TOP SEVEN SEEDS IN QUARTER-FINALS

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30957, 13 January 1966, Page 3

TOP SEVEN SEEDS IN QUARTER-FINALS

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. Form was everywhere and upsets were absent when the top seven seeds all reached the quarter-finals of the men’s singles in the New Zealand lawn tennis championships yesterday.

There was some rousing play by the Auckland junior. B. E. Fairlie, against the fifth seed, J. B. Souter, and the Australian University players, P. Keller and G. Pollard, made L. A. Gerrard and R. N. Hawkes fight hard and long for victory.

But the scorecards showed that none of the seven seeds was taken beyond the fourth set, and the odd-man-out, R G. Clarke, of Wellington, who would probably have been ninth seed, easily beat the young star of the previous day, 0. Parun, by the clear margin of 6-1, 6-1, 6-3. Back Court Upset

The only upset of a seeded player in the women's singles occurred on a back court, veil away from public view, when the 18-year-old from Melbourne, Miss Margaret Kynaston, eliminated the fifth seed Mrs Jill Bignell, 7-5, 2-6. 6-3 It was an exciting game which should have dor credit to the No. 1 court. For excitement, noth' g eould match the defeat of Fairlie by the stocky Souter, the master of the unspectacular. Souter commanded the first two sets, but Fairlie stormed back in the third with some golden play. Forehands, backhands, overheads, lobs, they all landed plumb on the line, and Fairlie seemed on top of the world. Gamble On Strength

Accordingly, in the hope his strength would last, he took the gamble cf waiving the usual 10 minutes interval after the third set which suited Souter as Fairlie had already played out a junior match. Fairlie’s move seemed to have paid off, and he raced to a lead of 4-0 in the fourth But his brilliant net attacks became fewer and fewer, and Souter regained the initiative to win the set 7-5. Pollard, a left-hander, won the second set from Hawkes and pushed him to many long : rallies and long games in the third and f uirth sets. Keller, the No. 2 to Pollard in the visiting university side, won the first stt agai :t Gerrard and displayed a whippy forehand of much accuracy before the No. 2 seed found his touch. Pollard and Keller combined later to beat the seventh seeds, E. D. White and P. Becroft, in a doubles match. Rain fortunately drove the players from the court for 10 minutes in the second set just when Keller went down with a leg injury. Fletcher coasted through his match with his doubles partner, K. Wong, swatting the ball with abandon and rushing back to his position at high speed after every shot—a lively performance. Robson had trouble handling the big service of the Hutt Valley junior, K. ”Zoolcott, but Woolcott had even) more trouble with Robson's: courtcraft. The veteran Rob-! son won in three sets. In “Wind Tunnel”

Miss Kynaston and Mrs Bignell fought game for game in the first set of their match, which was played in the “wind tunnel” next to Carlaw Park.

Miss Kynaston won the set. 7-5, but Mrs Bignell served brilliantly with new balls in the second set to win it. 6-2. and Miss Kynaston had to fight back from 0-2 down in the third to achieve victory. The top seed. Miss Kerry Melville of Melbourne, won her match easily enough, and Miss Sue Clement gave away only two games to Miss Deirdrie Kerr-Taylor. But the second seed. Miss Elizabeth Terry, will need

better play than she displayed against Miss Linda Farrell to beat Miss Kynaston today. The draw for the men s quarter final® today te: 1. A. Gerrard v. R. G. Clarke. R \ Hawkes v. R Taylor, J. E. Rob son v. J. B Souter, K. H Long v. K. Fletcher The quarter finalists In the women’s singles are; Ms® K. Melville v. Miss C. Fleming, Miss B Vercoe v. Miss S. Clement. Mrs E. Stephan v. Mis* A. Jenkin®, Miss Kynaston v. Miss E. Terry.