PLAINS TENNIS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5101, 16 March 1927, Page 4

PLAINS TENNIS.

CHAMPIONSHIPS AND HANDICAPS.

CONTINUATION OF TOURNAMENT.

The Hauraki Plains Tennis Association’s championship and handicap tournaments were continued at the Ngatea Club’s courts on Saturday last, but only two of the eight competitions were concluded. The was on account of the same players getting intp the latter matches of several competitions, and to a lesser extent to the lateness in the time o’f commencing play. The weather was ideal and the heavy rain on Thursday night had greatly improved the courts. A further improvement in the standard o>f tennis was witnessed, .and many of the games were very exciting.

The men’s championship doubles semi-final between Griffiths and Molesworth and Coppins and Coppins was one of the best games yet seen on the Plains. Griffiths had forfeited his championship singles to reserve himself for the doubles, but it is a moot point whether his was not, the weakest corner in the contest. The Coppins Brothers were in top form, and the play was closer than the final scores indicate.

Griffiths and Molesworth won 4—6, 6—3, 6—4, but were later defeated 70—68 by’L. Cotter and McKay, of Ngatea, in a handicap match. This surprising result may have been due to Griffiths and Molesworth being tired, but was mere likely due to a shortening of the game, as mutually agreed upon, affecting the handicaps. Tlie Waitakaruru players were handicapped 25 behind and the Ngatea pair 5 behind, but to shorten the game they agreed to play from scratch and 20 on respectively. The final of the ladies’ championship singles was a fang, monotonous game of back-line drives, many of tnc rallies going to over twenty strokes and many of the games to several deuces. THE CHAMPIONSHIPS. Semi-Finals. Ladies’ Singles.—Miss Duffy (Patetonga) beat Mrs Bird (Kaihere) 6—2, 2—6, 6—3 ; Mrs F. Clotworthy (Turua) beat Miss M. Beaver (Waitakururu), 6—o, 6—2. Ladies’ Doubles. —Mrs Hudson and Mrs O’Loughlin (Kcrepeehi) beat Mrs Bird and Miss French (Kaihere) 6 —2, 6—2. Yet to play: Miss Duffy and Miss Benny v. Mrs F. and Miss E. Clotworthy and the final. Men’s Singles,.—s. Coppins (Waitakururu) won by default from G. L. Griffiths (.Waitakaruru) ; W. Murphy (Hopai) beat D. G. McMillan (Turua) 6—3, B—6. Men’s Doubles. —Griffiths and-Moles-wcirth (Waitakaruru) won by default from O’Connor Bros. (Patetonga) ; Coppins Bros. (Waitakaruru) beat, Robinson and McMillan (T'urua) 6—2, 6—2. Finals. Ladies’ Singles.—Miss Duffy (Patetonga) beat Mrs F. Clotworthy (Turua) 5—7. 6—l, 7—5. Ladies’ Doubles. —Yet to be played as before mentioned. Men’s Singles.—S. Coppins (Waitakaruru to play W. Murphy (Hopai). Men’s Doubles. —Griffiths and Molesworth (Waitakaruru) beat Coppins Bros. (Waitakaruru), 41—6, 6—3, 6 —4. THEI HANDICAPS. Ladies’ Singles.—Semi-Finals : Mrs F, Clotworthy (owe 10) beat. Miss Rogers (10) 50 —40 ; Miss Benny (owe 2) beat Miss Hayward (6), 50—38. Ladies’ Doubles —Semi- Finals : Mrs O’Carroll and Miss Green (owe 3) beat Misses Rogers and Frecklington (scr) 50 1 —45 ; Misses Duffy and Benny (°we 15), yet to play Mrs F. and Miss ; EClotworthy (owe 12). Men’s Singles—Fifth Round: S. Coppins (owe S’) beat E. Pulman (12) 70—46 ; W. Murphy (owe 10) beat A. Otter, "(owe 2) 70—56 ; A. R. Vo'wles (owe 2) beat V. Clay (scr) 70—64'; S. Coppins (owe 6) beat R. D. Macklow (5) 71—69. Men’s Doubles —Third Round: B. McMillan and Candy (2) beat Otter and McClean (scr) 70—63 ; Cot/er and McKay (20) beat Griffiths and Molesworth (scr) 70—67 ; Stott and Osborne (2) beat Pike and Plummer (owe 6) 70 —57 ; Coppins Bros, (owe 15) beat Hudson and lO’Loughlin (5) 70—57.