AUSTRALIAN TOUR

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 46, 24 February 1930, Page 14

AUSTRALIAN TOUR

AUCKLAND MATCHES

SOME BRILLIANT PLAY

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, 23rd February.

The finest tennis seen in Auckland since the Davis Cup was played here iv 1920 was provided by play,in the contest between the visiting Australian and the Auckland provincial teams of eight players. P. E. Kalms was by far the most outstanding, and he played tennis of a quality rarely eeen in this country. After two days' -play the Australians won

by eight matches to four, the honours in the singles being equal. None of the doubles was won by Auckland. The results are as follow: — Singles. F E. Kalms (Australia) beat E. L. Bartlect (Auckland), 0-3, 6-4. Dr J. T. Laurenson (Auckland) beat W. E. Teaguo (Australia), 6-3, 0-3. C. Spronle (Australia) beat N. G. Sturt (Auckland). 3-0, 6-2, 6-1. A. 0. Stedman (Auckland) beat C. Donohoe (Australia). 3-6, 0-4, 10-8. Doubles. ' Kalms and league beat Bartlect and Laurenson, 0-3, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0. Spronle and Donohoe beat Sturt and Stedman, 6-4, 9-7, 7-5. Australia won by 8 rubbers to 4, it sets to 15. NOTES ON THE PLAY. Driving and smashing with a force that was bewildering, and volleying with an accuracy that proved him complete master of the game, F. JE. Kalms played the best tennis Auckland has seen for many seasons in the principal singles contest match against the Auckland champion, L. L. Bartleet. Bartleet used every piqee of strategy lie knew, but was fighting au uphill battle against a player who was his master from the beginning. If he ran in after his service Kalms passed him down either side with sweeping drives. If he stayed on the backline the Australian either outdrove him or dashed in to smash or volley the return. His service, too, was stronger, and in one game he aced Bartleet no fewer than three times. Using the same attack that he employed to beat Bartlect, Sproule took Sturt's service in the opening game of their singles, but the young Aucklander settled clown quickly and launched a strong attack with sweeping drives. Sproule sacrificed speed and relied upon accuracy and a chop to score. The Aucklander was by far the more attractive, and delighted the galleries with hia clever volleying on the few occasions when he left the baseline, and . with well-placed and flashing cross-court drives. It was in the third set that Sproulc's craftsmanship showed itself. With well-placed strokes, forehand and backhand, he kept Sturt running and forced him into errors. He himself varied his attack more than he had been doing, and scored frequently with well-placed volleys to all places. A quiet opening with both players making frequent mistakes characterised the first set between Dr. Laurenson and W. ■Teague. It was not brilliant tennis, the Australian being too reckless in driving. Laurenson found league's shots to the backhand very troublesome, but he stood up to these net-skimming balls confidently. In the match between C. J. Donohoe and C. Stedman the Aueklandor was playing confidently, and frequently beat1 his opponent in the corners, but Donohoe continually got him out of position with strong backhand strokes. , Playing with dash and verve the pair provided a great exhibition, each producing a variety of strokes which is to be seeu only in ten-, nis of the best standard. Sparkling volleys which flashed from side to side of the court and across the net so swiftly that at times it was difficult to follow the ball provided delightful tennis in the doubles match between Kalms aud Teague and Bartleet and Laurenson. • The four men played lively tennis. Laurenson shining with flashing backhand drives, Bartleet ■with ' passing shots on either side, and Teague with clever chopped volleys. Kalms again showed himself to be a brilliant exponent of the game, aud 'scored freely with sweeping drives and terrific smashes delivpred with a Bin-prising lack of effort. Brilliant volleying played from all angles was the outstanding feature of a great losing match played by Stedman and Sturt against the consistent Australian pair, Douohoe and Sproule. Although Sturt was more than ordinarily brilliant in flashes, Stedman excelled himself, doiug most of the work for Auckland and compensating for every error by at least two winning strokes. Donohoe was the more prominent of the Australians, although his partner was clean and decisive with the majority of his shots. Sproule's backhand work was especially pretty.