Promising tennis debut

Press, 20 November 1989, Page 29

Promising tennis debut

Chris Hoffee, a graduate from a university in New Mexico, joined the Edgeware ranks with a promising start in the BNZ senior women’s senior inter-club tennis competition, at Wilding Park on Saturday. Hoffee would have wished for a better start to her debut, but she overcame odds which were stacked against her to beat Sally Moorfield, 3-6, 7-6, 6-1. Hoffee played her first match on grass on Saturday, and she was unfortunate to come up against Sally Moorfield (Shirley), the mistress of the slice on grass. She struggled to get length and line on her shots in the first set. Moorfield was always there to take advantage of shots which were inconclusive. However, there were

patches in the first set where Hoffee pounded a cross-court forehand with impressive pace, hinting at what she was capable of. The turning point for Hoffee came in the tie-break of the second set. She kicked into gear and wrapped up the third, 6-1. Most of the clashes went to three sets and Edgeware would have been grateful for Hoffee’s timely initiation. Hoffee and Karen Mellish could not hold out against the more practised pair of Moorfield and Jo Parish, in the top doubles match. Moorfield and Parish won, 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 and finding gaps in the combination as Mellish struggled with confidence.

Elmwood struggled to douse Fendalton without Amanda Trail and escaped with a seven to six set win.

Trish Grace was brought into the fray at No. 4 but was beaten soundly by Jean Macdonald, 6-2, 6-0. Macdonald has been decisive this season, winning three of her four matches perhaps indicating her worth higher in the order. United cleaned out Avonhead, 5-1, and the only rubber to fall was Shirley Haig’s singles match against Robyn Hunt. Hunt took her chances purposefully and although Haig pushed her to a tight 6-4 scoreline in the first set, Hunt was in no mood for repartee and cleaned out the second, 6-2.

Phillippa Lewthwaite avenged United’s loss with a creditable 6-2, 6-4 win over Delia O’Malley. Points: Elmwood 40, United 39, Shirley 28, Avonhead 21, Edgeware 19, Fendalton 15.