Shirley triumph in topsy-turvy season

Press, 23 March 1988, Page 32

Shirley triumph in topsy-turvy season

By

DIANNA LESLIE

Woeful stories will long be told by teams deserted by Lady Luck in (the B.N.Zj senior (men’s tennis competition, ( (during ( a season which' (; revolved round a wheel,of fortune. Edgeware ('might wel] takej a glum (view,of |the season. It had dominated the senior competition 1 for |i ' 'll: i! . :

three i crinsecutiye years, but tantalising glimpses of the B.bt.Z. Trophly in 198788 were consistently whipped) out of view. ■I It started the (seaison confidently and overtook Shirley) the eventual pinner,' in the late stages of the first round, only to I watch 1 1 (fortune I pass' it f>y- ill i ! Persistent rain for two Saturdays postponed (the (final matches of the first 1 round, (and the next Satur-. day x dawned fine, which Edgeware had dreaded. It was withoiif two of its key players, Stephen Harley and] Michael Mooney, and paid dearly] losing the crucial match: against Elmwodd, and allowing i Shirley the edge ( it (needed.) ( In (the second round Edgeware again | had ; a deficit; bf key players in a vital (clash and although favoured to be(at Fendal,ton to,' win section II of the (competition, fell short of expectations. Fendalton played ‘splendidly to gain a 9 set to 6 Ivin. Edgeware’S (hope of winning was over. ( By (contrast Shirley] the recipients of griod fortune carried off the B.N.Z. ; Shield and Trojphy. It | performejd consistently! ijn. the first round, but limped baldly in the' ] second] after losing Brett: I Hibbert, who was; overseas, and John Robin-j son, who moved to Well-; ington.l It finished fourth, but its first round •. win; gave it|a place in the final; ( against Fendalton. For ( the final Shirley had its team intact. Hibbert ; arrived home and Robinson flew down from; Wellington, for the weekend. ! I Peter Hampton, who did (not losel a singles; match! this season, and Julian' Faults, a talented junior,' completed the fearsome linejup. Fendalton had recovered well,

from losing Phillip Seeman, its top player who returned to a job jin West Germany, to perform well in the second round, but it could not contain] Shirley in the final, losing 1-5. I (Elmwood also] had a tough season 6 finishing third and second] respectively. It did beat Edgeware, the competition leader, in the final matches of the first round. Its good, form assisted Shirley which took the major honours. ] Avonhead (I (suffered from the untimely exit of Vernon Aubrey]! its top player, who; | went overseas, and lost to Fendalton in the section playoff. ; (The women’s (competition was a two way fight between Elmwbbd and United. Both were amazingly close all season and no other team cbuld drive a wedge betweeri them.) : Elmwood lapsed against Shirley when it', narrowly lost six sets to seven and created the opening for United to challenge the first round winners. 1 Elmwood won (the first' clash 4-2, the second 7-6 and lost the ] third 6-7 forcing a grand ( final. (In an epic finish to the season Elmwood (managed to stave off i a strong United line-up (to win 7-6 and claim the B.N.Z. trophy. (I ■ i Fendalton had a topsyturvy season finishing last in the first round and securing third, place in the second. It consolidated I its performance fq deliver the potential that it had promised. |( ( Shirley battled conscientiously (throughout the season finishing fourth in both rounds'.! | | Barrington, ably led; by Robyn Hunt at the start of the season, finished third in the first (round Ibut faded to fifth 11 of the six teams in the second.