Table Tennis M. Burrowes takes S.I. singles title

Press, 4 July 1983, Page 24

Table Tennis M. Burrowes takes S.I. singles title

Maurice Burrowes continued his excellent form by winning his second major table tennis title in three weeks, the South Island singles championship in the provincial association’s rooms on Saturday evening.

In the final, Burrowes the top seed, had to survive a gallant fightback by Michael Hamel before winning in five games. Three weeks back, Burrowes won his first Canterbury open title, again beating Hamel in the final.

Burrowes, now 27, has won the South Island title once before — in 1973 — and since then some notable players have had their names inscribed on the trophy — Richard Lee (three times), Bryan Foster, Wayne Adamson, Yee Chow Boi, Hamel, James Morris and Stuart Armstrong. Burrowes was well worth his victory on Saturday. He had to get through two testing opponents and indeed, successfully overcame the traumatic experience of tossing away three match points in the fourth game, and being forced into a fifth, deciding game. Having won the first two games, Burrowes was well placed against Hamel who mixed some excellent attacking shots with others of indifferent quality. Burrowes in contrast, played a more controlled match and made the most of his chances in the opening games. Hamel took the third, having established a 14-8 advantage and comfortably retained that margin. However, Hamel’s prospects lookd decidely grim when he trailed, 19-13 in the fourth game. That he tenaciously battled back to take seven straight points to lead, 20-19, was a tribute to his courage. He did not sit back and hope for Burrowes to make a rare mistake. Instead, he attacked the ball, and beat Burrowes three times with superb reflex passing shots. Burrowes levelled at 20-20, then lost three match points before Hamel grabbed the intitiative to win, 25-23. However, that effort seemed to drain Hamel’s well of resources. Trailing, 10-5, in the fifth, he lost four successive points with unforced errors and Burrowes was in no mood to be deprived a second time. Jan Morris, won her seventh women’s singles title, beating Pam Shadbolt fairly comfortably. Her dominance of South Island table tennis is complete, now that Marlborough’s Debbie Stratford is injured. The lack of entrants from the country’s table tennis, stronghold of the north meant that Miss Morris, the current national team captain, was always going to win, barring the sort of upset Miss Shadbolt was unable to provide. Miss Morris’ victory gives her the record of South Island singles victories, beating the old record of Yvonne FogartyEyre. Mrs Fogarty-Eyre won the title in six successive years between 1967-72.

Results (all from Canterbury unless otherwise stated).— OPEN

unless otherwise stated).— OPEN Men’s singles. — Quarterfinals: M. W. Burrowes beat G. M. Carroll, 21-12, 21- 13. 21-17; J. A Richards beat S. Lockhart, 21- 21-9, 21-19; M. J. Hamel beat C. D. Clegg (Hutt Valiev), 22- 21-17, 15-21, 21-8; S. P. Cairns (Otago) beat M. P. Burrowes, 21-9, 21-14, 21-13. Semi-finals: Burrowes beat Richards, 22-20; 14-21, 21-17, 216; Hamel beat Cairns, 21-19, 1621, 21-19, 17-21, 21-17. Final: Burrowes beat Hamel, 21-18, 21-16, 12-21, 23-25, 21-8. Women’s singles. — Semifinals: Miss J. G. Morris beat Mrs T. May, 21-12, 21-13, 21-15; Miss P. Shadbolt beat Miss A. G. Hogarth (Auckland). 21-16, 21-17, 21-12. Final: Miss Morris beat Miss Shadbolt, 21-14, 21-8, 21-13. Men’s doubles. — Richards and Hamel beat N. Maynard and P. de Boer, 21-13, 21-15, 2113; M. W. and M. P. Burrowes, beat Cairns and H. Thompson. 21-17, 22-20, 21-17. Final: Richards and Hamel beat Burrowes and Burrowes 21-23, 24-22, 2119, 21-11. Women’s doubles. — Semifinals: Miss Morris and Miss Shadbolt beat Miss J. Cotter and Mrs K. Thompson, 21-11, 21-14, 21-10; Miss S. Mayes (Nelson) and Miss T. McAvinue (Manwatu) beat Miss C. Jary (Otago), and Miss K. Benfell (Otago), 21-19, 21-13, 21-14. Final: Miss Morris and Miss Shadbolt beat Miss Mayes and Miss McAvinue, 21-18, 16-21, 21-11. Mixed doubles. — Quarterfinals: M. W. Burrowes and Miss Morris beat de Boer and Miss Benfell, 21-17, 21-13, 21-18; McCarroll and Miss Mayes beat L. White and Miss Hogarth, 21-14, 21-19, 21-10; Cairns and Mrs May beat D. Kilmister and Miss McAvinue, 21-14, 14-21, 21-17, 18-21, 23-21; Clegg and Miss Jary beat Richards and Miss Shadbolt, 21-14, 23-21, 20- 21-11. Semi-finals: Burrowes and Miss Morris beat McCarroll and Miss Mayes, 2112, 21-15, 21-13; Cairns and Mrs May beat Clegg and Miss Jary, 21- 21-14, 21-17. Final: Burrowes and Miss Morris beat Cairns and Mrs May, 21-15, 2114, 21-15. SENIOR Men’s singles. — Final: J. Lelliott (Hutt Valley) beat J. Taylor (Marlborough), 21-16, 21-15. Women’s singles. — Final: Mrs May beat Mrs Thompson, 20- 21-12, 21-6. VETERAN Men’s singles. — Final: Lelliott beat Thompson, 21-7, 2117. Women’s singles. — Final: Mrs May beat Mrs Thompson, 21- 19-21, 21-15. UNDER 21 Boys singles. — Final: Clegg beat S. Chapman (Hutt Valley), 12-21, 21-19, 21-12. Girls singles. — Final: Miss Benfell beat Miss Jary, 21-16, 21-10.