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.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19880323.2.135.2
Bibliographic details
Press, 23 March 1988, Page 32
Word Count
586Shirley triumph in topsy-turvy season Press, 23 March 1988, Page 32
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.