Top woman returns

Press, 1 May 1981, Page 15

Top woman returns

The reappearance of Alison Ross at Skcllerup Hall on Saturday added flavour to round three of the A grade badminton competition. Miss Ross, Canterbury's top woman player of recent times and a New Zealand representative in 1979, has been on a working holiday in Europe for the last year and she has been back in Christchurch less than a fortnight. She played in four tournaments — without any great success — while in England and also had some coaching, but primarily Miss Ross felt she needed a break from badminton after a succession of heavy seasons.

The trip seems to have had a beneficial effect as Miss Ross said on Saturday that she was looking forward to getting back into top competition with the main object regaining a place in the New Zealand team for the Whyte Trophy tie against Australia' in Christchurch in July.

Her first step in this direction could be taken at the Austin Cup singles tournament, to which Miss Ross has been invited, in Auckland the week-end after next.

Miss Ross has been training hard since her return and although not pressed on Saturday she looked to be timing her shots well enough. Her team, Hagley 11, could certainly be grateful for her presence. Hagfey II finished level at four games all with University and it took the decision. 10-9, on a games countback. Without Miss Ross's straight game wins in her three matches University would undoubtedly have finished in front. It was, in fact, the second mixed doubles, which Hagley II took in setting in the third game, that was the key match.

Another tie was decided on games and this was a somewhat surprising win, 10 games to eight, for Railway II against Knox. The singles were shared and it was the men’s doubles which turned the tie Railway's way. the very experienced Knox pair, Warren" Edgecumbe and Eoin Kirkland, losing in straight sets to Grant Sercombe and Graham Rogers.

Edgecumbe was certainly below his best form and Kirkland could perhaps be excused on the grounds that the match was almost over before he discovered that the frame of his racquet was broken. The price of a replacement may have tempered a dramatic revival on his part. Earlier Rogers and his wife, Karen, had made a Railway win a distinct possibility when they beat, without a great deal of difficulty,. Kirkland and Lynda Kitchingham.

Hagley I was the only team to enjoy a clean sweep. It won all its matches against Canterbury with something to spare, althoug’h Janine Feek, a newcomer from Taranaki, put the well-regarded Jennie Hood to the test in the early stages of their top singles. The Bryndwr I player, Janet Moore, had an eventful'afternoon. She denied the strong. Railway I team a clean sweep when she beat the higher-ranked Robyn Erskine in their second women’s singles. Mrs Moore survived in a tight first set and she even raced away with the second.

Mrs Moore, in partnership with John Le Heron, later had a good mixed doubles before injuring an ankle in her women’s doubles. The injury occurred in the first game and with the scores fairlv close. However, she was unable'to continue and Railway won the match by default. It was noticeable that one or two juniors were pacing themselves as they had semi-finals and finalls to play on Saturday night in a junior tournament which started on Friday. One young lady who spared no effort in her singles was Adrienne Williamson (South Brighton), On Friday evening the promising Miss Williamson had been beaten by Debbie Sherlock (Bryndwr II), in an under 19 singles, but on Saturday she reversed that result, although it was another tense battle with both players using the backcourt well.

Hagley I leads the competition by one point from Railway I. The full table is: Hagley I 41, Railway I 40. South Brighton 35, Mairehau 28, Railway II 24, Knox 18, BryndwrKaiapoi II 15, Hagley II 14, Bryndwr-Kaiapoi I. Canterbury 13, Christchurch 6. University 5.

Results:— Bryndwr-Kaiapoi I 1, Railway I 7 Singles—M. Reid lost to G. Miller, 12-15, 7-15; J. Le Heron lost to A. Duckmanton, 15-6, 11-15, 7-15; Miss W. Thorpe lost to Miss J. Clarke, 0-11, 5-11; Miss J. Moore beat Mrs R. Erskine, 12-11, 11-2. Doubles—Reid and Le Heron lost to Miller and Cuckmanton, 12-15, 915: Miss Thorpe and Mrs Moore lost to Miss Clarke and Mrs Erskine, by default; Reid and Miss Thorpe lost to Miller and Mrs Erskine. 7-15, 11-15; Le Heron and Mrs Moore lost to Duckmanton and Miss Clarke. 17-15, 8-15. 9-15. Mairehau 5, Christchurch 3

Singles—P. Whiting beat R. Manderson, 15-4,15-2; E. Ogier beat P. Terrace. 11-8, 15-7; Mrs M. Sintes lost to Miss C. Erikson, 2-11, 2-11; Ms J. Tucker beat Mrs L. Bassett, 11-7. 11-9.

Doubles—Whiting and. Ogier beat Manderson and Terrace, 15-9.18-13; Mrs Sintes and Ms Tucker lost to Miss Erikson and Mrs Bassett, 11-15. 15. 7-15; Whiting and Ms Tucker beat Manderson and Miss Erikson. 15-8.15-9; Ogier and Mrs Sintes lost to Terrace and Mi? Bassett, 17-18, 13-15.

Knox 8 games. Railway II 10 Singles—W. Edgecumbe beat G. Sercombe, 9-15,18-14,15-0; E. Kirkland beat G. Rogers, 13-15,15-6,15-3; Miss J. Miles lost to Mrs K. Rogers, 5-11.9-12; Miss L. Kitchingham lost to Miss & WiisOii;>7-11,1-11. : , • ■' -Z-i-

Doubles—Edgecumbe and Kirkland lost to Sercombe' and Rogers, 6-15, 6-15; Miss Miles and Miss Kitchingham beat Mrs Rogers and Miss Wilson, 15-2, 15-8; Edgecumbe and Miss Miles beat Sercombe and Miss Wilson, 15-5, 15-2; Kirkland and Miss Kitchingham lost to Rogers and Mrs. Rogers, 5-15,11-15. Hagley I 8. Canterbury O

Singles— B. Williams beat D. I.e Page, 15-8, 15-5; D. Ross beat A. Spinks. 15-10. 15-4; Miss J. Hood beat Miss J. Feek,. 12-10,11-1; Mrs R. Stanton beat Mrs A. Smith, 11-1, 11-1.

Doubles—Williams and Ross beat Le Page and Spinks, 15-5,8-15,15-6; Miss Hood and Mrs Stanton beat Miss Feek and Mrs Smith, 15-9,15-8; Williams and Mrs Stanton beat Le Page and Miss Feet, 15-12,15-7; Ross and Miss Hood beat Spinks and Mrs Smith, 11-15; 15-4, 15-8. South Brighton 7. Bryndwr-Kaiapoi

Singles-Prasanna beat S. Tetai, 15-7, 15-8; P. Boatwood beat D. Reid, 15-8, 18-17; Miss A. Williamson beat Miss D. Sherlock. 12-11,11-5; Miss R. Adam beat Miss J. Saunders, 9-11. 11-7, 11-3.

Doubles—Boatwood and Prasanna beat Tetai and Reid, 15-6, 15-18, 15-6; Miss Williamson and Miss Adam lost to Miss Sherlock and Miss Saunders. 13-15, 11-15; Boatwood and Miss Williamson beat Tetai and Miss Sherlock, 17-14, 15-8; Prasanna and Miss Adams beat Reid and Miss Saunders, 15-6, 15-6.

Hagley II 10 games. University 9 Singles—M. Chambers lost to G. Girdler. 10-15. 14-17; D. Bell lost to H. Ng. 8-15, 0-15; Miss A. Ross beat Miss R. Hodgson, 11-3, 11-3; Mrs B. Leopold lost to Miss J. Wood, 11-7, 4-11, 5-11.

Doubles—Chambers and Bell lost to Ng and Girdler. 9-15,15-12, 15-10; Miss Ross and Mrs Leopold beat Miss Wood and Miss Hodgson, 1513, 15-5; Chambers and Miss Ross beat Girdler and Miss Hodgson. 153, 15-0; Bell and Mrs Leopold beat Ng and Miss Wood, 15-8, 12-15, 1716.