WELLINGTON TOURNEY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 2, 4 January 1932, Page 13

WELLINGTON TOURNEY

NEW TENN*S CHAMPIONS

Halted by ram on New Yeai's Day, the Wellington latvn tcinis championships failed to leach finality at Miiamur Ground's on Saltuday, and some events-will be concluded later. Three first gidde championships weie«.finalised, howevei, N R. C. Wilson proving the new piovmcial Singles champion, Miss D. Nicholls taking the nomen's singles, and Misses D. Nicholls and D, Howe thp women's doubles. ' Wilson established 'lumselt as Welling ton's Numbei. One by his definite win pvei D 'G. France. In the morning Wilson had failed to pel form convincingly agambt A. L. Fiance, and despite a straight bets victoiy looked as it his play weie the lesult of a sustained eftoit which might collapse at any moment, led\mg France the field The afternoon witness ed a different Wilson, vvhobe stroking -was caielully made, "whose ground bhotb car ned less- sting but moie placement, and ■whose seiving And. \ollevmg weie aggiebsive and well contioiled. It was a dis dpnointmg final'totally devoid of the file w»ikb which the players have provided in the past, and resembling caieful sparring foi an opening, and caieful taking of chances rather than an effort to meet brilliance1 with brilliance. Wilson seldom hit out in the graceful and easy style which has usually marked his game, but his aveiage of accuracy was much higher and'his ground shots lower and longer in Sight. His net advance was usually on an impeccable stroke, and his volleying, while less severe than usual, was well directed and marred by few misses of easy kills. CONTROL DIFFICULT. France-was strangely subdued, and his Same .was destitute of power. Throughout the match he seemed striving for place ment rather than pace, and his driving, while mechanically perfect, was without the vim'that'used to mark it. At the net he made whole/crops of errors, and he became reluctant to go in save on a supeilative shot. The wind, which rose dm ing the game, made control difficult, and the play of both men was as good as could be expected when the ball was arnV-ing with a swerving break that made many shots' speculative. Though Wilson was badly downed'in the second set, which he made no eftoit to retrieve after France mounted into a winning lead, his tossing away of this set was the lesult of confidence m hjs ability to prove the ultimate winner, and that confidence was thtnoughly justified In the next two sets he lost only thiee games. The women's singles witnessed a dogged duel between Sliss D. Nicholls and Mrs. D. G. Fiance, who gieatly enhanced her reputation by her steady performance 1n the tournament. The first set went to Miss Nicholls rather easily, though each point was hard fought, and she was sub jected to a thoiough,,test by the steadiness and careful placing of her opponent. In the second set, however, Mis France, who had settled down against her adversaiy's hard hitting, ran into a vwn ning lead of 5-2 and 30-.o,;and one held set point. She lost it there and failed to meet a long and sluidy attack, which en abled. iUiss Nicholls to take the scene to 5 all,' but winning {he next game Mrs^ France_ clinched her hold on the set after a patient and courageous effort which ■brotfght her.two moreVset-points, the ffecond rof-which saw Miss Nicholls net a backhand drive - The" Interval brought a different Miss Nicholls to the court, and she treated all her opponents shots with scant courtesy, winning 6 0 after laining fast drives, chops, and volleys on hei rival's court. LONG MATCHES. In the doubles final,. Miss Nicholls, with Miss JD. Ilowe, je\ealed Rieatei 6teadiJie&s. and iierflihtence tbau_Mis. Campbell and Miss M. Macapscy1, who found their opponents superior in strokes and tactics. Mrs Campbell did not seem up to her usual iorm, and Miss Macabsey tell into errors against the hard hitting which she had to counter. The men's doubles semifinals pioduced two long struggles, H. N. Burns and C. Watt, who recently won the South Wailaiapa championship, pushing the France brothers hard, and at one stage looking as if they might prove easy wiancis. Watt began brilliantly, and in his serving, dnving, and volleying was better than any of the others Burns was a trifle weak at the.net, but played steadily, and tho two teamed much better than the Francos, and found many holes in their opponents' couit. The first set over, however, bothJEiances tightened up their game, D G. France intercepting more shots, and A-'li^ France playing more vigorously, and the" hotter .attack found v palenesses m the other teamy which "did not thieaten danger* agam.-ij*'- * i In" the other semi-final Wilson and, Sandral found themselves pushed by E A. Roussell and R. McL. Ferkins. After the early exchanges the loseis resorted to a cleverly mixed game, and by lobbing threatened disaster to their rivals. When Wilson and Sandral were leading 43, in the fust set, their opponents helj four game points, and but for lapses into wild hitting or weak lobbing at those; moments might have taken the set, for Roussell's seivice followed, and he won it easily. The lobbing tactics showed many weaknesses m the opposition, and Wilson, who had had a somewhat strenuous day, was feeling the strain, 'but he managed to clinch the first set, which was just as well, foi the younger pair took the second with no great effort. The thud set, though, saw the collapse of the RoussellFerkms offensive, neither player showing the control usual'in his shots. In the men's doubles final Wilson and Sandial will meet the France brothers at a later date, v while Wilson and Miss S Todd^will play A. L. France and Miss I) Nicholls ml the mixed doubles final. j Results weie:— i > ■ * i * ' ' FIRST GRADE. Men's Singles. Final.—N. R. C. Wilson beat D ' G Fiance, 6-3, 1-6, 6-1, 6-2. Women's Singles: Final.—Miss D. Nicholls beat Mrs. B G* liance, 63, 68, 6 0 . _ Men's Doubles. 1 Semi-finals —France and Fiance beat Bums and Watt, 46, G2, 62, Wilson and Sandial beat Roussell an? Ferkms, 6 4 30, 6-1. Women's Doubles. Misses D. Nichblls and D. .Howe beat Mrs. Campbell and Miss M. Macassey, 6-2, 64. . . . , Mixed Doubles. Second, round. —E. A..Roussell and Miss D. Howe beat H N. Burns and Miss M. Whyte, 6-3, 6-2; D. G. France and Mrs. Fiance beat C. Plank and Miss McGill, 6-0, '6-1. Scmi-fmals.—N. R. C. Wilson and Miss S. Todd beat Koussell and' Miss -Howe, 64, (5 4; A. L. Fiance 'and \M.iss D. Nicholls beat D. G. Fiance and Mrs. Fiance, 6-3, 6 4. SECOND GRADE. ' Men's Singles. < Third round.—N. Davys beat C. Watt, (i-4, 6-1. Semi-finals.—Davys beat Pollock, C-2, 0-1; Tilbuiy beat Caistcns, 6-3, 6-4. Final. —Davjb boat Tilbuiy, G-l, 8-1. Men's Doubles. Semi-finals.—E. Reeves and C. Evans-. Scott beat Sandlant and Tilbury, 3-6, 6-4, 8G - • I mil —Alines aud Manoy beat Iteexos and Evans Scott, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. Women's Doubles. I Semi finals—Miss.es Dyer ami, Dyer beat Misses Wheeler and Clayton, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2; Misses Line and Whisker beat Misses Dyer and Dyer, 6-3, 6-2. Tipal —Mis6eb Line and Whisker beat Misses Dy?i and Dyer, 6-3, 6-2; Mixed Doubles. i Second lound —Tilbury and Miss* V. Dyer belt J Neale and Miss Whisker, G-4, t) 4", Bvng amhMrs. Latta beat Lander anil AJi-- Wilson, 63 63, L. Pollock and Mies, Line beat Armes and Miss Small, 6-3, 3 6, 61 , " THIRD GRADE. Men's Doubles. Semi-finals.—Smith and Hiill-Brown beat Button and Brierly, 6-2, 6-2. Final.—Moffatt and Osborne beat 'Smith md Hull Brown, 6-3, 6-3. Mixed Doubles. L-Seim finals —W Wcaime and Miss- W } Hiei belt I Ifinison and Miss .} Dunnett, 63, 62, G M. Scott nna'-itrs.q

Malhicson beat Stirling and Mrs. Stirling, 6-2, 6-5. I'inal—Scott and Ills Mathiesou beat Wearne and Miss FisheW 6-2; 6-0.