BADMINTON TITLES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 690, 15 June 1929, Page 6

BADMINTON TITLES

NORTHERN CHAMPIONSHIPS FINAL EVENTS AT MANGERE Interest in the game of Badminton was thoroughly demonstrated by the large number of onlookers who watched the finals of the Northern championships played at the Mangere Bast Hall last night. Five finals were played, and as a result the title-holders are: Men’s Singles.—T, Kelly (Parnell). Women’s Singles.—Miss D. Ellett (Mangere). Men’s Doubles.—Kelly and McLean (Parnell). Women’s Doubles.— Mrs. Dart and Miss B. Solomon (Mangere)-. Mixed Doubles.—C. Ellett and Mis? D. Ellett (Mangere). Tho singles final between Dart and Kelly found the latter at the top of his form, and able by his remarkable courtcovering capacity to offset Dart’s tactical strength. After an uncertain opening in which Dart took the lead. Kelly began to force the pace, mixing net shots and lifting shots judiciously. From level pegging to 9 all, Kelly gained on a run of service, and with Dart serving an unusual number of faults, and tiring in tho second set, took the match in straight sets. Miss D. Ellett scored a meritorious win over Mrs. Dart in the women’s singles. Mrs. Dart took the first set with ease at 11-1, and in the early part of the second Miss Ellett continuc*d to make errors. Suddenly she struck a better length with her deep shots and, mixing drops and smashes -with precision, took both the second and third sets.

Hot exchanges in which severe smashing was pitted against fine defence kept the crowd entertained during the men’s doubles final. Here again Dart, partnered by C. Ellett, did not display his customary finish. The aggressive tactics of Kelly and McLean carried them ahead from 9 all in the first set, and from S —4 in the second they maintained their winning margin.

The mixed doubles final, in which Ellett apd Miss Ellett beat Dart, and Miss Solomon, was the best-contested match of the evening, and a perfect demonstration of back-and-front formations. The first set went to 13 all, thence to 17 all, before Dart took it with a smash. A pice blending of finesse and force was seen throughout the second set, in which the scores again reached 13 all, Ellett taking it 18—16. Miss Ellett was killing with precision at the net, while some of her brother’s cross-court drives were very fine. The third set was a repetition of the other two. Ellett and Miss Ellett getting home by a margin of two in a match that was anybody’s to the last.

In the women’s doubles, Misses M. and K. Waters, opposed to Mrs. Dart and Miss Solomon, took a long time to settle down. In the first set Miss M. Waters was severely bombarded at the back of the court, and worked almost to a standstill, though she revealed a very effective overhead. In the second she and her sister altered their formation, with better results, and only erratic serving prevented them from carrying the match to three sets. Score, 15—6, IS—ls. Visitors were later entertained at supper, and the trophies were presented by Mr. S. W. House.