Long features in tennis title upset

Press, 16 January 1986, Page 34

Long features in tennis title upset

PA Wellington Mark Long, one of the quiet men of New Zealand tennis, pieced together a good match in windy conditions to upset the fourteenth seed, Stephen Salthouse, at the BP New Zealand championships in Lower Hutt yesterday. Long, aged 19, could well have been seeded for the championships, being the national junior champion last season and having 18 months of tough tennis at the University of Hlinois under his belt. Whereas Salthouse (like Long an Aucklander) seemed to have trouble applying himself in the adverse conditions, Long knuckled down well. He served consistently and made sure his groundstrokes had plenty of margin for error. He won 6-1, 6-0. “I wasn’t worried about not being seeded,” said Long. “In fact I only entered the tournament last week, but once I got here I wanted to play well. “I have never lost to Stephen and you don’t like to see those sorts of records broken. “But to be fair, Stephen, and Jeremy Grubi too, have big semesters ahead of them back in the States. They’ll have some big pressure matches there and I guess this tournament, coming in the middle of their

holidays, doesn’t rate top of the list just now.” Long faces the No. 1 seed, Kelly Evernden, a match he says he is not exactly relishing, today. “I played Kelly first round in the Benson and Hedges last year and all I remember is being blasted off the court He served like a demon, there were aces everywhere. “I thought at the time maybe he was having a good day, but he seems to serve like that all the time now.” One other men’s seed, Troy Turnbull, departed yesterday. He lost a tight match, 4-6, 6-3, 6-7, to an American, Patrick Mangan. Evernden and the second seed, Russell Simpson, both cantered through their matches. There was a minor upset in the women’s singles when the eighth seed, Claudine Toleafoa, lost 2-6, 3-6, to the experienced Cantabrian, Robyn Hunt. Toleafoa, just turned 15, made a rash of mistakes in the wind, but despite her hasty exit, she showed plenty of potential. She is developing a good attacking net game which, when it matures, should make her a real force in women’s tennis. Hunt showed the virtues of restricting ambition and errors in the wind.

Today Hunt clashes with the top seed, Belinda Cordwell. Results.— Men Round two: K. Evernden (Gisborne) beat R. Barnett (Auck.), 6-2, 6-2; M. Long (Auck.) beat S. Salthouse (Auck.), 6-1, 6-0; S. Robinson (Auck.) beat B. Francis (Wgtn) 6-1, 6-3; B. Steven (Auck.) beat M. Petersen (Wgtn) 6-0, 6-0; B. Derlin (Auck.) beat G. Ryder (Auck.) 6-1, 6-4; R. Dutton (Auck.) beat D. Anderson (Wgtn) 6-4, 6-4; P. Mangan (U.S.) beat T. Turnbull (Auck.) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6; D. Lewis (Auck.) beat P. Seeman (Dunedin), 6-1, 6-1; S. Guy (Wgtn) beat G. Wilson (Marlborough) 7-5, 6-2; N. Berwick (Queensland) beat S. Ferguson (Auck.) 6-1, 6-1; D. Mustard (Auck.) beat K. Elliott (Waikato) 6-1, 6-1; J. Dunphy (Wgtn) beat M. Maiden (Auck.) 6-1, 6-4; M. Elley (Auck.) beat G. Musaphia (Wgtn) 6-0, 6-0; C. England (Hutt valley) beat J. Grubi (Wgtn) 6-0, 6-1; R. Simpson (Auck.) beat S. Cargo (Nth Shore) 6-1, 6-2. Women Round one: A. Tate (Auck.) beat R. Gunnion (Wgtn) 6-1, 62; L. Kane (Hutt Valley) beat D. Lugtig 6-2,’ 6-0. Round two: B. Cordwell (Wgtn) beat B. Brennan (Auck.) 6-2, 6-1; R. Hunt (Canty) beat C. Toleafoa (Auck.) 6-2, 6-3; E. Tatana (Auck.) beat L. Kane 6O. 6-0; R. Seeman (Otago) beat P. Osbourne (Western Bay of Plenty) 6-2, 6-2; J. Phillips (Canty) beat Tate 6-1, 6-2; L. Stewart (Auck.) beat D. Tatana (Auck.) 6-2, 6-1; J. Richardson (Auck.) beat R. Wilson (Canterbury) 6-2, 6-2.