Toleafoa picks up titles

Press, 23 October 1989, Page 21

Toleafoa picks up titles

PA Wellington Four years ago Claudine Toleafoa decided she needed a big weapon to make her mark on the international tennis scene. She chose her forehand. Since then, she’s spent hundreds of hours grooving the stroke, crafting her traditional Kiwi ‘flat’ forehand into the desired weapon. At the week-end, tennis fans got a glimpse of the end product as Toleafoa picked up the women's singles and doubles titles at the national indoor championships at Wellington’s Renouf Centre. The 19-year-old Aucklander didn’t drop a set en route to yesterday’s final where she met her Federation Cup teammate Ruth Seeman

(Canterbury). And though she won the match 6-4, 7-5, Toleafoa felt the pressure from the experienced Seeman. The pair, showing the benefit of extensive matchplay, proved far too good for the rest of the women’s field. In the morning semifinals, Toleafoa outclassed third seed Michelle Parun 6-1, 6-1, and Seeman Cealt severely with No. 4 seed Liz Finlayson 6-2, 6-2. In the final Toleafoa took the first set after Seeman had fought back from 4-1 down to trail 5-4. Toleafoa had a few rough patches. A player who generally prefers to hit from the baseline, she missed a few easy volleys and with her toss

astray, double faulted too often. Seeman, aged 26, said later she hadn’t ‘jazzed’ (mixed) her game up enough. "I can’t beat her at a baseline game. I just can’t beat the pulp out of the ball. I have to try to break her rhythm by mixing it up with dinks and volleys,” she said. Toleafoa admitted long hours had gone into that fordhand. In women’s tennis it was important to have a big weapon — something to hurt the other players with. The men’s final proved a less riveting affair with top seed Troy Turnbull having a relatively easy 6-3, 6-2, win over his doubles partner Greg Hansford.