MEN'S TITLE TO ROBSON

Chronicle (Levin), 17 January 1949, Page 3

MEN'S TITLE TO ROBSON

Press AssociatiovJ

Mrs, McVay New Women's Tennis Champion

(Per

WELLINGTON. Jan. 16. The brilliant and unexpeeted victory of J. E. Robson (Otago) over* R. S. McKenzie (Wellington) . in the men's singles was the highlight of a splendid afternoon 's tennis at Gentral Fark, Wellington, on Saturday when the finais of the 1948-49 New Zealand ehampionships were played before a capacity cjowd of 3500 to over 4000. McKenzie has held the title for three years. " Mrs. J. J. McVay (Wellington), who eliminated the former champion, Miss E. G. Attwood (Auckland), in the seinilinals of the women's singles, beat Miss M. Kerr (Otago) in two sets in the final. 6 Later Mrs. McVay and Mrs. J. Robb' (Hutt Valley) anhexed the women's doubles title by beating last year's champion pair, Misses Attwood and Kerr, in the third set. Winner of the mixed aoubles with McKenzie on Friday, Mrs. McVay thus achieved the distinction of being a triple titleholder. Rain only twice interrupted the tournament. It delayed the start of play for an hour and a half on the first day a week ago and it interrupted the men's doubles final at 6 p.m. Saturday. McKenzie and S. Painter (Wellington), the titleholders, were at that stage leading Robson and O. M. Bold (Hutt Valley), 6 — 4, 8 — 6 and 8-all in the third. The mateh was resuined this afternoon when McKenzie and Painter won the two games they needed in four ininutes and without loss of point. The women's plate was won by Miss J. Burke (Taranaki Junior) and the men's by L. P. Roach (Waikato). The cash takings on (Saturday were £366, while reservation payments totalled a further £325. The gross takings from the tournament are in the vicinity of £1200 — £200 above the Wellington Lawn Tennis Association's minimum liopes. Saturday 's crowd was almost certainly the biggest ever to atteud a tennis fixture in Wellington. Results: — Men's singles: Il-obson beat McKenzie 6—1, 3—6, 6—2, 6—4. Men's doubles: McKenzie and Painter beat Bold and Robson 6 — 4, 8 — 6, 10—8. Women's singles: Mrs. McVay beat Miss Kerr 6 — 2, 6 — 3. Women's doubles: Mesdames McVay and Robb beat Misses Attwood and Kerr 7 — 5, 6-^-8, 6 — 2. Men's plate: L. P. Roach (Waikato) beat M. Souter (Soutli Canterbury) 12 — 14, b — 2, 0 — 3, 7 — r~5. • Women's plate: Miss J. Burke (Taranaki) beat Mrs. J. Graham (Hutt Valley) 8 — 6, 6 — 3.