Edgeware keeps sen. men’s title

Press, 3 February 1986, Page 25

Edgeware keeps sen. men’s title

Noel Dillon was the toast of Edgeware on Saturday evening after he paved the way for his team to retain its B.N.Z. senior men’s tennis title at Wilding Park. Edgeware’s match with Fendalton had been expected to go right to the last point, especially as Fendalton had inflicted the first loss on the champion this season only six weeks ago in the second round play-off. The pundits reckoned without Dillon, however. He reversed a vital loss to Marty Searle in the earlier play-off, and in doing so set up a 4-2 win for the reigning champions.

Dillon’s win was achieved in fine style, and was a credit to his tenacity, after dropping the first set 4-6.

Both players played long baseline rallies, with neither prepared to come into the net much at all. If this game favoured anyone it was Dillon who constantly frustrated his opponent with superbly placed shots down the line.

Searle, his frustration showing late in the game, tried to counter the tactic with passing shots, but could not stem the rising tide. He dropped the second set 4-6. The third set was a

nail-biter right to the end. Dillon took an early lead but was pegged back by Searle who seemed to find a little more power in his cross court forehand shots.

The game went to 5-5 before Dillon won the next game and broke Searle in the twelfth to take the match.

The final game was a see-saw affair throughout, with both players gaining the advantage several times. Eventually it was Dillon who won as Searle volleyed into the net. Dillon’s win proved all the more vital for Edgeware, as it tied the match up at 2-2. The doubles, as expected had gone one each, while the match between Edgeware’s Geoff Smith and Gary Lawson of Fendalton resulted in a near walkover win to Lawson 6-0, 61.

Dillon squared the match which left Edgeware’s top two to fight it out with their Fendalton opposites. Michael Mooney, the Edgeware skipper, came back with a vengeance after recent losses, and outlobbed Alistair Chapman to win 7-6, 5-7, 6-2. Both players showed some fine shots but it was Mooney’s refined lobs, often when in trouble,

that won him early success and the breakthrough in the third set. Three times in quick succession, Chapman charged the net only to see Mooney calmly lift the ball back over his head to drop within centimetres of the baseline. An exasperated Chapman muttered at one stage “this guy is so good at lobs.” He was right Mooney went on to take the game in three sets. From then on, with only Stephen Harley (Edgeware)' against Phillip Seeman, the title belonged to Edgeware. Harley simply confirmed his No. 1 ranking in Canterbury with a crushing 6-3, 6-1 defeat of Seeman. So comprehensive was the victory that it took a relatively short time, a feature being the three aces in a row that Harley served midway through the third game of the second set. Results.— Edgeware 4, Fendalton 2 Singles: S. Harley beat P. Seeman 6-3, 6-1; N. Dillon beat M. Searle 4-6, 6-4, 7-5; M. Mooney beat A. Chapman 7-6, 5-7, 6-2; G. Smith lost to G. Lawson 0-6, 1-6. Doubles: Harley and Mooney beat Seeman and Lawson 7-5, 6-3; Dillon and Smith lost to Chapman and Searle 2-6, 26.