Losing streak ends for squash player

Press, 28 May 1979, Page 21

Losing streak ends for squash player

Nelson reporter Barry Matthews, (Canterbury University) a regular attender of Ne'lson squash tournaments, ended a three,-year losing streak at Nelson last week-end. His last tournament win in Nelson was the 1976 summer tournament. His road to the final was not an easy one. He barely survived a fivesetter match with the hard-hitting K. Hannen (Collegia, Wellington). He von the title by beating h i s clubmate Paul McFadzien, in a great five-game .natch. Matthews was two games down before he managed to turn the tide. Retrieving McFadzien’s well-placed shots faultlessly, earned him the next two games. McFadzien put the pressure on in the fifth to draw to a 7-2 lead.

Matthews retaliated by slowing the game right down with well-placed lobs to garner two hardearned points from long rallies McFadzien lost concentration momentarily to mis-hit three shots in rapid succession bringing Matthews to 7-all. By this time Matthews had the momentum and confidence to carry him to a 9-7 victory.

The women's A grade final also provided excellent squash between equally skilled opponents. Lyn Chamberlain (Burnside) and Jenny Oakley (Canterbury University). Both girls’ styles were similar, hitting mainly long wellplaced drives. Miss Chamberlain took the first in an extended game, 10-8. She picked up the second handily, 9-1, and looked like an easv winner. Miss Oakleyregained composure to take the next two hard fought games, 9-7, 9-7. The comeback games took their toll however, and Miss Chamberlain coasted to a 9-4 win in the final game.

Nelson players took the women’s B, men’s C, and men’s E grades. Donna Eastlake and Pat Sixtus repeated this season's opening tournament fivegame match. Eastlake again won, but was a bit more hard-pressed with the final game score going to 10-9. Peter Noonan’s strokemaking is beginning to bring its rewards. He had an excellent win from twelfth seed in the men's C grade. Another allNelson final saw Murray Win’s ball-retrieving style overcome Robert Beale in

three straight sets. Both players had good wins in earlier matches. The tcrurnament was limited to 96 players in the three-day event.

Nearly 30 applicants were balloted out to permit play to be completed in the allotted time Nelson players accounted for 34 tournament slots; only one of these made the A grade draw.