Australians too good for local side

Press, 11 June 1977, Page 4

Australians too good for local side

By

DAVID LEGGAT

Greater speed around the table, quicker reflexes, and fewer, basic errors were the main differences between the Australian ■ table tennis team and Canter-.' bury last evening at the Selwyn Street hall, when Australia beat the local side, 5-0. Hopes of a local victory had been raised slightly bv the knowledge that it wa s not the best possible Australian team, but after that came the shock withdrawal of Canterbury's top two players, Wayne Adamson and Maurice Burrowes. Both Bob Tuckett and Andrew Savige exhibited a standard of’ play that was too much for Yee Chow Boi and Harry Redmond, gamely though they fought, and no match went beyond three; games. The contrast between the two’ Australians was marked. Tuckett.’ a short, compact left-hander, has a sound all-round game and makes his opponent earn every; point Savige is tall, bespectacled, and. gangly, and does not play with I

I the same consistency as his team •mate. He does, however, have J two spectacular shots which the •.Canterbury pair had probabh - never encountered before. i‘ One is a cross-court forehand, -.played at full stretch with a i lot of side spin, which tends to . leave an opponent swatting at a ball two feet from his reach. ' The other is an explosive backhand drive which Savige pla\s very close to his body. It is reminiscent of the Australian tennis star Mark Edmondsons i backhand, which is hit with i tremendous force. The Canterbury pair were not disgraced and. indeed, could have won games off the Australians. ■ In the first match. Yee was 20-15 . up on Savige. but rather than pursue an attacking approach he ‘ seemed intent on getting the hall {over the net for the Australian i to make an error. He didn’t, and won the game. ; 23-21. In the second game. Savige placed one superb spinning lob which the stocky Yee missed completed The game I was tied up at 2/1-21. and 22-all II before Savige won, 25-23. i

>’ Savige won the third game, ! 21-16. to take out the match ‘ He demonstrated an ability, as did Tuckett. to play a looping ■ forehand drive starting from ■ ’below the level of the table. < Tuckett beat Redmond because '■he made fewer errors and had i;a talent lor getting a tremendous angle on his cross-court shots. Redmond built up a four-point ’ lead in the second game but then > i lost 12 while only picking up I two. Tuckett showed superb >i reflexes and never allowed the' ’ bearded Avonside player to dominate. The doubles match turned out[ to be much as expected. The ■ Australians had the ideal com-' ■ bination of a left and right-hand ■ player, and shoved greater speed around the table. ; In beating Yee in straight I games. Tuckett demonstrated ’ ■another advantage they had over! the local players. He had a far greater variety in his aisle of I service. One. in particular, hit ’ with a very low trajectory ; scurried through barely above [the table to Yer I After winning the first game,'

Jbest 2 ’to a 'J ge had t 0 Product his Jchaiiona °\ ercorne a :!aecond nS g e am™ m Redmond 1,1 ,he ''favour’ c! !e Store 10 -9 In his ; Ithiae'; s,ai >tiin< a good lij 1 'I®® 1 ®® Sards back Hum the table. ’ which m hac [ k, ,' arid 81 Redmond Wir kldk U i St , ha '® b ® Cm ® d I,k ® ’ wi' Kedly late tn-swinger. 1 ltrem,.'i?a n l e " Ito his hodv at a 'no ch»n° US an 2 |e - and gave him , no chance of a icturn ' winn^°?. d cam ® close to ': 1,2 n 'T B .' ! l e game w hen, at 19-19 driv« P d a sharp forehand do '\ n "’e Hue past the Fsiv?l * Australian However, ’eamf . recovered to take the (game arid eventually the match ® xl 'ibition mixed doubles, ItiulT.. and Jan Morris beat Hi t9. e ‘i , «.2r nd 2 l . I ? a,ba,a Ta>,or - Yee'cnI*’ 1 *’ " e, e:—A Savige beat Ibeat t ’] ov r R ">- 23-21. 25-23, 21 16 ’■H ir H ,; Red mond. 21-12. 22-29. beat Redmond. Rrx ’ ns l 2, i -Y beat Yee Chow ”n<i TS.1 3 ' 21 7 - 2I " s a'K® vl. ;'"kett heat Redmond and Chow Boi. 21-15, 219, 21 14.