United wins women’s club final

Press, 3 February 1986, Page 25

United wins women’s club final

In a dramatic finish, Amuri Mazda United crawled back from a trailing position to beat Sportswest Barrington in the final of the BNZ women’s inter-club competition at Wilding Park on Saturday. Trailing two matches to love on the completion of the doubles, United battled solidly to keep its chances alive — winning both the second and the bottom singles. Then the tension mounted as the remaining two singles matches were played to decide the outcome. It was fitting that the final’ of the competition should be so close and exciting considering the straightforward nature of all the previous rounds, which had in either 5-1 or 6-0 results. ■ This made the final all the

more interesting and both teams gave top performances. The top doubles match was very close and could have gone either way. Barrington’s Robyn Hunt and Delia O’Malley won the first set with relative ease, but United’s Shirley Haig and Judy Phillips countered by taking the second.

In the deciding set it was neck and neck all the way. O’Malley coped well under pressure, placing her serve well and setting the ball up for Hunt’s powerful winners at the net.

Determined as they were, Haig and Phillips let a few errors creep into their attack in the last two games, allowing their opponents to capitalise and -take the set and match at 6-4.' In the bottom doubles Barr-

ington’s experienced duo, Lani and Vicki Ratana, played the big points well, volleying and smashing their way to a tight straight-sets win in spite of Phillipa Leuthwaite and Julie Reid’s clever offensive lobbing and drop shots. Trailing two matches at this stage, United lifted its attack, keen to even the score with two singles wins. United's number two, Haig made a purposeful start, her batting style allowing O’Malley no leeway in the first set.

The second set continued in the same fashion, until at 3-0 down, O’Malley began to relax more, firing winners past even Haig’s long reach. However, Haig’s tenacity never faltered and she lost only one game in the entire match.

In the bottom singles, Reid took a 3-0 lead at the start. Vicki Ratana came to life at this point, levelling the score. At 6-5 Ratana had the edge, but Reid replied by taking the next game and the ensuing tiebreaker, placing her winners with thoughtful accuracy.

The second set was just as tough, but at 5-3 up. Reid had a clear lead which he refused to relinquish, putting more emphasis on placement rather than speed in her shots.

In the vital top singles, Hunt looked quietly confident, serving and volleying with strength and venom. She overpowered Phillips in the first set, 6-0. Phillips showed marked resistance early in the second set, levelling the score at 1-1

and firing low backhand winners past Hunt at the net. However, Hunt was unrelenting and made a sharp recovery. She took the match point with a sizzling ace to give Barrington a 3-2 lead. The pressure was on both players in the deciding match. If Barrington won it, it had the championship, 4-2. But if United won ip straight sets it would win by seven sets to six.

Barrington’s Lani Ratana had to at least win a set off Leuthwaite to keep her team’s hopes alive in a countback of games. Both began steadily but Leuthwaite’s sense of purpose never wavered and she took the first set, 6-3.

\ ... Ratana played some scintillating winners at the net in the second set and crept to a

4-2 lead. She lead again at 54, but Leuthwaite fought back to 6-6 and a tie-breaker was .played. Leuthwaite played this superbly, moving Ratana round the court and forcing her into errors. With a 7-4 win in the tiebreaker, it was game, set, match and the championship to a jubilant Amuri Mazda United. Result:

Amuri Mazda United seven sets, Sportswest Barrington, six sets.

Doubles.— S. Haig and J. Phillips lost to R. Hunt and D. O’Malley, 2-6, 6-4, 4-6; P. Leuthwaite and J. Reid lost to L and V. Ratana, 5-7, 6-7. Singles.— J. Phillips lost to R. Hunt, 0-6, 1-6; S. Haig beat D. O’Malley, 6-0, 6-1; P. Eeuthwaite beat L. Ratana, 6-3, 76; J. Reid beat V. Ratana, 7-5, 6-3.