Three teams vie for lead in senior tennis

Press, 23 November 1981, Page 20

Three teams vie for lead in senior tennis

The B.N.Z. men’s senior tennis competition for 198182 is in its infancy but already Fendalton is up with the big boys of the field, United and Elmwood. The success of the fledgling Fendalton team at Wilding Park on Saturday may have been aided by the issue of smart blue tracksuits or by the success of the club’s women’s team on neighbouring courts. But,, whatever the reason, the side emerged as a serious contender for the title by dispatching Bishopdale with the loss of only one set. This boosted Fendalton’s aggregate to. 17 points, which puts it one ahead of United and two clear of Elmwood. Both these favoured teams had good wins on Saturday but perhaps the most significant result lower down the

list was the win by North Linwood over a strong Edgeware side headed by Michael Mooney. ' . North Linwood’s 4-2 win was clinched by the lefthanded Mike Purcell, who .edged out. Noel Dillon in a breathtakingly close third set tie-breaker. Purcell played in bare feet because of a poisoned toe and won the B.N.Z. “player of the day” award for his pains.’ The points* after two rounds are.— Fendalton 17, United 16, Elmwood 15, Linwood 10, Edgeware 10, Woolston 2, Avonside ',l, Bishopdale 1. United’s win was at the expense of Woolston, a result which seemed inevitable after clear-cut successes by the shield-holder's doubles combinations. Hugh Robinson and Ralph ‘ Webster pressed

home the advantage in the singles and the side’s new and youthful No. 4, Gary Lawson, made a good impression .in romping away from the experienced Derek McKay. Woolston’s only win'was gained by Vernon Aubrey, who beat Ashley Weame in a tense'third set .in which both players dropped service after the score had reached 5-5. Aubrey’s cause . was championed by his captain, Colin Hunt, who noisily applauded his colleague’s every point in the tie-breaker.

Meanwhile, Elmwood enjoyed sweeping success against Avonside, although none of its six wins, was gained easily. The doubles were particularly keenly contested, with Avonside’s Deane ..McKinnel and Alan Croad losing only at the last

gasp in a three-set encounter.

McKinnel was on the receiving end of some sound overhead shots from Rhett Mason in the top singles, and the Elmwood No. 1 showed that he is on the trail back to his best form.

Croad, still drawing : the threads of his grime together .after an extensive overseas trip, revealed flashes of form but could not match the consistency of Elmwood’s ' Peter McCormack. But there was? tough opposition for the flamboyant Richard Dalman from Bruce Clark, who carried on in the same vein as his Show Day week-end tournament display. . The perky veteran of the senior grade, Bill Thom, celebrated his. forty-second birthday by beating Richard Wilding in two sets. Showing

deference to his rival’s age. Wilding made the mistake of apologising after hitting a winning backhand volley in the early stages. Thom saved' him further embarrassment.

Alistair Chapman and Marty' Searle both served and volleyed well for Fendalton, and Alan Adair was always in command against Bruce Williams. Bishopdale’s main hope of opening its account rested .with Steven Baird, but in a match of heavily sliced serves and persistent wind interference, a dogged Mike Sibley heeded Chapman’s call to “hang in there.” North. Linwood’s win came after a stout doubles performance by Purcell and Jim Martin, and strong singles play by Brett Skjellerup. Martin and Purcell came from a losing position to topple Mooney and Simon Agar after the third set

finished in a tie-breaker. Then Skjellerup, hitting the ball powerfully to belie his fragile appearance, scored an impressive singles win against the well-performed Agar. Although Mooney demolished Martin in the top singles, Mark Wilson and Purcell sealed North Linwood’s win. But the consistent Dillon was desperately close to snatching success from Purcell; the tie-breaker score was 7-5 to the North Linwood man. North Linwood 4, Edgeware 2 J. P. Martin lost to M. Mooney, 1-6, 0-6; M. J. Purcell beat N. R. Dillon, 6-4, 4-6. 7-6: B. Skjellerup beat S. Agar. 6-2. 6-2; M. Wilson beat G. Smith. 7-6, 6-2. Martin and Purcell beat Mooney and Agar, 2-6, 6-4. 7-6; Skjellerup and Wilson lost to Dillon and Smith, 4-6, 6-4, 4-6. United 5, Woolston 1 H. Robinson: beat D. Hunt, 6-4.

6-1; R. D. Webster beat C. A. Hunt, 6-3. 6-2; A. Wearne lost to V. Aubrey, 6-1, 1-6. 6-7; G. Law- . son beat D. McKay. 6-0, 6-3. Robinson and W'earne beat D. Hunt and Aubrey, 6-1, 6-1; Webster and Lawson beat C. Hunt and McKay. 6-4. ■ Elmwood 6, Avonside 0 R. Mason beat D. McKinnel, 64, 6-2; R. Dalman beat B. K. Clark. 6-4, 7-5: P. McCormack beat A. Croad. 6-1, 7-6; W. Thom beat R. J. Wilding, 6-1, 6-4. Mason and Dalman beat Wilding and Clark. 6-3, 2-6, 6-2; McCormack and Thom beat McKinnel and Croad, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6. Fendalton 6, Bishopdaie 0 A. K. Chapman beat P. A. Beumelburg, 6-4. 6-0; A. Adair beat B. Williams. 6-1. 6-2; M. J. Searle beat M. Hammond, 6-4, 62; M. Sibley beat S. Baird. 6-7, 62. 7-6. , , Chapman and Searle. beat Williams and Beumelburg, 6-1, 62; Sibley and Adair beat Hammond and Baird, 6-3,. 6-3.