Seeded Players Win In Squash

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31117, 21 July 1966, Page 16

Seeded Players Win In Squash

"The Press" Special Service TIMARU.

The eight seeded players duly won their matches when the New Zealand squash rackets championships began at Timaru yesterday. J. S. Walker dropped one game, R. M. Garrett (Christchurch) kept P. Dibley fully occupied for some time, but G. A. Davidson beat the junior champion, B. Tietjens, in three games. The feature match between G. L, Bird and M. McKenzie, resulted In an impressive win to Bird. T. L. Johnston, the second seed, played well, and J. Stevens improved considerably in beating R. S. Sandilands. However, the top seeded player, D. Burmeister, disap-

pointed, using few shots and doing little more than play tight, safe squash. Garrett forced Dibley into many extensive rallies and to his credit kept trying for touch winners. Often at full stretch he made many mistakes, but had he won the third game—he led 7-4—it would have been no more than he deserved. Many thought Tietjens could beat Davidson, but Davidson lasted well. He put many drives away moat firmly but Tietjens erred in leaving drops and angles until too late, and he applied little real pressure. Bird, looking determined from the first rally, took 31 minutes to dispose of McKenzie. The almost constant and often furious pace of the match was to Bird’s advantage, and with his deceptive use of the wrist on the backhand drive often leaving MeKenzie completely wronfooted, he never seemed likely to lose. Some of Bird’s drop shots

were errorz, others ineffective, and he rather overdid the short angles. But he kept McKenzie at full stretch and simply outhit him, forcing many errors. McKenzie made three more errors than Bird, and Bird was 12 ahead in winners. When it was over the South Islandc hampion had lost to the holder of the New Zealand Plate—a rather unusual state of affairs. In a long match in the women's championship, Mrs P. Leopold (Christchurch) played enough drops at the right time in the fifth game, to score a good win over Mrs A. Childs (Henderson). Results:— Men’s Open Title First Round.—B. J. Rippin (Timaru) beat V. Hargreaves (Henderson), 9-3, 9-2, 9-1; P. Dibley (Remuera) beat M. Garrett (Christchurch), 9-4, 9-7, 9-4; G. L. Bird (Timaru) beat M. McKenzie (Remuera), 9-3, 9-5, 9-4; I. Easton (Hamilton) beat w. A. Green (Timaru). 5-9, 10-8, 9-7, 9-5. - Second Round.—J. N. Isaacs (Manor Park) beat F. N. Coe (Henderson), by default; G. A. Davidson (Ashburton) beat B. Tietjens (Remuera), 9-6, 9-0, 9-7; J. $. Walker (Hamilton) beat J. Butterworth (Henderson), 7-9,

9-3, 9-5, 9-0; J. Stevens (Remuera) beat R. Sandilands (Manor Park), 9-1, 9-4, 9-2; T. L. Johnston (Palmerston North) beat J. Taylor (Henderson), 9-1, 9-4, 9-3. Women’s Championship First Round.—Miss P. Mills (Hamilton) beat Mrs S. Curren (Henderson), 9-5, 9-1, 9-1: Mbs J. Walker (Australia) beat Mrs R. Woodhead (Christchurhch). 9-1. 9-2, 9-2; Mrs J. Legg (Christchurch) beat Miss J. Hislop (Palmerston North), 9-6. 9-1, 9-4; Miss C. Fleming (North Shore) beat Mrs M. Raggett (Hamiltoni. by default; Mrs P. Leopold (Christchurch) beat Mrs A. Childs (Henderson), 9-6, 6-9, 0-9, 9- 9-6; Mrs H. Corporall (Remuera) beat Miss D. Bagrle, 9-4. 10- 9-2: Miss T. Lawes (Manor Park) beat Miss H. Bell (Remuera), 9-5, 9-6, 10-8.