Last-gasp victory for Simpson

Press, 17 January 1986, Page 3

Last-gasp victory for Simpson

PA Wellington Judging by his performance against Claude England in the New Zealand tennis championships yesterday, Russell Simpson is unlikely to ever die as a result of stress problems. Simpson, the second seed in the men’s singles, being played at Lower Hutt, had to survive a matchpoint to win his third round match 6-4, 4-6, 7-6. He trailed 5-6 in the third set tiebreaker before serving his way out of trouble.

Yet Simpson, aged 31, as amiable a fellow as one could meet, had a smile on his face throughout the encounter.

“I just played a poor match,” he said. “I guess I should be pumped up for this tournament — it’s a New Zealand championship and it’s a centenary event, but I couldn’t.

“All the same I really enjoyed myself. I could see the other players hovering about like vultures waiting for the kill, and I guess that seemed pretty likely. “Then I’d think: ‘lf I lose, so what?’. It just doesn’t mean that much to me. Jeff, my brother, has chewed me out a bit about playing below my ability, and I know he’s right. But that’s just me.” Kelly Evernden beat

Mark Long 7-6, 6-4 yesterday and while Long played his usual tidy match, Evernden was well below par. “I was pleased with how I played,” Long said. “But I could feel Kelly easing off at stages. I didn’t mind that. I was having enough trouble with his second serve, let alone the full-paced one.” David Mustard was bundled out 6-1, 6-1 by a former national junior champion, Greg Hansford. It was an uninspiring effort by Mustard who looked unsure as to whether to slice or top spin, stay back or advance to the net. The Aucklander, a talented stroke-maker at the best of times, looked stale. Hansford, aged 19, was positive and maintained the pressure. He slammed some big left-handed serves and hit his groundstrokes with real power. Bruce Derlin, the tournament third seed, received a fright before he beat his plucky fellow-Aucklander Ron Dutton 7-5, 1-6, 6-3.

While Evernden, Simpson, and Derlin were all relatively unimpressive winners, David Lewis, Brett Steven, Steve Guy and John Dunphy all looked in good form.

Auckland’s Edith Tatana, 17, justified her fourth seeding in the women’s singles

by beating the fifth seed, Ruth Seeman, of Dunedin, 6-3, 6-2.

“I thought it was going to be a very close match,” said Tatana. “I never dreamed I’d win that easily.”

Tomorrow, Tatana meets the top seed Belinda Cordwell, of Wellington, in one semi-final.

Yesterday, Cordwell began a little slowly but gradually opened up to beat the experienced Canterbury player Robyn Hunt 6-3, 6-1. In the other two women’s quarter-finals, to be played today, Michelle Parun plays Judy Phillips and Linda Stewart plays Julie Richardson. Results:

Men’s singles Round three: K. Evernden (Gisborne) beat M. Long (Auck.) 7-6, 6-3; B. Steven (Auck.) beat S. Robinson (Auck.) 6-1, 7-6; B. Derlin (Auck.) beat R. Dutton (Auck.) 7-5, 1-6, 6-3; D. Lewis (Auck.) beat P. Mangan (U.S.) 6-3, 6-2; S. Guy (Wgtn) beat N. Berwick (Aust.) 6-2, 6-3; G. Hansford (Auck.) beat D. Mustard (Auck.) 6-1, 6-1; J. Dunphy (Wgtn) beat M. Elley (Auck.) 6-3, 6-1; R. Simpson (Auck.) beat C. England (Hutt Valley) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6. Women’s singles Quarter-finals: B. Cordwell (Wgtn) beat R. Hunt (Cant) 6-3, 6-1; E. Tatana (Auck) beat R. Seeman (Dunedin) 6-3, 6-2.