Lawn Tennis ENGLAND'S SUCCESS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 103, 28 October 1933, Page 24

Lawn Tennis

ENGLAND'S SUCCESS

By "Drlvi." '

TEST AT CHRISTCHURCH

PERRY IS BRILLIANT

Some good play was -witnessed in Christchurch this week when the visiting English players defeated a New Zealand team in a Test' match by 4 matches to 1. Conditions were perfect when the match between F. J. Perry (England) and C. E; Malfroy (New Zealand) began, says the "Christchurch Times." From the start it could be seen that both were in excellent f ohn. Malfroy handled Perry's services with comparative ease, driving winners with perfect length to the back corners, and so claimed the first game. For a time play was ragged, but then the pair gave an exhibition of their quality. Good length, stiff wristed driving, angled so that both were continually on the run, anticipation on both sides that saved effort; angled and hard hit,volleys and smashes from the net that caught each in turn napping; hard services to the corners-—an ace to . Malfroy ("Nice shot," calls Perry), but Perry leads, 4-2. Malfroy claims a game off Perry's service, but mistakes in the next make the score 5-3, Perry leading. Perry serves with demon force to lead 40-love,,but mistakes gave him the game and set only after deuce has been called, 6-3. This is where the crowd sees exactly what Perry can do. They know what Malfroy can do, how completely a master of- the game he can appear in New Zealand company, but "Too good," he calls as he chases a hot chopped return that just clips the corner chalk. Perry leads 2--love, but Malfroy angles a game from him. Now three times in succession Perry uses that terrible chop hit in the backhand court. He takes it at the full length of the forehand, shoulder high and down the sideline it expresses, leaving Malroy standing. Perry nets several high and low volleys, and Malfroy fights hard to keep within points. But Perry has his measure. Malfroy has anticipation, but Perry proves it false in drive, smash, or volley with Malfroy's poor length giving him plenty of room for angling. > Perry's length is not too good at times, and then Malfroy shows him a new angle or two. Perry leads, 4-3, and 5-3. Malfroy has vantage in the next game, but nets, r and three deuces are called before Peiry has match-point—and Malfroy aces him on his third service (one of them.a "let"). Malfroy has the advantage again, but two mistakes give Perry the . match, 0-3, 6-3. FRANCE AND LEE. And "now, D. G. France, of Welling^ ton, faces H. G. N. Lee (England). Franco impresses from- the start with raking drives to the corners, and claims a game, but his net play is not consistent, and he nets more often than he wins a point. Leo whips a forehand drive across the court at times, but seems mainly *6n the defensive. France appears merely to amble round the courts, but he is thero always and loses points only on his own mistakes, mainly outs. His top-spin drivfts appears slow, but contrast to the, Englishman's flat, stinging shots, but occasionally he whips one across court. Games stand at 2-all, but from then on Lee takes the initiative more and loads 4-2. ITi-ance now employs a chop volley to advantage. Lee passes Mm beautifully at the net, and the score is 5-3, Lee leading; and the next game gives •him the set, 6-3. In the second set,- France finds a weakness in Lee's backhand corner and plugs at it. One game ofE Lee's service and now he uses his own with a heavy cut, follows it with a chopped backhand or a smash' from the net to exploit the same weakness, and though Lee brings off some beautiful crosscourt drives to deuce, France takes the game. Now, Lee tries his reserse American service and takes a game from a short return. But France is making few errors now, winning the net from both service and return and finding the open court. He leads 3-2. Lee runs round France's service to his backhand, and again France's game is called, 4-2. The excitement of the gallery grows. France seems to feel the quickening of feeling and cracks on the pace a bit more. His lung legs cover the court, and his racket is on everything. Ho employes a heavy chop to pull balls from the forehand corner. Lee, too, is' crowding things, and, tho crowd sees a delightful corner to corner .driving rally, though the length of neither is consistently good. Franco leads, 5-3. Again France takes command of Lee's service and the score is set all—France winning the second, LEE RECOVERS. Lee takes matters more into his own hands in the final set, forcing France to errors. Quickly he leads 2-0, and then with beautiful placements from the forehand, ,3-0, and 4-0. France is fighting hard, but is outing too often. Deuce is called several times. Lee keeps the supremacy to 5-0, when France, getting more control of his strokes, makes it 1-5.. However, Lee plays round him and, takes France's service to love, and the set and match, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. C. E. Malfroy and D. G. Franco were the New -Zealand pair to face F. J. Perry and H. G. N. Lee (England) in the last rubber of the Test. It was a grim 'struggle from the start, lacking the sparkle of the previous combination, but the New Zealanders were going hard for it and gradually they crept to a lead of four games to two. Malfroy aced the opposition several times and drew applause with perfect volleying and smashing. France, too, was doing his work well, though he lifted several low volleys into,the net. Several times they won needed points with soft lobs to the back line, which the Englishmen with their tightly strung rackets seemed unable to get back strongly. The. Englishmen fought back with vigour and evened at 4-all, but excellent work, particularly by France, broke through Lee's service in the next, and from Malfroy's cannonball delivery the set was New Zealand's, 6-4. ' NEW ZEALAND WINS. From the start of the second set it looked like New Zealand's matchFrance and Malfroy were combining excellently. Malfroy was right on form' with his service, which on the day looked even better than that of Perry, and France at the net was finding the gap time and time again. His placements were wonderful, particularly in his volleys from tho net. The pair were going hard for every point and led 3-1 from 1-all. Perry with one service ace and some beautiful stroking made it 2-3, and the belated call of a line umpire that a smash of Malfroy's was out evened at 3-all. Thrilling rallies at the net were a feature of the games that followed. Duel succeeded duel as often as the ball was served, and the pace was very hot. Franco was the hero of these excursions. He moved with remarkable rapidity, and it was his finding of tho gap that gave New Zealand the lead again at 5-4. Malfroy won applause with his retrieving activity, but largely it was wasted effort. France took tho •ervicc in the last game and a series of fine strokes won New Zealand their only match of the day, 6-4, 6-4.