AMERICAN STARS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 32, 8 February 1933, Page 9

AMERICAN STARS

FIRST TENNIS TEST

CHAMPIONS IN ACTION

PLAY AT MIRAMAE

The first tennis Test between New Zealand and what is virtually a United States Davis Cup team was played at Miramar Grounds this afternoon..

The courts, which had suffered from practically no rain overnight, were ia excellent* order considering the bad weather of the past week. The teams were:— New Zealand: E. D. Andrews, C. E. Malfroy, D. G. Prance. C Angas. TJ.S.A.: H. E. Vines, Wilmer L. Allison, J. van Eyn, K. Gledhill. ANGAS v. GLEDHH.I.. After, an unpromising beginning the day brightened after noon, and when Gledhill, the eighth player on the United States ranking list, took the court against C. Angas, last season's New Zealand singles champion, the weather was fine with' a cold, Jight southerly wind, and the sun breaking through the clouds. Angas was wearing spikes, but Gledhill appeared in ordinaiy shoes. Angas opened service down the wind- and stroked carefully in the first few tenseexchanges, but* dropped the game through errors at the net. ' Gledhill soon, revealed his forcible forehand, and Angas had no chanco in that first game, but in the second he gathered confidence whenhe realised that Gledhill was playing his backhand very quietly, and took the. game for the loss of a single point, volleying very accurately and not being bothered by the slow court. Angas led 30-0 in the third game and reached 40-15 with a most remarkable recovery,, winning the game on the American's errors. He had Gledhill down 0-30 on Berviee in the fourth game, but the visitor was now forcing the pace, taking the ,net all the time, and ran to- 40-30. Angas caused Gledhill to' squeal by playing two fine passing shots, but the American won the game and' equalised tho score at 2-all. -' Gledhill had a chance of-a service break in the next game, but a grand passing shot by Angas when hopelessly on the defensive, and a patch of errors by the American, cost him the opportunity, and the score was 8-2 in Angas's favour. Both players were still playing as if not very sure of their strokes, but with flashes of hard hitting. - . . . The next two games followed service, neither, man being much, troubled to hold his delivery, but Gledhill, who was netting a great deal, was down 15-40 in the oighth game, and Angas just .missed a fine backhand winner for the game. Gledhill reached vantagein, but groaned as he made a bad misshit. • However, Angas began overhitting the base line and the American reached 4-all. "When Angas was 30-15 in the next game Gledhill r changed his racquet, but it did not help him overmuch, for Angas won the game in tho next three points. , Gledhill'a net advance behind his heavily spun service ball was now deadly to Angas, and he evened the game score .with the utmost- ease, Angas being unable to do anything with that service . ball. The visitor was nevertheless not equal to threatening Angas's service—the dead court was working in favour of both in turn. The American was down 5-4 and taking the .net, but Angas was very; alert and kept his' opponent, guessing. The New Zealander raised set point iwith ? a 'heat volley past- his." adversary, arid took the set 7-5, when Glqdhill doublofaulted. '■'.'':' ■ THE SECOND SET. In the se'coiuL set Angas began badly, and by a series of "outs" gave his opponent the game. Tho American now was serving very strongly, and he moved ahead 2-0. Angas was still hitting too deep, and he lost his next serviee> in which he -won only one point. Errors were very quick in coming these three games. In the next game,' however, Angas was fighting hard again, and he took Gledhill's service by 'dint of <a whole series of difficult .".gets," which, nonplussed, the American, and then" won service to be- 2-3. The contrast between the alert Angas and the .languid Gledhill was marked, and Angas's businosslikc attack.had the visitor down 0-40, Angas equalising the score .at ,3-all with a nice volley.- - The seventh game Angas won without much difficulty, and led 4-3, having made an excellent recovery. Gledhill was now being.trapped at; the net, and was o^3o in. the vital eighth game. The American how volleyed his way to three points with deadly-accuracy and/ finished off' the game with a well-timed smash. Angas also began Tushing the net, however, .and he was never in danger. He was now leading 5-4, and the server's battle of the first set was repeating itself. Gledhill punched his way to 5-all by quick, efficient hitting and net errors. Errors of tactics rather than of strokes meant that Angas was down 15-40 in. the next game. He double-faulted to give Gledhill the game. The American had to hold service for set, but he was listless, and at'3o-all was passed by,Angas at the net. The American, now flashed to life, angled a pretty volley for a winner, watched Angas hit the ball over tho baseline for set point, and then caught the New Zealander with a fast service to take, the second set 7-5. GLEDHTLL WINS. Angas was definitely on top when the third set opened. He won service, took his adversary's first service game, and maintained a tight grip on the match to run ahead 3-0. He was everywhere, sending deep volleys past Gledhill and catching the visitor with fierce forehand drives. When the American trailed 0-30 in the fourth game he suddenly showed one of his bursts of energy and won the next three points, but the New Zealander's keen concentration saved the game several times, and once took him to within a point of a 4-0 lead. ; Three times he passed Gledhill at the net before the American' won the game. Angas was now very confident, and perhaps underrated the state of .Gledhill's game. In any case, the New Zealander lost service in the fifth game after being 30-0. Gledhill, now very much alert, won the next' game on service to even the score at 3-all, and standing in to Angas's service had the Canterbury man in trouble with the quickness of his returns, but Angas won his service by dint of sound volleying, and led 4-3. Gledhill, thrice beaten by Angas at tho net, was behind 15-40 on. his next dolivery, but was given a "life" when Angas netted a winner. The next time Angas raiaed game-point he made no mistake and Gledhill was down 3-5. Tho visitor was dangerous now, but after having Angas 0-40 on service let him escape, and the ex-New Zealand champion was twice two points off match. Angas survived one gamt-point but not another, and a subtle change of pace by Gledhill gave him the game, while his strong service down the wind equalised tho game scoto at 5-all. A beautiful lob volley and an angled volley gave Angas a winning lead in tlie next game, when he then took on Glcdhill's nets. Gledhill retaliated by a love game on service. Angas then was 0-30 on delivery, and at onco the American forced the pace, took the next point with a swift volley, missed two winners, and then took tho game when .f^Bgaa ESS not skilful pnongh, jpith §

drop shot. Gledhill was 30-15 on service, but he sent two smashes' sailing over the base-line and had to save the game with a wonderful volley, in making which he turned his back to the net. He brought up match-point with a beautiful volley and then placed another right out of Angas's reach to take the set, 8-6, and the match. 5-7 7-5, 8-6. '

RESULTS,

(I^.™^ 0 bCat^ A^

FRANCE AND VAN RYN.

By the time D. G. Trance took- the court against J. van Eyn the afternoon was brilliantly sunny and'the court much drier. Franco began service down tho wind, but was slow in settling down and served three "doubles" in the opening game, when he lost to love. The American,, revealing a curiously laboured style for such a fine player, took the next game on France's errors. The New Zealander was now finding his feet and had game-point on his next service, but double-faulted. He was launching his favourite net attack, and by a succession of fine' shots he made-van Eyn work haTd in tho fourth game, eventually winning it on the American's "outs." The fifth game was full of hurricane hitting, both players' going for their shots, but the visitor was the more accurate and caught his opponent with heavily-spun shots and swift, low backhand drives. The American tobk this game and the next and led 5-1. His severity, rapidity of Teturn, and , clever use of a deadly chop were forcing France into a whole series of errors. France won the seventh game on service, but there was never any doubt about the set, van Eyn. leading 30-0 on service and taking the set.after 30-all. With a brilliant exposition' of net play, Prance won the second set, 6-3.