N.Z. TENNIS TITLES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 3, 5 January 1939, Page 11

N.Z. TENNIS TITLES

DYER AND MISS BURNS

SUCCEED

THE SEMI-FINAL STAGES

(Special to the -Evening Post.">

(By "Rally.")

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day.

Semi-final stages in all events were reached at the end of yesterday's play

in the New Zealand tennis champion-

ships. Wellington representatives in

the round of four in the various events are N. V. Edwards in the singles, E. A. Roussell and K. M. Perkins in the

men's doubles, K. W. Dyer and Miss Jessie Burns in the mixed doubles, and FerMns (with Miss Dora Miller) in the mixed. N. F.N. Bedford is in the men's doubles.

J. T. Mayson and H. A. Bamett, of Auckland an,d Canterbury, played through to the semi-final of the singles with three- and five-set victories respectively over R. G. Pattinson and J. W. Gunn. Mayson played his most accurate tennis of the tournament to defeat the surprisingly-easy challenge of Pattinson, who not only lacked the form of other days, but was prevented from developing it by the long driving and snappy volleying of the Aucklander.

Gunn had opportunities to prevent Barnett from developing form, too; in the first set, he advanced to the net behind deep drives and cut off Barnett's recoveries for dean placements. But bis defeat was presaged in the second set Instead of vigorously smashing Barnett's recoveries, as he had done in the first set, he used his fine overhead merely to put the ball into play. Once or twice he angled his smash, for winners. By the time Barnett had tossed twenty or thirty times, Gunn, In tbe heat, of another beautiful day, was just about ready to drop his net attack altogether. He kept: going spasmodically and fought the match to five sets by spirited resistance rather than by dominating tactics. Barnett became more and more accurate and he ran miles to make some of. the recoveries for which he is famed.

Barnett's victory was a tribute to the quality of his courage. As a backcountry school teacher,, he had had few opportunities for playing any sort of tennis before competing in the Canterbury championship last week. As always, however, he has been remarkably active and fit during the tournament; some of his recoveries against Gtrnn were astounding.

Mayson impresses as one of the singles players of the tournament not only because of his victories, but also because of his competency in all-round features of the game. Against E. A. Roussell a couple of days ago, he really won the match in the fifth set by taking the ball on the rise and hitting with more pace. ?? .'

Yesterday he reduced the Pattinson game as he wanted by attacking strongly from the beginning of the i-match. Towards -the end, and particularly in •theiMfd set, he iia& Pattinson leaking weak half-court recoveries; simply because of the power and variation of his driving. Pattinson's attempts to answer speed with speed and length with lengtk were not successful. There was never doubt that Mayson was his master. . .■ •.'■",... ■-?••.■.■'.- ', j STRIKING SUCCESS. Most of the championship matches of the day were mixed doubles, and striking success was achieved by Dyer and Miss Barns in advancing to the semi-final. After their defeat the previous day of Mayson and Miss T. Poole, they found less difficulty with C. Robertson and Miss R. Wilson yesterday. IPne Bobertsori-Miss Wilson combination is good, for Miss Wilson is undoubtedly one of the most promising younger women in the country, but Dyer's consistent ability to clout his volleys and Miss Burns's solid support were factors of great importance in their success. Dyer has probably never played tennis to equal his showings at this tournament \ v R. WBebb and Miss Joyce Douthett, the Wellington champions, were not playing with their skill of past days in their straight sets defeat by Brown and Miss Pam Cooke. For one thing, their lobbing was not, as accurate and they found it difficult, because of that failure, to icommand the net as they prefer to do. They had good chances of the second set for they led 5-3, but mistakes a»,d some inconsistency in returning service took their toll. Brown bashed everything he could get his racket to. It was Miss Cooke's steady driving and good volleying which really settled the match. W. V. Edwards and Mrs. Edwards were no snatch for Ferkins and Miss Miller, winning only four games. Miss Miller's. recoveries and Fefkins's able volleying were pronounced features of their success.

Ferkins and Miss Miller scored a notable victory in iheir march to the semi-final by defeating R. Sharpe and Misp Glenny. Sharpe's powerful smash* ing carried the battle to three sets. In the second he clouted some terrific shots, but in the final set, Ferkins's smashing and nicely-judged intercep-tions-were most prominent. He scored beautifully from smashes off the welljudged lobs of Sharpe and Miss Glenny. OUTSTANDING DOUBLES , MATCH.

N. G. Sturt and Miss May Hardcastle played one of the most exciting matches of the day, even if they won in straight sets, against Miss Elizabeth Plumnier, of Wellington, and Bedford. They won the first set B*6 after a tremendous struggle, Bedford dropping his service in the last game for the set. In the next, Sturt and Miss Hardcastle led 5-0. As they crossed, Bedford remarked chattily, "Bet you don't will fay e-love." His prophecy was accurate. It was all Sturt and Miss Hardcastle could do to struggle home at 7-5 after half a dozen match points at various stages of the games.' Sturt..lost his service when leading 5-4 and the two were plainly worried. Bedford played excellently, though he had a lapse of several games after some bad decisions affecting each side. His smashing was splendid. Miss Plummer was steady, though she was sometimes caught on the wrong foot.

Another bad decision affected the game between Bedford and Miss Plummer and C. F. Penfold and Miss Thelma Rice. It came at a late stage of the third set, when a fast service by Bedford was given correct, though it clearly pitched on the wrong side of the line. Bedford in that game, however, played some o£ his finest tennis of the tournament by showing most of the capabilities of his natural game.

Towards the end of the day, C. Angas and Miss Irene Poole gained a decisive victory over Browtt and Miss Cooke. Brown played badly, bashing the ball, intercepting ill-advisedly, and taking up peculiar positions just short of the service line. He seems to be trying to work off his bad patch of form by free hitting. So far he has not been successful. -

The Angas-Miss Poole team was im-

pressive, for Miss Poole tossed well, and Angas, even though he tried to cover about three-quarters of the court, volleyed brilliantly at times. To a certain 'extent, Angas is still about the finest player of the tournament; his stroking suggests greater competence, even if some of it is not always realised, than the stroking of the better " present-day youngsters. UMPIRING A MAJOR TOP.IC. The umpiring is still a major topic of conversation among the players. The allegedly temperamental Gunn contained himself admirably in the match with Bamett when the umpire called good a ball which lobbed 4in out on his (the umpire's) side line. In the match between Sturt and Miss Hardcastle and Bedford and Miss Plummer, Sturt and Bedford were close to the net and to each ofher when Stuart hit a ball off the wood which cleared the net by about : two feet. He was going across to cover . the alley against Bedford's answering volley when the umpire called "Not over." I In the circumstances, Bedford's com- I ment to Sturt had wit. "That's all right," he said. "I had it covered." Results of the • games were:— / MEN'S SINGLES, Quarter-finals.—J..' T. Mayson (Auckland) beat R. G. Pattinson (Canterbury), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2; H. A. Bamett (Canterbury) beat J. W. Gunn (Auckland), 2-6, 6-3, 6-5, 5-7, 6-2. MIXED DOUBLES. 55 Third Round.—C. Angas and Miss I. Poole (Canterbury) beat Livingstone and Miss N. Bererley (Waifcato), 6-3, 6-2; A. D. Brown (Canterbury) and Miss P. Cooke (Auckland) beat R V. Robb and Miss J. Douthett (Wellington), G-2, 8-6; R. McL. Ferkins (Wellington) and 3fiss D. Miller (North Otago) beat N. V. Edwards and Mrs. Edwards (Wellington), 6-2, 6-2; Sharpe and MissGlenny (Hawke's Bay) beat Pattinson and Miss M. Wake (Canterbury), 6-3, 6-4; N. F. Bedford (Auckland) and Miss Plummer (Wellington) beat Penfold and Miss Rice, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5; N. G. Sturt (Auckland) and Miss Hardcastle (Australia) beat N. A. Morrison (Canterbury) and Miss Bedford (Wellington^,, 6-3, 6-2. Qwarte»-nnals. —K. W. Dyefc and Miss J. Burns (Wellington) beat Robertson (Otago) and Miss. Wilson (Southland). 6-3, 6-1; Angas and Miss I. Poole beat Brown and Miss Cooke. 8-6, 6-3; R. McL. Ferldns and Miss Miller beat Sharpe and Miss Glenny, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5; Sturt and Miss Hardeastle beat Bedford and Miss Plummer, 9-7, 7-5. MEATS PLATE. Second Round.—Corich beat P. McGregor. 8-6, 0-6, 6-3. Quarter-finals.—J. Roach beat Robertson, 6-1, S-6; Corich beat Morrison, 6-2, 5-7, 7-5. WOMEN'S PLATE. Quarter-finals.—Miss P. B. Cooke beat Miss -M. J. Glenny, 6-1, 6-4; Mrs. C. B. Beatson beat Miss J. Senior, 7-5,. 6-1; MissVJ. Douthett beat Miss C. Chester, 6-0, 6-1; Miss N. Beverley beat Misa J. Bedford, 6-1, 6-2.