Jane Clarke beats Lockey

Press, 21 April 1986, Page 26

Jane Clarke beats Lockey

PA Auckland Jane Clarke, of Canterbury, will be at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games in spite of missing selection for the New Zealand badminton team, but as a spectator. Clarke, aged 22, who is the third-ranked woman nationally, missed the nominations to the doubles specialist, Karen Phillips (Counties) and a promising youngster, Lynne Bignell (Auckland), who is ranked sixth equal. On Saturday, Clarke had the satisfaction of knocking out the second seed in the Stars Travels International Waitemata Open and the nation’s second-ranked player, Katrin Lockey, in the semi-finals of the women’s singles. Clarke won that match 12-11, 2-11, 11-4 but could not stop the national champion, Toni Whittaker, from winning the final, 11-5, 11-2. However, Clarke, who will try her luck in a season in Britain, was not

consciously trying to prove a point to the selectors.

“I knew that Katrin likes to play a lot of drop shots so I just hit hard and aggressively to stop her playing her favourite shot,” said Clarke. “I played well, I thought, but Katrin may not have been at her best.”

The win will certainly give her a boost as she embarks on her first venture on an overseas circuit during which she will attend the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games, as a spectator. “Playing No. 3 in the Über Cup Team for New Zealand gave me my first taste of overseas play and I think I can build my experience in the coming tour.”

Clarke put out the giant-killer of the first night, Nivole Vipond, 11-6, 11-9, in the quarter-finals. Vipond, aged 16 (Waitemata), had eliminated the Games player, Karen Phillips, in straight sets. Fresh from his play

overseas, Graeme Robson had the edge over Phil Horne in the final of the men’s singles. The 15-6, 915, 15-5 result said a lot for the ability of Horne who has maintained his badminton form at a high level in spite of devoting much of his summer and autumn months to provincial cricket.

The closeness of the match against Robson showed that his easy wins in the Games trials last month arose not so much through weak opposition as from Horne’s own skills.

Some surprises occurred in the early rounds of the men’s singles. Chris Tapper, the fifth seed, retired early with an injury. Stephen Hooper, the seventh seed, broke a finger in the early rounds and also withdrew. Prasana Gulasekharam, of Canterbury, the eighth seed, did not survive the second round when he was eliminated by the unseeded Glen Cox. Whittaker and Robson

won their second title of the tournament when they contested the women’s and men’s doubles.

Whittaker and Phillips, the likely Games doubles combination, beat Clarke and Sandra Henare in the final 17-15, 11-15, 15-2. Horne and Robson won their men’s doubles final 15-8, 15-4 against John Miles and Grant Stone.

Robson and Whittaker capped their week-end with a third title, sharing the mixed doubles when they beat Miles and Clarke 15-12, 15-7. Results.—

Men’s singles, quarterfinals: P. Horne beat J. Spearman, 15-2, 15-2; D. Charlesworth beat R. Whittle, 18-15, 10-15, 15-9; J. Miles beat D. Butler 15-8, 15-8; G. Robson beat G. Cox 15-2, 15-5.

Semi-finals: Horae beat Charlesworth 15-5, 15-1; Robson beat Miles 15-3, 15-2.

Final: Robson beat Horne 15-6, 9-15, 15-5.

Women’s singles, quarterfinals: T. Whittaker beat L. Bignell 11-2, 11-3; L. Persson

beat S. Henare, 11-2, 11-5; J. Clarke beat N. Vipond 11-6, 11-9; K. Lockey beat J. Still 11-4, 10-12, 11-8.

Semi-finals: Whittaker beat Persson 11-3, 11-8; Clarke beat Lockey 12-11, 2-11, 11-4.

Final: Whittaker beat Clarke 11-5, 11-2. Men’s doubles, semi-finals: Horne and Robson beat R. Purser and R. Livingston 1816, 15-6; J. Miles and G. Stone beat C. Tapper and S. Wilson--15-2, 15-7.

Final: Horne and Robson beat Miles and Stone 15-8, 17-

Women’s doubles, semifinals: K. Phillips and T. Whittaker beat J. Newton and L. Persson 15-4, 15-13; J. Clarke and S. Henare beat L. Bignell and K. Lockey 15-10, 15-6.

Final: Phillips and Whittaker beat Clarke and Henare 11-15, 11-15, 15-2.

Mixed doubles, semi-finals: Robson and Whittaker beat Purser and Lockey 15-2, 9-15, 15-12; Miles and Clarke beat Horne and Bignell 17-16, 1015, 17-14.

Final: Robson and Whittaker beat Miles and Clarke 15-12, 15-7.