Elmwood in tennis lead again

Press, 6 November 1978, Page 24

Elmwood in tennis lead again

Elmwood was back in its familiar position at the head of the Bank of New Zealand senior men’s tennis competition after Avonside had scuttled the early frontrunner, Shirley at Wilding Park on Saturday. The absence of Ute Canterbury No. 1. Peter Hampton, affected Shirley’s chances substantially. Although Brett Hibbert played assertively in the top position for Shirley, Avonside’s superior experience in depth showed through in the outcome. Elmwood dropped the top doubles to Sumner but gave nothing else away, securing sufficient points to open up a two point lead over United and Avonside. Elmw'ood has 21 champion-i ship points, United and Avonside each 19, Shirley 13. North Linwood 12. Woolston 5, Edgeware 4, Sumner 3. The points table certainly' does not bear due testimony, to Edgeware’s valiant effort against United on Saturday. Its vastly recast side went close to causing an upset but, not for the first time, the reliable Hugh Robinson I wdn a tight and crucial’ match to guarantee United a Win on a count-back of sets. In the feature singles match of the day, Michael : Mooney (Edgeware) beat United's Ralph Webster in

straight sets but by then the. die was cast. North Linwood made a! grand start by winning both; doubles matches against' Woolston. This was to prove the decisive break because interesting singles encounters ended with the honours even. There is no doubt that Hibben has benefited from his overseas experience this year. Looking stronger and playing with increased confidence, he headed off the proficient Martin Searle (Avonside) in the singles and,, with the aid of the sturdy! Ron Adams, disposed of Searle and Alan Croad in the doubles. His efforts, however, were, in vain, for Croad, Paul' Boatwood, and Derek McKay accounted for the remaining matches. Croad had perhaps the toughest . struggle to win as Adams never knows when he is ! beaten. But the writing was I soon on the wall for Shirley even though Derek McKay dropped a set in his singles . win. . Avonside could afford the I luxury of having Barry Knight on the side-line and ; the fact that Avonside won without him might cause misgivings among other I teams. Ryan McCutcheon and Graeme Liddell struck an im-

portant blow for Sumner by: outlasting Richard Dalman and Rhett Mason in a tight) doubles match. But Warren ' Edgecumbe and Gary Harris j romped home in the second; doubles for Elmwood and 1 Harris went one better with a jaunty singles win. Edgecombe’s steadiness and : guile enabled him to take the honours from the powerful young Liddell, a left-hander; of undoubted talent. How-' ever, playing Edgecumbe in a' tricky wind requires more! than the usual skills. Liddel and David Black-! ■ well fought stubborn rearguard actions but Sumner lacked the potent mixture of! ■sagacity and youthful vigour; which Elmwood has achieved ! I in its line-up this season. It was a belligerent outi ■ gifted Mooney who headedl ;Edgeware’s stbut bid against’ I United. With a new partner.; ’ John Dillon, Mooney gained ! a doubles win and then put 1 ■ down Webster with some hard hitting of extraordinary! venom. Mooney, serving with no ! little speed and volleying) superbly, raced away with the first set, 6-1, and fed, 4-1, in the second. But Webster, after some self-criticism relating to a lack of certainty with his foot movements, won four games in a row and eventually went into a tiebreaker which he lost clearly. The Edgeware No. I ap-

peared to have lost his rhythm when Webster made his come-back in the second set. But he got back into the swing at the right time, hitting his hard flat drives and angled volleys with a touch of finality, as in deed it proved.

Woolston was two matches down after the doubles and when the two Davids. Hunt! and Lawn, had lost to Stephen Harley and Michael Purcell respectively, the issue : was put beyong doubt. But. showing rhe fibre champions are made of, 1 Woolston battled on to deny its rival further points. Colin Hunt beat his old adversary, Jim Martin (North Linwood), in a match full of wristiness and subtlety and Douglas Chapman obtained yet another belated point for WoolI ston after keeping Barry Finch on the court until the i cool of the evening. Finch failed to clinch the match in a tie-breaker which -crowned the second set and i Chapman sprinted clear to ’lead, 5-2, in the third. Then ithe pendulum swung the other way before Chapman, a tiger for punishment, took the honours in yet another tie-breaker.

Results: North Linwood 4, Woolston 2. S. Harley beat D. Hunt, 6-3, 6-4; J. P. Martin lost to C. A. Hunt, 0-6. 2-6; B. Finch lost to D. Chapman, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7; M. Purcell beat D. Lawn, 6-3, 7-6.

Harley and Martin beat D. Hunt and Chapman. 7-5. 6-2; Finch and Purcell beat C. Hunt and Lawn, 6-1, 0-6, 7-6. United 7 sets. Edgeware i.

R. D. Webster lost to M. Mooney, 1-6, 6-7; H. Robinson beat N. Dillon, 6-4, 6-4; N. Pattinson beat J. Dillon, 6-3. 6-2; 1.. Walton lost to S. Agar. 3-6, 6-7. Robinson and Walton beat X Dillon and Agar, 6-2, 6-0; Webster and Pattinson lost to Moone> and I. Dillon, 3-6. 6-4 Elmwood 5, Sumner 1. W. Edgecumbe beat G. Liddell, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3; R. Mason beat R. McCutcheon, 6-2, 6-3; R. Dalmau beat D. Blackwell, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4; G P. Harris beat G. Haves. 6-0.

Mason and Dal man lost to Liddell and McCutcheon, 5-7. 4-6; i Edgecumbe and Harris beat) Blackwell and Hayes, 6-0, 6-4. Avonside 4, Shirley 2. M. Searle lost to B. Hibbert,; 3-6, 2-6; A. Croad beat R.' Adams, 6-4, 7-6; P. V. Boatwood! beat B. Clark, 6-2. 7-5; D. McKay beat M. Wilson, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. ! Searle and Croad lost to Hibbert and Adams, 4-6, 4-6; Boat-1 wood and McKay beat Clark and, Wilson, 6-4, 7-6. FIRST MIXED B South Brighton 11, Halswell 5;; Bishopdale 106 games, Barrington 100. SECOND GRADE MIXED Barrington 14, Edgeware 2;i Sumner 9, Wycola 7. UNDER-18 BOYS Shirley 6, North Linwood 0: i Cashmere 6, Beckenham 0; Bisb-’j opdale 5, Fendalton 1; Elmwood 5, Burwood 1. UNDER-18 GIRLS Fendalton 6, Shirley 0; Beck-; enham 6, Elmwood 0; Edgeware ; 7 sets. North Linwood 6; Sprey-■ don 5, Bishopdale 1.