Absentee winners

Press, 1 April 1985, Page 44

Absentee winners

The Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association is having a hard time in trying to get its “Personality of the Year” winners to front up for the prestigious award. Stephen Harley, who was named the 1984-85 winner at a Wilding Park function last evening, left for West Germany to renew his coaching contract 10 days ago. The previous winner, Hugh Robinson, was on his honeymoon in Australia at the time of the announcement. Shirley Haig, the 1983 winner, was in Kuala Lumpur playing hockey when she was named, and Christine Newton was competing in a Brazilian tennis tournament when news of her 1981 success was made public. The only winners who have been present to receive the trophy were Sally Moorfield (then Miss

Chapman) and Harley himself when he won the inaugural contest for the award in 1980.

The judges in the personality award were unanimous that-Harley should take the title again, despite the many admirable candidates this summer.

The 26-year-old Pavroc Edgeware right-hander experienced a richly rewarding inter-club season, substantially helping his club to gain its first senior men’s championship for 18 years. THe team won both the BNZ Shield, for the first round competition, and the BNZ trophy, for the grand championship, and Harley, as top singles player, won all his 22 matches, the doubles mostly with Simon Jamieson as his partner.

In the 11 singles matches he dropped only one set, and

that was to Gary Lawson (United). Harley was also unbeaten at No. 1 for Canterbury when the side won the Wilding Shield at the interdistricts’ contest in Lower Hutt. It was only the second occasion on which Canterbury had won the shield in 40 years. He was associated with the other victory, too.

Although beaten by James Dunphy in the final of the Canterbury open singles, Harley beat the Hutt Valley man in the Wilding Shield and the Can-terbury-Wellington contest. He also won the Canterbury closed singles title.

The award was made last evening by John Brooks, Sports Editor of “The Press,” on behalf of the judging panel of selectors, journalists, and competition committee officials.