Batie and Toleafoa take national 16s titles

Press, 7 January 1987, Page 17

Batie and Toleafoa take national 16s titles

' Andrew Batie (Canterbury) and Claudine Toleafoa (Auckland) picked up the boys and girls BP national 16s singles tennis titles after some very entertaining finals at Wilding Park yesterday. Batie beat the top seed, Jason Young, in close three-set match in their singles final, after having lost the first set, 6-2. Twelve months of dedicated training, with this national title as his chief goal, seemed to pay off for Batie yesterday, giving him the determination he needed to fight back and secure the victory. The first set Itself was controlled by Young, as he served and rushed the net positively and established a 4-0 lead, aided by his strong forehand, which won him many quick points off Batie’s second serve. In the second set, Batie fought back diligently, breaking serve in the first game and then winning his own service without the loss of a point Concentrating on Young’s undercut backhand.

Batie picked up many valuable points, eventually winning the second set, 6-3. The decider was neck-and-neck, with Young leading 1-0 and then 2-1. The fourth game was vital, as Batie needed to win it to keep himself in the ruhning. With three consecutive offensive lobs, Batie did just that, breaking Young’s serve and then holding his own to lead, 3-2. Young worked hard to catch up, but a couple of netted low backhands and overhit approach shots robbed him of some of his confidence, allowing Batie to edge out the last few games and make the title his. This win caps off a very successful season for the Canterbury youngster to date as he has won every tournament he has entered this season bar one, that being the national 18s title in which he came runner-up, aged only 16. The girls’ final, although a straight-sets affair, was by no means an easy win for To-

leafoa, and King set out to make her work hard for the title. Toleafoa served and volleyed her way to a comfortable 5-1 lead in the first set, winning point after point off her superb placement But King was not fazed at all by this show of strength and captured the next two games after saving points. However, with 'a final burst of concentration, Toleafoa put an end to King’s comeback, winning the final game of the first set With King 1-0 up in the second, Toleafoa cut down on some of her errors and won the next four games, disrupting King’s rhythm and timing with her unpredictable style of play. King won her service to trail 2-4 and then again at 35, and looked set to threaten Toleafoa’s lead once more, but a service game won without the loss of a point (her third for the match) secured her the title. Toleafoa also won the girls’ doubles title, partnered with Amanda Trail, beating North

Shore’s Clare Genet and Annabelle Newdick, 6-1, 6-3, in the final. In the boy’s doubles final, the fourth-seeded combination of Julian Faults and Troy Tipene beat Batie and Young after being one set down. Canterbury’s Brendon Furness won the boys’ feed-in consolation final, beating Tipene 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, while Lynette Johnston from Auckland beat Genet ifr another long three-setter to decide the girl’s fifth place-getter, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4. Results — BOYS Singles final: A. Batie (Canty) beat J. Young (W.8.0.P.) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. Doubles final: J. Faulls (Canty) and T. Tipene (Ak) beat Batie and Young 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. GIRLS Singles final: C. Toleafoa (Ak) beat T. King (Nth. Sh) 6-3, 6-3. Doubles final: Toleafoa and A. Trail (Canty) beat C. Genet (Nth. Sh) and A. Newdick (Nth. Sh) 6-1, 6-3.