Tough challenges for leading teams

Press, 7 December 1981, Page 24

Tough challenges for leading teams

Times were tough for the two leading teams in the B.N.Z. men’s senior tennis competition at Wilding Park on Saturday, but both Elmwood and United survived their gruelling experiences to maintain their exalted positions. United, holder of the B.N.Z. Shield for the roundrobin competition, was shocked by the intensity of the challenge from the bottom team. Bishopdale, and prevailed only after a countback of sets. Elmwood had more trouble from Edgeware than the 5-1 scoreline would suggest, and all the stops were pulled out in the doubles and the two top singles. Fendalton retained third place and remained within striking distance of the leaders by beating North Linwood in a lively match, while Woolston improved markedly by beating a reshuffled Avonside team. Points are:— Elmwood 32. United 28, Fendalton 27, Edgeware 18. Woolston 17, North Linwood 13, Avonside 5, Bishopdale 4. With only one win from 18 matches in previous rounds. Bishopdale seemed certain to be United’s bunny. But two determined players. Mark Hammond and Steven Baird, made sure that United had anything but a cakewalk on a hot, blustery afternoon. Hammond, with his upright stance and strong right hand, disposed of the agile Neil Pattinson with the loss of only two games, and Baird put his game together well to overcome the promising Gary Lawson. Hammond and Baird edged out Lawson and Hugh Robinson in a giddily exciting doubles by winning the last two sets in tie-breakers. But the set salvaged by the United pair was enough to give its side victory in the long run, for both Robinson and Ralph Webster showed dominance in their two-set singles. A convincing singles win by Michael Mooney was Edgeware’s only success against Elmwood, but the outcome might easily have been closer. Both doubles matches stretched to three sets, and Noel Dillon was twice within a whisker of beating Richard Dalman in the singles. Elmwood’s cause was advanced by Peter McCormack and Bill Thom, who came from one set down to win their doubles and then built

on the foundation for singles successes. Thom was on the receiving end of many telling backhand volleys from Edgeware's Barry Knight, but his cunning placements and exemplary control carried the day. Mooney played his best tennis since returning to Christchurch from Stuttgart, and his cross-court volleys were often brilliant. His rival. Rhett Mason, recovered from Mooney's first set “blitzkrieg" to ' take the second set with adroit use of his well tailored backhand, but a busy and aggressive Mooney had the final say. Mason struck some spanking shots, but his agile opponent anticipated well and cut off several potential winners. Few players in senior ranks are more difficult to beat than Dillon, as Dalman discovered in the course of three harrowing sets. When all the co-ordinates come together. Dalman can serve and beat his opponent soundly, but Dillon survived all the thunder and fury to take his muscular rival to the edge of the abyss. Fighting with rare tenacity, Dillon came from 2-5 in the second set and 1-3 in the third to take both to tiebreakers — both of which he lost, by seven points to five. It was a pity there had to be a winner and loser in this match. Dillon's superb ground strokes brought him many points, while Dalman s heavy overhead work and his spectacular diving for angled shots earned him the awe of the younger set. Dalman once admonished himself, after losing a point, by saying, "stay on your feet, girl” — which was inaccurate as to gender, and tactically. But he played the pressure points much better than previously, as he proved by aceing Dillon when the Edgeware man was on the brink of match point in the final set. Fendalton kept close to the pace with a win over North Linwood, but in common with the other contests, the victory was hard-earned. Marty Searle and Alan Adair were both taken to three sets, and although Alistair Chapman won reasonably convincingly against Mike Purcell. Mike Sibley slumped from a favourable position to defeat against the quick-foot-edness and confident volleying of Geoff Hayes. Adair gained his fourth successive win in senior

singles this season by overcoming Jim Martin, but his experienced rival won the first set by harnessing the wind to thwart his deepstanding opponent with drop shots. Thereafter Adair languidly pushed the ball wide of his rival, or served up an unpalatable mixture of lobs and drops to gain the initiative. Searle was decisive with some of his forehand shots, but was inclined to push his volleys, and his tenacious rival. Brett Skjellerttp. struck back quickly with heavily top-spun lobs. The omens were favourable for Woolston when it won both doubles against Avonside. and David Hunt and Vernon Aubrey secured the victory by singles wins in testing matches against Deane McKinnel and Richard Wilding respectively. Bruce Clark, in spite of a strenqous evening on Friday, edged out Colin Hunt to put Avonside on the board, and Tony Brosnahan made a pleasing debut by prevailing against the experienced Derek McKay in a knife-edge finish. But Woolston realised it was on a winning streak, and did not relinquish its hold. Results were United 7 sets. Bishopdale li H. Robinson beat P. I). Beutnelburg. 6-1. 6-d: R. I). Webster beat B. Williams. 6-1. 6-3; N. R Paltinson lost lb M. Hammond. (t-6. 2-6; (1. Lawson lost to S. Baird. 4-6. 1-6. Webster and Paltinson beat Williams and Beumeiburg. 7-5. 63; Robinson and Lawson lost ,to Baird and Hammond. 6-3. 6-7. 6Elmwood 5. Edgeware 1 R. Mason lost to M. Mooney. 26. 6-3. 0-6; R. Dalman beat N. R. Dillon. 4-6. 7-6. 7-6; P. McCormack beat S. Agar. 6-4. 6-1; W. Thom beat B. T. Knight. 7-6. 6-0. Mason and Dalman beat Mooney and Agar. 6-2. 4-6. 6-4; McCormack and Thom beat Knight and Dillon. 4-6. 6-2. 6-2. Eendalton 4. North Linwood 2 A. K. Chapman beat M .1. Purcell. 6-2. 6-4; A. Adair beat J P. Martin. 6-7. 6-4. 6-0; M .1. Searle beat B. Skjellerup. 6-3. 4-6. 7-5; M. Sibley lost to G. Hayes. 63. 1-6. 3-6. Chapman and Searle lost to Purcell and Marlin. 6-7. 6-7: Adair and Sibley beat Skjellerup and Haves. 6-4. 7-5 Woolston 4. Avonside 2 D. Hunt beat D. McKinnel. 7-6. 6-3: C. A. Hunt lost io B K. Clark. 6-2. 3-6. 4-6: V. Aubrey beat R. J. Wilding. 6-2. 5-7. 7-5: 1) McKay lost to T. Brosnahan. 6-3. 5-7. 4-6. D. Hunt and Aubrey beat Clark and Wilding. 6-4. 6-4; C. Hunt and McKay beat McKinnel and Brosnahan. 7-6. 6-2.