TENNIS SEMI-FINALS

Chronicle (Levin), 11 January 1947, Page 6

TENNIS SEMI-FINALS

Press Association

McKenzie Efiminates Bold ,

By Telegraph—

CHRISTCHURCH,- Jan;>lu. Between and even- during showers ou the rain-soaked and muddy eourts the singles .semi-fiuals . of the New ZealaHy , Lawn Tennis Championships ^ere'playi; ; ed at, Wilding Park today. T\yq .qf ' the , ' women players, iliss E. G., Attwood (Auckland) and Mrs.- J. llobb (Rutt • Valley ) , stolo most of ' the ' applause land .. . thoroughly deserved itj the f ormeiy. Avin; ning by the narrowest margin #one. bf -A the-best woinen's matches yet -'se'exi at Wilding Park. Miss Attwood now plays Miss M. Beverley (Waikato), .the defending champion, in the woinen's . final. - . . \ . R. S. McKenzie (Hutt Valley)',' the men's champion, convineingly put' an end to the long string of successes of. his team mate O. M. -Bold and enterqd the final. The other semi-final is unl eompleted with J. Roach (Waikatb) in " the strong position against S. Painter (Wellington) of having two sets .'in ' hand and a lead of 4 — 2 in the third. . / Play today was limited to 'about three and a half hours and even this, was inteiTupted by rain. The players had some difficulty in keeping theij footing and adopted various .exp.edients . : to lielp them. Miss Beverley played in bare feet, Mrs. Robb and Painter, with large wooliy soeks pulled over. their shoes and lioach wore spiked shoes. li was probably the fifst time permission for the use of sinkes has beep giveh. at Wilding Park and it will probably be the iast judging by the damage done to the court. Today 's play, little tliough it was; Avill enable the management to hold the singles finals as originally planned to inorrow morning. The completion o) the doubles events will then be pushed 011 as far as possible and if uecessary the outstanding finals will be played on Sunday. McKenzie in spite of some disconifort from a blistered and sligbtJ}} Lnfected foot played splendidly in condi tions that were expected to haudicap him— a big-built man — and to favou; agile and quick-footed Bold. He piay ed quietly from the baseline at the beginning of nearly every rally and chose his time to go in to the net with per fect judgment. He .was passed occa sionally, but on the great majonty oi occasions his advances to the net had an axiparently inevitable result- — a point won outright writh deadl)7 -volley or nowerfiil smnsh.

Miss Beverley was obviously not happy in the conditions, but neithei was Mrs. McVay who played well enough to have earned more than- six games. Blie actually led at 4 — 2 in the first set. There was little wroug with her driving, but time after time . she missed easy volleys when she had work ed her opponent well out of position. Miss Beverley drove well on the t'orehand in saving the first set and went ahead in the second after some vcry long and hard fought games had left the score at 2 all. Miss Attwood and Mrs. Robb played superlatively. But for the large uuniber of short balls which scoi'ed' out rigbt .jind thp uobyi.pu^: .diiiicuJty Ihe . players had when 1 ' wrong-footed ' ' 'a spectator could have imagined the two were iighting out their niatch in per fect conditions. They hit hard- from start to finish and they c*vered ' the court and retrieved diiiicult sliots as tliough the footing were uorinal. Mrs. Robb must be considered unlucky to lose a niatch of whicli she had so iiiuch the better almost up to the end, but Aliss Attwood certainly deserves -cfed'il for a splendid recovery and the cour ageous way in which she made that recovery. Mrs. Robb after winning. the first setTed 3 — 1 iu the second and "had several points for a 4 — 2 lead. . 8he lost the set eventuallv, but went ahead in the third to 2 — (J and from 2 — 3 to 5 — -3, and in the ninth gaipp .held matcli point. Miss Attwood saved the game and equalised the scores by taking her courage in both hands aud hit ting almost with ferocity, speeding up lier already fast forehand and coming into the middle court to puucli liei characteristic drive-yolleys into. the corners for winners. Mrs. Robb to'ugli 1 every point courageously and ski'Jfuil) but was beaten by.au opponent playing inspired tennis. Results: — " Men's Singies. • Semi-finals: R. b. AlcKenzie (Hut! Valley) beat O. M. Bold (Hutt , Valley j 6 — 3, 6 — 3, 6 — 3; J Roacli (Waikato; v. S. Painter (Wellington) 0- — 3, ti— .1 ; 4 — 2 (unfinished). Women's Singles. Semi-finals: Miss M. Beverley (Wai kato) beat Mrs. J. McVay (Welling ton) 0 — 4, 0 — 2'f Miss E. C. Attivoou (Auckland) beat Mrs. J. Robb (Hut. Valley) 3 — 6, 6 — 3, S — 6. ' , • Men's Doubles-Semi-finals: li. S. McKenzie "and N V. Edwards (Hutt Valley) v. Beter Smith (Northland) and J. A. Barry (Auckland) 2 — 2 (unliuislied); .A; ;U Cant and W. J. Smith (Canterbury; -v O. M. Bold (Hutt Valley) aud J. E Robson (Otago) 2 — 2 (unfinished). Women's Doubles. Semi-fiuaJ: Misses M. Beverley ("Wai kato) aud B. Potter (Auckland) v. Aliss M. L. Kerr (Olago) and Mrs. J H. Adams (Southland) 6 — 2, 1 — 2 (un iinislied). • Mixed Doubles. Quarter-fiual: R. V. Robb aud Mrs. J Robb (Hutt Valley) v. R. McL. Ferkius (Wellington) and Mrs. J. (Iraham (Hutt Valley) 5 — 2 (unfinished) Men's Plate. Quarter-fiuals: J. E. Hamilton (WeJ. lington) beat A. W. Tills (Auckland) 6 — 0, 4 — 6a 6 — 3; E. D. Wliite" (Canter bury) beat R. MeL. Eerkins \ Welling ton) 6 — 2, 3 — (5, 6 — 2; J. E. Robson (Otago) beat IA Becroft (Auckland) 6 — 4, 2 — 6, 6 — 0; M. J. Souter (South Canterbury) beat R. Rudkin (Otago) 6 — 0, 6 — 2, Semi-linal: Hamilton. White 5—5 (unfinished). Women'S Plate. • . Quarter-finals: Miss J. McL.- Wallace (Auckland) beat Mrs. I. G-yles • (Hut1 Valley) 6 — 1, 6 — 0; Mrs. M. . Green (Wellington) beat Mrs. L. M. Kennedy: (Hutt Valley) 6 — 3, 6—1; Missl M Spackman (Otago) beat Mrs. M. Beat son (Nelson) by default. Semi-finals: Miss J. MacGibbon (Gan terbury) beat Miss Spaclanan.. ,fi-r-2 6 — 4; Miss Wallace v. Mrs. Green 5—4. (unfinished). • *