Australian Tennis Spoiled By Rain

Chronicle (Levin), 23 February 1948, Page 3

Australian Tennis Spoiled By Rain

Press Assnr.1stf.irm 1

(Per

CHRISTGHURCH, Feb. 22. Overcast weather which" later in tne afternoon turned to rain, marred . the final "day of the New Zealand invitation tennis tournament at Wilding • Park when the all- Australian finals were played yesterday. The final of the men's doubles between G. E. Brown and O. W. Sidwell, and F. A;!Sedgman and W. J. Dart, was played ih light rain from the start and towards the end of the thirU' set, with the advantage to Brown and Sidwell at 5-4, play was abanuonod. Sidwell ;s stroking and all round brilliance, proved too much for the dynamic but erratic Brown . in tne men's singles and in the second and third sets Sidwell called the tune. He concentrated to -a great - extent on Brown 's left hand shot which was weaker than >on the previous day, and with powerful smashes from any part of the court1 and well placed s'ideline drives which gave Brown no chance, Sidwell played his way to a notable and stylish. victory which bore all the hailmarks of a world-class performance.

Sedgman and • Dart ■ had a great opportunity of beating Brown and Sidwell in two straight sets' in the men's doubles final when, with the score m second set at 4-2, and 40-30 in favour of the younger pair, oue of' Sedgman 's •sliots hit the top of the net, rolled along j it for couple of inches and then dropped j baek on the wrong side. Had this shot j been ' suecessful it would have given j Sedgman and Dart a 5-2 lead in the j second set which Brown and • Sidwell I aiight have found dUficult to overtake. | As it was this shot proved the turning l point of, an extremely close fought j match and from then on the Davis Cup pair held the advantage and when rain caused an abandonment of play, looked like taking the third and final set. Miss M. P. Jones played in her best stvle against Mrs. S. B. Newcombe m the women 's singles and was narrowiy defeated in three sets. The women's doubles was another long and hard fought match with the honours slightly in favour of Misses M. Toomwey and M. Bevis who beat Mrs. Newcombe and Miss Jones in three sets. Results: — Men's Singles: 0.»W. Sidwell beat G. E. Brown, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3. Women's Singles: Mrs. S. B. Newcombe beat Miss M. P. Jones. 3-6. 6-4. 6-4. > > > Men's Doubles: Sidwell and Brown v. F. A. Sedgman and W. J. Dart, 4-6, 6-4, 5-4 (unfinished). Women's Doubles: Misses M. Toomey and M. Bevis beat Mrs. Newcombe and Miss, Jones, 6-8, 6-3, 7-5.