LAWN TENNIS

Evening Star, Issue 19781, 3 February 1928, Page 12

LAWN TENNIS

[By Recorder.]

No honors list is given this week, as most of the matches were unfinished last Saturday. The following players, however, did well;—Simpson (Opoho), Miss Vallis (Triangle), Miss Colbert (Valley), M'Laren (Oaversham), Quaile, Stodman, and Mrs Murray (St. Andrew’s), Balk (Cosy Dell), Miss McCarthy (St. Kilda). Anderson’s Bay, who have a good record so far this season, will have to work hard to avoid defeat at the hands of St. Andrew’s, which leads, 6 sets to 4, in an unfinished match. Mrs Murray played a sound game against Miss Grove, who is always difficult to heat, the former player winning 6-3. Miss Read (Bay), who rarely loses a single in grade matches, also wont down to Miss Mitchell, while the St. Andrew s pair are leading 3-0 against these two players in the doubles. G. Pearce and Grimsdale provided an attractive first single, both players hitting hard and smashing well. Some coaching in the art of picking which ball to hit would improve their game. Nevrilieless they gave an excellent performance, and both should be knocking at the A grade door next season. Cosy Dell proved altogether too strong for Green Island, the former club winning by 12 sets to love. Misses Smellio and Harraway provided a hard-fought single, the former just getting home by the odd game. _ Kirkland played well lor the losers in the men’s matches.

Valley 11. are assured of a win against St. Kilda 11., having enough sets in hand without playing the mixed doubles, McCarthy displayed good form for the winners, being successful in two hard-fought games, while Miss McCarthy in two of the three sots won by St. Kilda. Dr Bridgman, an ex-Cosy Dell player, represented South Canterbury against North Otago a week or two ago, winning two of his three games. Dr Fea, better known as an Otago and New Zealand football representative, played sixth for the Timaru side. South Canterbury won by 14 sets to 10, though the Oamaru men annexed eight of the nine events.

1. Seay, of Christchurch, made a hold bid to annex the Wellington championship singles, scoring nearly 100 games, with the loss of but twelve, on his way to the final. He put up his best performance to date by defeating A. L. Franco in the semi-final in straight sets, but D. G. Franco proved too good for him in the final, winning 6-2, 6-4, S-G.

Miss East annexed the ladies’ singles, in the absence of Mrs Adams and Miss Tracy, and reached the semi-final of the mixed doubles with R. H. Donovan.

I). G. Franco had a triple win, wining the singles, the doubles with Donovan, and the mixed doubles with Miss Travers. His return to form improves Wellington’s chances in the Wilding Shield match with Canterbury next month.

Malfroy is suffering from tennis elbow, and has been advised to take a good spell from the game. If ho is not available Wellington's chances of retaining the shield are not bright. Tho Canterbury team will probably bo Olliver, Seay, Angus, and Walker, though Glauville or Patterson may yet find a place. Angus plays Seay for first position on the ranking list this week. Miss Myers, of Wanganui, is a young player who has been displaying good form recently. She and Miss East were unlucky in not defeating Misses Knight and Macfarlane at Christchurch in the Now Zealand championships. Since then she has competed at several North Island tournaments, her latest success being at Waipawa, where she and Steadman defeated Lowry and Mrs Adams in tho final of the mixed doubles. In the singles Miss Myers reached the final but went down to Mrs Adams 6-5, 6-4. An Australian ranking list recently published places the players in the following order:—l G. L. Patterson, 2 J. Crawford, 3 J. B, Hawkes, 4 F. Kalms, o Schlosinger, 6 P. O’Hara Wood, 7 R. Cummings, 8 6. Moon, 9 A. Hopman, 10 E. T. Rowe. One is surprised that Hopman is not higher up, in view of his brilliant play in recent Davis Cup trials. Of course, he was selected for the Davis Cup team mainly on his doubles play, and would not play any singles. Ho is mentioned as a likely partner for Patterson in the doubles in cup matches, hut if Hawkes is taken the Pattcrson-Hawkes combination will probably once again bo found doing battle for Australia. The selectors wisely are not thinking of suggesting that Crawford should play in the doubles. He is a fine doubles player, probably superior to Hopman, but he is not yet twenty years of age, and two singles will be quite enough for him in cup matches. Bartlect. of Auckland, played tho game of his life against Borotra at Wellington last month. His driving was accurate and severe, and his service constantly had the Frenchman on the defensive. At tho commencement of the match Borotra indulged in his usual net rushing tactics on his service, but found it did not pay, tho New Zealander repeatedly passing him. Even when he reached the ball ho could do very little, Bartleet many times hitting weak volleys for clean winners. The Frenchman was certainly off his game, netting comparatively easy volleys, but the* Aucklander thoroughly deserved the ovation he received for his wonderful display against his formidable opponent. The Frenchman stated after the match that Bartleet was well up to Davis Cup standard. While the French pair were changing round in their match against Knott and Sturt, Bartlect came on to the court to say good-bye to the visitors, as he had to catch the train for Auckland. “Au revoir, 1 * said Borotra, “and we hope to see you in France next year.” May his words be prophetic. The Canterbury championships, concluded _ last week, saw C. Angas, the promising Christchurch colt, reach the final in all three events. In the singles he defeated Loughnan and Glauville on his way to the final, the latter taking a set from him. In the final Seay played beautiful tennis to defeat the colt 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Starting off with severe driving, Seay pinned his opponent on the base line, and ran to a

5- lead, Angas realised that his opponent was nis superior in backline duels, and commenced running in on his service, and the tactics gave him a sequence of three games before Seay scored again, to take the first set 6-3. Continuing his bustling tactics, Angas volleyed brilliantly to run to 4-0 in tho second set, Seay hitting hard, but being unable to pass his agile opponent. Slowing his game down, Seay began giving his opponent high bounding balls on the backhand, enabling him to reach 3-4, but Angas took two long deuce games for the set. In the final set Angas could not keep up the pace, and in spite of brilliant strokes at times, the sustained effort of the second set was lacking, and Seay x - an out 6-3, alter leading 6-1. Angas is only a little over twenty, and his time must come, but Seay was his master on this occasion. Walker and Angas took tho men’s doubles, defeating Goss and Greenwood, 7-5, 6-4 in the semi-final, and Loughnan and 6-4, 6-4, in the final. Fulton and Wilkinson went out to Goss and Greenwood, 6-4, 1-6, 6- in the second round. The mixed doubles were won by Patterson and Miss Speirs, who defeated Angas and Miss Partridge, 7-5, G-2, after Angas had led 5-1 in the first set. Partnering a hitherto unknown player in Miss Jellett, of Christchurch, Fulton did well to get through three rounds of the mixed doubles championship, to the semi-final. There they met the holders, Patterson and Misis Speirs, and at one stage had a chance of winning, leading 2-1 in the final set, the score being set all. The Christchurch pair eventually won 6-4. 1- 6-3. , . , A. Borrows, who won the singles championship of Otago away back in the ’nineties, is still an active Canterbury player. Partnering Miss Speirs he has woti. the mixed doubles championship at the United Club, in Christchurch, for the last five years, in spito of opposition from Canterbury» strongest players. He and his partner are well on their way to winning the title for the sixth time this seasonBy annexing the ladies’ singles at the Canterbury championships last week Mjss Speirs scored her sixth successive win in this event. She defeated Mrs Beale (Miss Muirson) in the fim’.f 6-2, 6-0, after her opponent had ' 2- in the first set.