South-eastern squash finals a disappointing affair

Press, 4 May 1981, Page 3

South-eastern squash finals a disappointing affair

Both the men’s and women’s open finals were a little disappointing when the combined south-eastern clubs’ squash tournament concluded at the Cashmere Club yesterday. Kathy Hargreaves took only 18min to beat Jacqui James, 9-1, 9-2, 10-8, and the men’s final was also a 3-0 affair, with Bryan Simpson overcoming Craig Hibbert, 94, 9-7, 9-4, in 33min.

The matches were originally to have been played on the Lancaster Park courts but the players requested a change of venue after striking sweating walls during Saturday morning’s quarter finals.

James, who seems to have an unfortunate tendency to start slowly, was far too loose in the first two games against the more experienced Hargreaves, who was set up for winning boasts or drops early in the rallies. Hargreaves, scoring seven points in one hand, had two games to her credit after just 7min.

In the third game James picked up and it seems that she might repeat her grand comeback in her semi-final against Symes. The Lincoln College student started to drive strongly

down the walls and her hard, short boasts up front were effective. She held a game ball at 8-6 but lost the serve after one of the longest rallies of the match. Hargreaves then prevailed, 10-8.

It was a good effort by James to upset the second seed, Symes, in the semifinals and to reach an open final for the first time in Christchurch. The previous week-end she had lost to Otago University’s Carolyn Oakley in the Southland open final.

By winning the men’s final Simpson retained his title and maintained his recent superiority over Hibbert, the 1980 Canterbury champion. The pair met in tournament play for the third time in two weeks.

Simpson was as steady as ever while Hibbert, although showing flashes of his undoubted class, was too prone to lapses of concentration. He dropped five points in successive rallies from a 6-3 lead in the second, twice attempting borderline angles. At the start of the third game Hibbert applied more pressure to his opponent and played some deadly backhand drops and tight boasts to lead, 4-2. But he faltered

again, while Simpson hit a few winners and did not drop another point.

The only surprise of the early rounds was Lin Sparks’ five-game defeat of the fourth seed, Chris Wasley. Mark Crosbie, a junior, took advantage of the weakened bottom half of the draw (Lawrence Skurr was a late withdrawal) to reach the semi-finals. , Later Crosbie performed well to win the first two games off Sparks in the play-off for third place. .Results: MEN Open.—Quarter-finals: B. J. Simpson (Christchurch) beat J. H. Christensen (Sumner), 10-8, 5-9, 9-0, 94;’L. C. Sparks beat C. J. Wasley (Burnside), 1-9, 9-10, 9-5, 9-3, 9-3; M. Crosbie (Burnside) beat J. Knight (H. 5.0.8. 9-6, 9-3, 7-9, 9-5, 9-1; C. Hibbert (Linwood) beat R. I. Marshall (Sumner), 9-7, 9-5, 10-9. Semifinals: Simpson beat Sparks, 10-8, 95, 9-2; Hibbert beat Crosbie, 9-4, 9-4, 9-3. Final: Simpson beat Hibbert, 94, 9-7, 9-4. Play-off for third: Sparks beat Crosbie, 4-9, 2-9, 9-3, 9-2 9-5. Plate: S. Hargreaves (Burnside) beat G. Hayes (Christchurch), 9-7,6-9, 9-5, 9-5/ Consolation plate: V. Hargreaves (H. 5.0.8. beat C. Gorton (Bumside), 9-3, 9-2, 9-1. Special plate: Wasley beat Knight, 9-2, 9-3, 9-4.

Division two.—Final: A. Smith (Burnside) beat R. Purchas (Cashmere), 9-4, 9-6, 9-6. Division three.—Final: F. Young (Christchurch) beat S. Green (Christchurch), 9-2, 9-4, 5-9,1-9, 9-4.

Division four.—Final: Charles Wasley (Lancaster Park) beat C. Power (Christchurch Football), 9-5, 9-7, 9-4. Division five.—Final: R. Teague (Hoon Hay) beat L. Thurlow (Lancaster Park),' 9-7, 9-5, 2-9, 9-1. WOMEN Open.—Quarter-finals: K. F. Hargreaves (Burnside) beat S. Davies (Sumner), 9-6, 10-9, 9-2; S. Wasley (Burnside) beat G. Maaka (Christchurch), 9-4, 2-9, 9-7, 9-4; J. James (Burnside) beat L. North (Lancaster Park), 10-8, 1-9, 5-9, 9-5, 9-3; L. Symes (Christchurch) beat D. O'Grady (Burnside), 9-7, 9-1, 9-1., Semi-finals: Hargreaves beat Waslev, 9-3, 9-0, 9-1; James beat Symes, 3-9, 5-9, 9-3, 9-1, 9-2. Final: Hargreaves beat James, 9-1, 9-2,10-8. Play-off for third; Symes beat Wasley, 9-0, 10-9, 9-4. Plate: H. Shannon (Lancaster Park) beat M. Gorton (Burnside), 4-9, 9-1, 7-9, 9-4, 9-4. Special plate: North beat Maaka, 9-3, 9-5, 9-4. Consolation plate: A. . McKenna (Lancaster Park) beat G. Cooper (Lancaster Park), 3-9, 9-7, 9-5, 9-5.

Division - two.—Final: G. Rush (Linwood) beat P. Duckmanton (Lancaster ParkO, 9-7, 9-3,. 6-9, 9-7. Division three.—Final:. S. - Marshall (Sutnner) beat J. Aitken (Lancaster Park), 9-4,, 9-2, 9-1.