LAWN TENNIS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 83, 2 January 1935, Page 3

LAWN TENNIS

Wellington Tourney PLAYERS REVIEWED N. Smith’s Performance

(By

"Forehand.")

Brilliant weather favoured the Wellington Lawn Tennis Association for its annual Christmas tournament. The entries were most disappointing. It was noticeable at times that the balls were kicking on the courts, but the exceptionally djy weather has made the task of groundsmen very difficult. Under the circumstances the courtg played very well indeed. The lines, however, especially the baselines, were very badly marked. It is to be hoped that for the next tournament the association will see that better material is obtained for marking. Some of the baselines were scarcely discernible, and so playere had injustices done them by unavoidable mistakes on the part of the umpires. Norman Smith enhanced his reputation by winning the men’s singles, his exhibition of driving throughout the tournament being one of the finest and most consistent see at Miramar for many years. His grofijid shots, which make up almost the whole of his game, were models of correctness, as also was his footwork, his court position, and his court, covering. From back-court he may be said to have shown no weakness, and his knowledge of when to drive and when to lob was sound.

A Disappointment. x N.. Bedford did not play anywhere near 1 so well as he had played in the ranking matches. His trouble was that he was intent on forcing the pace all the time, even to the extent of driving balls that he had no hope of succeeding on. He never gave his placing shots a chance. So Iqng as D. Coombe elects to try a driving game, intermingled with an attack from the net, against N. Smith he fails. Smith is too sound in his ground strokes for him, and also he knows Coombe’s tactics. At this tournament Coombe started against Smith brilliantly, and had a substantial lead in the first set, but the persistency with which Smith kept on hitting caused Coombe to make a few mistakes, so that he started to slow up his game by putting cut on the ball. This ajso reduced the length, giving Smith grand opportunities for hard driving. R. Ferkins was not playing at all confidently throughout the tournament, his game being punctuated with mistakes that one does not usually associate with his game. Most of his errors were in volleying from winning positions. He was unable to cope with Coombe’s sound attack in that game. E. A. Roussell played better throughout the tournament than he had done in the ranking matches, although he was extremely lucky that he did not have to play a five-set match against K. Dyer, a left-hander whose deep drives to the backhand corner and sound volleying were well above anything he had hitherto displayed this season. Roussell’s condition lasted better than Dyer’s. Roussell was driving hard and accurately, his volleying was good, his overhead was good and bad in parts, and his service was weak. In the fifth set against Bedford in the semi-final his tactics were shocking. He had the match won by forcing tactics, but at a critical stage he elected to play for safety, and that gave Bedford his opportunity. He was able to get just that little extra pace to the corners that made it difficult for Roussell to get the ball baek. Only occasionally does J. Charters, a left-hander, give glimpses of that form that once took him into New Zealand’s first ten. His ground strokes are not as accurate as they once were, and that has handicapped his volleying, which used to be one of his strong points. Nor has he now the same zest to take the net behind his service which, like most left-handed services, has a most disconcerting slice in it.

A Consistent Player. If F. Pears rises to no great heights, neither does he fall far below a fairly consistent senior club standard. One does not associate any purple patches in his game, but he is always a trier. He does not merely hit the ball over the net. He tries for placements, and to vary his length, and to take the net behind deep drives to the backhand. He is not, however, as decisive overhead as he should and could be. After he has worked for and obtained the winning position, he has to begin all over again because his volley or smash has been returned. His game is perfectly straightforward and without guile. The opponent knows the type of shot to expect. B. McCarthy, who won the plate, belongs to the hard-hitting school of players. and to all but the best in Wellington is not an easy man to beat. He does not waste much time on the finer points of courtscraft and endeavours to see that the opponent has little time to study that branch of the game. Short, sharp rallies are what he relishes. But with all his hard hitting he is not a rash player. Murray, of Newtown club, places very well down the lines with his cut drive, while his service (he is a left-hander) is well placed and has a lot of work on it. He is of the placing type of players, and does not hit hard.

S. S. R. Hooper, of Palmerston North, is another left-hander. Still a junior, he shows himself the possessor of strokes which, if used properly, and he is sufficiently encouraged, will make him a valuable player to the Manawatu association. He has got a very good idea of the game. His greatest weakness is his backhand, while his service can be speeded up to advantage. Below Form.

E. A. Pearce, who used to belong to Wellington, did not show any signs of improvement in his game since last he was. here. In no department of the game was he consistent. Throughout the tournament his game was well below senior form. His main trouble is that he worries over his own mistakes. That leads to the making of others. While many players do not take the game seriously enough, he goes to the other extreme. Against N. Smith he could do nothing right either in serving, volleying, driving or smashing. A noteworthy performance was put up by F. Cornet, a veteran, who by his cut stroke drives and service put out players who were on the lower rungs of the association ranking ladder. Due to the work he puts on the ball it never rises on biting ground, but shoots land therefore is not easy to handle. A Fine Performance. The finest game played among the women was that of Miss D. Howe, who beat Miss D. Nicholls in the final. The entries in the women’s singles were very poor in numbers. Miss Howe’s game showed a considerable improvement on any of her previous season’s displays and Miss Nicholls would have had to have, been in very much better form to have won. The fact was that Miss Howe has developed an attacking game where be' fore her game was safe and steady but mostly defensive. To-day she maintains her steadiness and her accuracy, but adds to them much greater sting in her shots and a better length. Very seldom was Miss Nicholls allowed to bring her forehand drive from the forehand corner into action. She was kept jammed on the backline and compelled to play most of her strokes from the backhand corner. Whereas previously Miss Nicholls has been able to stand in the middle in the baseline and dominate the court and compel her opponent to do the running, this time Miss Nicholls had to do the running as well. Miss Howe also had to do a tremendous amount of running about'the court, but she moved very much quicker than eh - hajLdpne_preyipusly. .and. yras

nearly always in position to make an effective return.

Miss Nicholls was good enough to dispose of Miss M. Howe and Miss F. Fernie without any trouble, but with the application of the unwonted pressure to which she was subjected by Miss Howe lost her accuracy and her confidence.

Miss M. Howe has not played this season a game comparable to some that she played last season. She is not driving nearly so well, and her smashing and volleying are weak. There is no reason, however, why she should not improve .greatly in her game, for at her best her strokes are freely and easily made. A Fine Performance.

Miss F. Fernie is an example of the fact that correctly made strokes are not enough. She hits hard., but not always with discretion. There is a complete lack of variety in her game. She is unable to change a losing game, but she shows ability in maintaining a winning one. In her driving she allows herself very little margin for error in clearing the net. Mrs. R. P. Adams quite outplaced Miss M. Macassey with quiet shots varied by drives from the forehand that were a reminder of the game that she played a few seasons ago, but which now, through lack of practice, she is unable to maintain with any degree of consistency. Miss Jessie Burns is a trier, but without any variation whatever in a hardhitting type of game in which too many of the strokes are made off the wrong foot. With a little more thought she could be a much better player. Miss M. Macassey has never developed her earlier promise. She hits well on both wings, and against inferior players volleys and smashes well, but a faulty court position above the service line when she chooses to come in to the net costs her many matches which on pure strokes she ought to win. She ought to realise it is generally unprofitable to go to the net behind a shot that has gone but little past the service line. Her determination, however, carries her a long way. Miss K. Pears, although not possessed of any really outstanding strokes, is a real battler who never gives in. She counts no ball too difficult to go after. She is a very steady player. Miss D. Maslin is waiting too long for the ball before playing it. She ought to try to hit the ball at the top of its bound, and hit it hard. Her ground strokes are more consistent than her volleying or overhead. Hitting the ball at the top of its bound would enable her to put her weight into the stroke and so give her shots more speed. She is a hard battler.