster displayed commanding form, and although he was occasionally Inconvenienced bv Judge’s smash and serve, his strength and accuracy carried him through.

Avonside’s “team theme” did not appear to carry much weight Initially, for tli e close-knit doubles team of Alan Croad and David Shapcott was beaten by Woolston’s Colin Hunt and Douglas Chapman, in three hard sets. But from then on it was all Avonside, although Derek McKay only just squeezed through after tie-breakers in the second and third sets. Barry Knight tightened his game to beat Chapman, who has had some good wins lately, and Croad and Shapcott chimed in, too—although Shapcott had occasional difficulties in coping with Colin Hunt’s subtle placements. Results were: SENIOR MEN North Linwood 8 sets, Elmwood 6 J. P. Martin beat W. Fxigecumbe, 7-6. 6-3; B. Finch lost to W. Thom. 6-4, 3-6. 2-6; M. Sibley lost to L. E. Elliott. 0-6, 1-6; S. Burns beat H. Loveridge, 6-2. 6-3. Martin and Sibley lost to Thom and Edgecumbe, 6-4. 4-6. 5-7; Finch and Burns beat Elliott and Loveridge, 6-4, 6-4. Unifed 5. Sumner 1 R. D. Webster beat C. G. Judge, 6-2, 7-6; L. Walton lost to R. M. McCutcheon, 3-6, 3-6; H. Robinson beat J. MacDougall, 6-1. 6-2; J. Taylor beat D. Blackwell, 7-5, 4-6. 6-4 Wafton and Robinson beat Judge and McCutcheon. 6-1, 6-4; Taylor and Webster beat MacDougan and Blackwell, 6-2, 6-0. Avonside S, Woolston 1 A. Croad beat D. Hunt. 6-2, 6-4; D. Shapcott beat C. A. Hunt, 6-4, 2-6. 6-4: B. Knight beat D. Chapman, 6-4, 6-2: D. McKay beat D. Adair. 4-6, 7-6. 7-6. Croad and Shapcott lost to C. Hunt and Chanman. 7-5. 5-7. 5-7; Knight and McKav beat D. Hunt and Adair. 7-6. 6-1. Sblrlev 4, Edgeware 2 P. D. Hamnton beat M. Mooney. 2-6, 6-4, 6-3; B. Hibbert lost tn T. J. Moonev, 4-6. 7-5, 3-6; R. Adams lost to M. O’Flaherty. 6-3, 3-6, 6-7: D. W. Haworth beat N. Dillon, 6-4. 3-6. 7-5. Hamnton and Hibbert beat T. and M. Monney, 6-3. 4-6, 6-4; Adams and Haw’orth beat O’Flaherty and Dillon, 7-6, 6-4. FIRST MIXED B GRADE South Brighton 152 games. St Paul’s 147: Halswel] 9, Elmwood 7: Avonside 9. Edgeware 7; Barrington 11, Wycola Park 5. SECOND GRADE MIXED Elmwood 10, Bishondale 6; Barrington 11, Shirley 5.