Shock tennis loss for Canterbury

Press, 2 March 1984, Page 4

Shock tennis loss for Canterbury

PA Wellington Canterbury suffered a shock loss yesterday in the opening round of the Wilding Shield men’s inter-district tennis teams’ event at Mitchell Park, Lower Hutt. Missing three members of its front-line team after a selection wrangle, Canterbury was beaten on a sets countback by lowly Southern. Of last year’s well-per-formed Canterbury side, only Hugh Robinson is back this year. Such good players as Brett Hibbert, Michael Mooney and Peter Hampton were overlooked because they did not play the required number of ranking matches. Although Robinson turned in a good performance at No. 1, beating Phil Seeman in straight sets, and Rhett Mason scored a good win over John Honeywell, Canterbury was always struggling. Wellington, the defending men’s champion at the Qantas tournament, started well, beating Central, 5-1. Wayne Gray dropped Wellington’s only match, lasing a marathon three-setter toJPhillip Murray, 5-7, in the third. Auckland looked equally impressive, steam-rolling Northern, 6-0, without the loss of a set. In the women’s Nunneley Casket section, where Wellington is the defending champion, the top seeds, Auckland and Canterbury, both sounded wa'Hiings to future opponents.

Canterbury dismissed Southern, 5-1. Ruth Seeman stopped the whitewash when she turned on one of her best performances to beat the Canterbury No. 1, Sally Moorfield, 6-1, 6-2. Auckland, despite being without Sandra McGilvray, who is injured, was far too strong for Northern, while Wellington loosened up well with a straightforward 6-0 win over Central MEN Wellington beat Central, 5-1. Auckland beat Northern, 6-0. Southern beat Canterbury 33 matches, 8-7 sets. (P. Seeman lost to H. Robinson 3-6, 5-7; J. Honeywell lost to R. Mason 67, 6-4, 6-7; C. Workman beat V. Aubrey 6-1, 7-6; D. Radford beat G. Smith 6-4, 6-2; Seeman and Radford lost to Mason and R. Dalman 6-1, 6-7, 2-6; Workman and Honeywell beat Robinson and Smith 6-3, 4-6, 6-3). WOMEN Canterbury beat Southern, 51, (S. Moorfield lost to R. Seeman 1-6, 2-6; R. Hunt beat A. Richards 6-0, 6-2; E. Daly beat L. Wilson 6-1, 6-3; J. Phillips beat S. Thomson 6-4, 62; Moorfield and Daly beat Seeman and Richards 6-4, 6-2; Hunt and Phillips beat Wilson and Thomson 3-6, 6-1, 6-1). Wellington beat Central, 6-0. Auckland beat Northern, 6-0. Points.— Men: Auckland 9, Wellington 8, Southern 6, Canterbury 3, Central 1, Northern 0.

Women: Auckland, Wellington 9; Canterbury 8, Southern 1, Northern, Central 0.