Barrie Matthews improved his chances of regaining a place in the Canterbury squash team after a three-year absence when he beat Don Preston in the final of the inaugural Eastern Suburbs tournament at the Cashmere club yesterday.

This was the first of three tournaments made compulsory for representative selection this season. Mathews has already won tournaments at Blenheim and Timaru but hastens to say that all three of his successes have been achieved in the absence of the two top Canterbury players, Rod Hayes and Paul McFadzien.

In the latest match Matthews had to come back from a games deficit of two to one to beat the experienced Don Preston, 7-9, 9-7, 6-9, 9-5, 9-4.

Although Preston may not have quite as much stamina as he once had, his stroke. play is still frequently regarded with awe by spectators and in yesterday’s final he had a high tally of winners, sometimes completely wrong-footing his opponent with cross-court drops.

The final lasted only 50min, even though it went the full distance, and there were few really long rallies because of the numbers of nicks hit. Preston had a chance, in retrospect, of taking the contest in three games because he won the first and led, 7-4, in the second before Matthews produced a stream of winners.

After winning the third game, during which he thrice complained about the noise made by children in the gallery, Preston, led 4-0, in the fourth. But he started to lose confidence in his usually very tight drop shot after three had gone down in quick succession, while Matthews started to find the nick with his lovely overhead cross-court volleys.

Having levelled the games Matthews started with a flourish in the fifth and although Preston managed to get back to 3-3 his energy started to run out. The younger man won the last few rallies fairly quickly because of his winners and three Preston errors.

The open men’s plate final was one of great satisfaction for the left-hander, John Tolchard, who avenged an inter-club defeat to beat the talented junior, Jamie Bushell, 9-4, 0-9, 9-5, 9-2.

To provide a chance for better squash matches, all the finals had been transferred to Cashmere from Lancaster Park, where the courts had extreme condensation on the walls.

So it was a little disappointing that the women’s open final was one-sided, with Philippa Idour beating the top seed, Kathy Graham, in straight games and conceding only nine points.

Results:

MEN
Open Quarter-finals. – L. P. Skurr beat C. J. Wasley, 9.4, 0-9, 7-9, 9-7, 10-8; B. D. Matthews beat L. Walton, 2-9, 9-6, 9-3, 6-9, 9-1; C. Hibbert beat R. Marshall, 3-9, 9-3, 10-9, 9-1; D. R. Preston beat G. Monk, 9-2, 9-0, 5-9, 10-8. Semi-finals.-Matthews Skurr, 5-9, 9-4, 9-7, 9-7; Preston beat Hibbert, 9-7, 3-9, 4-9, 10-9, 9-5.
Final.—Matthews beat Preston, 7-9, 9-7, 6-9, 9-5, 9-4.

Division one Final. T. George beat W. Seebeck, 9-7, 9-2, 9-4.

Division two Final. M. Withers beat P. Steinmetz, 9-4, 9-3, 9-4.

Division three Final. S. McCarroll beat G Haase, 9-1, 6-9, 9-2, 9-3.

Division four Final. T. Kelly beat K Whiteman, 10-9, 9-2, 6-9, 9-7.

Division five Final. A. Smith beat R. Armstrong, 9-5, 9-4. 9-7.

WOMEN
Open Quarter-finals. – K. F. Graham beat J. Oakley, 9-3, 10-8, 9-3; L. Chamberlain beat L. Symes, 9-2, 9-1, 2-9, 9-3; P. Idour beat J. Terrell, 9-4, 9-7, 7-9, 9-0; V. Dunstan beat W. Dann. 9-4, 9-5, 7-9, 9-6. Semi-finals. – Graham beat Chamberlain, 9-2, 5-9, 9-7, 9-7: Idour beat Dunstan, 9-1, 9-2, 6-9, 10-8. Final. Idour beat Graham, 9-3, 9-1, 9-5.

Division one Final L. North beat Young, 6-9, 9-1, 9-0, 9-0.

Division two Final. Edgerton beat J. Wright, 10-8, 9-0, 9-1.

1979