Sally Chapman holds on for tennis win

Press, 27 January 1978, Page 4

Sally Chapman holds on for tennis win

PA Auckland Stunned long after the finish of her third-round women’s singles match of the national tennis championships at Stanley Street, Jenny Sim .Taranaki) could not believe she had held match; point four times and still lost to Sally Chapman (Canterbury'. Everything in the 8.P.sponsored championship match had been in favour of the 20-year- old Miss Sfm. She had won the first set, 7-5, after leading, 4-0, at one stage and was serving for the match at 6-5 in the second. Then her game came apart. Each time she held match point she wo'ald fritter it away with a loose shot which was either overhit or netted. It was demoralising for Miss Sim. but a confidence-booster for Miss Chapman. Holding the fourth match point. Miss Sim overhit a baseline return from her opponent to allow her to equalise and with another return out and a double fault. Miss Chapman had forced a tie-breaker. Breaking Miss Sim’s service had further encouraged Miss Chapman, while her opponent played out the third set so tentatively that lobs found Miss Sim chasing back unsuccessfully and stranded by not particularly good passing shots. Miss Chapman won, 5-7. 7-6, 6-3. If it was a sad one for Miss Sim, then the Californian. Denis Gibson, can count it as an extremely lucky one for him. A default by the eighth seed, Glen Busby (Melbourne), who had tried hard to rearrange his tournament schedule before leaving Auckland yesterday afternoon, has put Gibson through to the semi-finals of the men’s I singles. He is the first to reach'

the last four and is assured of at least SIM in prize money. He had beaten the farmer I Davis Cup player, Richard] Hawkes (Wellington), 3-6. 6-S, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals, while i Busby had beaten Graeme Rokela (Auckland), 2-6, 6-2, 6-2,, i before he knew he had to leave.: A third seeded player was eliminavid in the men's singles 'when the sixth-seeded Gary Oliver (Auckland' went out to the voung 20-year-old Malcolm Ellev (Wellington), 6-4, 6-4. In the women’s singles. Brenda Perry (Auckland) was leading 1 Judy Phillips (Canterbury), 6-3. 8-2. when the Christchurch girl conceded. The New Zealand women’s hockey representative had turned abruptly to attempt a backhand return when she tore a tendon in her left foot. She doubts if she will be able to play her first match in the ] women’s doubles with Miss Sim. If she scratches, the tournament officials have granted Vicki Rogers, of Australia, the vacant spot. Misses Sim and Phillips, had been seeded sixth. Michael Mooney (Canterbury', who had put out the seeded Paul Russell, in turn was beaten by the unseeded Wayne Gray, a Hawke’s Bay junior who last, played Mooney two years ago in ] ' the junior inter-district series at I Gisborne, when Gray won, 6-2, 6-4. I In the men’s singles, Gibson will meet the winner of the 1 Peter Langsford-Gray match in one semi-final. Hampton is to I meet the Wellingtonian, Dave• Slmmends, the victor over I Stephen Temple (Wellington) in; one quarter-final. Dale Collings; (Australia) will meet Ellev in the other. Abbreviations used in results: ’Auckland. A; Australia. Aus.;

Canterbun’. C. Hutt Valley. H.V.; North Shore. N.S.; South Cante (bury, S.C.; Southland, S; Wa J Kato, W; Wellington. Warn. (■United States, U.S.; West Germany, W.G. MEN ■ Singles. Fourth round: D Gib son (U.S.' beat R. N. Hawkes (Wgtn:. 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; G. Busby (Aus.), beat G. Rokela (A), 2-6. 16-2, 6-2; P. Hampton (C) beat J. ; Han ey (Al, 0-6, 6-1, 6-2; D. Simi mends (H.V.) beat S. Temple I (Wgtn), 6-2, 6-7, 6-2; M. D. Elley i (Wgtn) beat G. Oliver (,*!, 6-4. (6-4; D. Collings (Aus) beat \ Boyne (A), 6-1, 6-1; W. Gray I (Hawke's Bay) beat M. Moonev I (C), 7-5, 6-4; P. Langsford (A' ’ beat S. Norman (Wgtn', 6-0. 6-3. I Doubles (selected results .— Second round: Gray and G. I-ld dell (S.C.) beat J. Dutton (A) and ;S. Murphy (Wgtn), 6-1, 6-1. WOMEN ' Singles. Third round: M. Tesch i (Aus.) beat V. Rogers (Aus . 6-3. I 6-2; S. Chapman (C) beat J. Sim (Taranaki). 5-7, 7-6, 6-3; R. Hunt i(CI beat. A. Bidwell (N.S.), 6-0. ! 6-0; B. Perry (A) beat J. Phillips (C), 6-3. 3-2 default. I Doubles (selected). —First I round; S. Chapman and B. Perrv I beat C. Smith (N.S.) and C. Pickwick (Ai, 6-3, 6-4; R. Hunt K I and C. Newton (C) heat D. Gower I (A) and V. O’Brien (Aus.), 6-0. 6-1; T. Singer (A) and B. Ward (A) beat G. Robinson <Otagoi and C. Oakley (C), 6-3, 6-0. MIXED DOUBLES First round. —Collings and S. Chapman beat Fergusson and A. I Smith, 6-0, 7-6; Brady and C. I Newton beat J. Alexander (U.S. and D. Gower. 6-2, 6-4; I. Stoll I and R. Hunt beat A. Knight (A) ■and A. Gould (A), 6-1, 6-3; «. Heffernan (Aus) and C. Oaklet beat P. and C. Pickwick (A). 7 *. 6-4.