‘Best win of year’

Press, 6 August 1981, Page 32

‘Best win of year’

Special correspondent

Bruce Brownlee rates his win in the New Zealand squash championships yesterday as his best victory of the year.

In a gruelling 75 minute encounter he beat Ross. Norman 1-9, 9-6, 9-4, 9-3. Annette Owen beat Susan Devoy 9-7, 9-2, 1-9, 5-9, 9-7 in the women’s final.

“It has not been a profitable trip money wise for me, but I wanted the title,” Brownlee said after the match. He last won the championship in 1977 when it was also played at the North Shore courts. Norman must wonder if he is every going to win a New Zealand title. This is the third year in succession he has been runner-up. Yesterday he started brilliantly and took the first set in nine minutes with a dazzling array of shots. Brownlee increased the tempo at the start of the second game and even though Norman was still playing superbly the work load was immense.

Norman actually led 6-3 in the second game but he was slow to reach the shots up front and allowed more balls to come off the back wall rather than volleying them. The third set followed a similar pattern with Norman matching the Rotorua player to start but folding in the end.

Two disputed calls almost cost Miss Owen her second consecutive New Zealand title. She lost the last four points in one hand in the fourth set after a dubious call, and squandered an 8-2 advantage in the final set before she regained concentration at 8-7 after another incident.

Stuart Davenport won the play-off for third against Craig Blackwood 9-1, 9-1, 9-2, and Robyn Blackwood beat Joanne Milne 9-0, 9-3, 6-9, 9-0 in the women’s section. Christchurch’s Kate Carpinter won the women’s division I title, but Viv Hargreaves was beaten in the veteran’s final.