Tennis Nelson favoured

Press, 12 April 1979, Page 8

Tennis Nelson favoured

Just as Jaks-H.5.0.8, stands out as the likely team to beat in the men’s A grade, so does the Nelson team Tennis dominate the top women’s grade. Tennis has fashioned a very impressive Easter tournament record over the past few years, emerging victorious from four of the last six contests, and it must be favoured to take it again this year.

Nelson boasts two New Zealand representatives in Karen Hoddy (nee Wright) and her younger sister Lynley Wright, and a fine coach in Trevor Wright, so the side can be expected to do well despite losing Leslie Hanhan to Checkers (Christchurch). Tlie strongest challenge to Nelson will come from Mairehau High School, if the last two Easter Tournaments are anything to go by.

Mairehau H.S. won the women’s A grade in 1977, beating Nelson in the final by a single point, 44-43. The roles were reversed last year, however, when Nelson won an exciting final from Mairehau 49-43, so the stage is set for a fine battle in 1979. Mairehau, unbeaten in the pre-season league, has had only one defection over the summer from the team that did so well last year. Jeanette Howard has gone to Australia, but the side has a depth in talent perhaps unmatched by any other New Zealand club. Mairehau High won Its seventh successive national schoolgirls title last year, as well as the Christchurch club championships, and is a wellknit and balanced side under the sharp coaching of Kerry Williams. Donna Broughton, Rayne Cassidy, Megan Stokes and Bronwyn Palmer, all of whom were selected for the New Zealand school-girls team, form the nucleus of the team, and Williams is confident the side can improve its showing this year. Checkers has not won the fnal since 1973, but is always a strong contender for tournament honours. This year could belong to Checkers, for it has several top-class players and a lot of experience. The evergreen' player Sharon Rellell returns to the team, and gains include Hanhan from Nelson and Jane McMeekan from Otago University. Beth McLeod, a very strong player, returns to the team after a season’s absence in the North Island. The fourth major contender for the A grade

honours will be Mairehau A, captained by Patsy Barry and coached this season by her husband, Denis, the Canterbury representative. Mary Fastier

and Kay Adamson are other good players in the team, which could upset some of the others. If any other teams are going to throw a spanner

in the works, the hurlers are likely to be some of the Otago sides like Elictricity and K-Vees. Canterbury University, too, could surprise.