Brilliant Tennis

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 257, 20 January 1928, Page 11

Brilliant Tennis

FRANCE WINS THE DOUBLES

A Grim Struggle

Aucklanders’ Gallant Showing

(Special to THE SUN.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. THE two Auckland colts, Knott and Sturt, were the Dominion stars on the second day of the international tennis match between New Zealand and France, played to-day. Against Borotra and Boussus they were engaged in one of the grimmest struggles seen in New Zealand tennis. The Aucklanders were thoroughly keyed-up and the play kept a large crowd in a continual simmer of excitement. Having won all four singles, the Frenchmen made an alteration in their doubles pair, fielding Boussus instead of Brugnon, and the encounter v/as one of the grimmest struggles seen in New Zealand, tennis.

At the beginning there was nothing in the match, the Frenchmen taking the first three games with ease. Both Auckland boys were making many mistakes and slamming balls indiscriminately into the bottom of the net or yards out of court. Then Christian Boussus began to serve and the New' Zealanders discovered that they could hit his service. They hammered their way through the next game, Knott’s brilliance overhead keeping the crowd in a simmer of excitement, and thereafter went straight to game on Borotra’s service, after being down love 40. Playing shots which the Frenchmen could not touch, the boys were thoroughly keyed up now, and the ball was fitting back and forward with lightning rapidity, rally after rally being finished off by a shot of superlative brilliance on the part of one side or the other. At this stage the Aucklanders had a distinct edge on their opponents. They had mastered the French technique of the double —the standing in of the partner of the receiver, and the constant endeavour to wrest the net position from the server —and they had learned that they must hit down. The severe punishment meted out to any defensive volleys which sent the ball up invitingly made the Aucklanders hit for the point every time they took a ball in the -*r. There were thrilling moments when flashing recoveries from back court by Borotra, who was like a whirlwind and covered as much court as two men, were sent hurtling back to the two young New Zealanders, only to be hit harder until the ball was safely tucked away, or until Boussus. who was slightly rattled by the tremendous pace of the play, was forced into an error. ATTACKING THROUGHOUT All four men were attacking all the time and frequently the play was dazzling. Boussus was death on anything short and Borotra’s low volleys off hard-hit smashes, and snap halfvolleys from far back, made on balls which carried all the punch which the

Aucklanders could muster, meant that aces must be sought. The pace increased until the crowd was in a frenzy of excitement. Sturt, cool and commanding, was raining superlative shots on the opposing court, and carried the erratic Knott with him to the crest of the wave. The - hardest luck fell to the boys, when, on Sturt’s service at 4 all, a drive by Borotra. which was let go, was given in, although obviously inches outside’, f oi* the point would have given them vantage and Sturt was serving magnificently. Someone had to crack and the someone was Knott. The boys took Borotra’s service to compensate for losing Sturt’s, but then the Frenchmen seemed to swarm all over the court, and were everywhere at once in returning the Auckland pelting shots. Knott failed on his service and then failed again, to let Boussus snatch the game after being down love 40 on his delivery. The Auckland boy was hitting the bottom of the net with his service returns, and his ground strokes had fallen right away. The visitors seized their advantage and ran home. All | wat not over with that set, however, | though Knott lost his delivery again. | Boussus was flurried by terrific drives iand short balls at his feet as he came [in, 3 all was called. In both sets the Frenchmen had been

footfaulted and in the fifth game Borotra was rattled by two footfault calls and lost two points by being too slow in following his service ball to the net. The game went to New Zealand, and though Knott’s service again was useless and did not produce a point, Boussus was forced into volleying errors and New Zealand had a winning lead at 5—3 with Sturt’s service to follow. LANDSLIDE OF FAULTS Net errors cost them this game and j again, after some superlative tennis on Borotra’s service—the ball flashing from racquet to racquet in swallow r flight—their chances faded when Sturt netted weakly and Knott again collapsed in a landslide of faults for the set to go the way of France. Beside the play of the two Auckland boys in the doubles the showing of Ollivier and Bartleet was just ordinary. Ollivier was playing up to form, but was not permitted to play very much. Borotra was much better .n the air than on the opening day, and Ollivier paid the penalty of trying for passing shots against one of the most agile and accurate volleyers in the world. Borotra also revealed a forehand of sting and judgment, which he had not produced against the pounding of Bartleet, and frequently scored outright aces off Ollivier’s service-bali and service returns. At the net he was animation itself, his blue beret swooping from side to side of the court for him to make the most extraordinary pick-ups of sideline shots and smashes off both sides of his racket. Often he bounded yards between a return in the fraction of a second, and always he used his magnificent physique to the last ounce -in belting shots on the undefined portions of Ollivier’s i court. Once Borotra hit a volley fairly 1 the rally ended. Brugnon also outstrokedj outplaced and outguessed Bartleet in a duel which saw the Frenchman to much better advantage than he had been on the first day. Brugnon’s backhand had suggested that it would give before a pounding, but it proved to be a far better backhand than anyone imagined, or else Bartleet was not equal to the task of searching out its weakness. On the other hand, the Frenchman’s forehand, in which the element of surprise is joined to great force, frequently crumpled up Bartleet’s defence, and at the net Brugnon dealt with everything which came along with efficiency and decision. UNMERCIFUL HITTING | As the match progressed the shrill cries with which he hailed Bartleet’s placements became less frequent, and his own unmerciful hitting more and more effective. Net raids behind sizzling drives or heavily chopped backhand strokes were almost inevitably ended by one of his solidly punched volleys to an unreachable spot. On the day he coflld have given Bartleet 15 and beaten him. The result of the international match, the most important played in the Dominion since the Davis Cup of 1920, is that France defeated New Zealand by five matches to nil. CITY COMPETITIONS TO-MORROW’S MATCHES Matches and teams for the city inter-club tennis matches to-morrow are as follow: DRAW B Grade.—Onchunga v. Remuera. at Remuera: St. Heliers Bay v. University, at University; Mount Albert v. Unity, at C Grade.—Aratonga I. v. Takapuna, at Aratonga: Aratonga 11. v. Y.M.C.A.. at Y.M.C.A.; Unity I. v University, at Stan-

ley Street; Ngataringra I v. Seddonian, at Stanley Street. D Grade.—Otahuhu v. Seddonian, at Seddonian. TEAMS B Grade.—Onehunga : Messrs. J. Carnachan, S. La Roche, E. Bold, R. Taylor, Misses J. Taylor, B. Campbell, N. MeCrae, L. McDougall. Remuera: Messrs. Martin, Thomson, Rowllings, Robinson, Mrs. Robson, Misses Brookes. Asser, Mrs. Tonks. St. Heliers Bay: Messrs. Diamond, Horspool, Cooper, Edmonds, Mesdames Needham, Cooper, Misses Goldsb rough, Bushill. University: Messrs. J. C. Andrews, N. W. Bowden, D. 11. McDona, A. M. Spencer, Misses R. Batty. E. Pottei*, J. Mclntosh, E. Wann. Mount Albert: Messrs. Elliott, Marshall, Hetherington, H. V. Marshall, Misses J. McClymont, Butler, Rudman, Nan Dando. Unity: Messrs. M. Alexander, T. R. Turei, Turei, W. H. Grigg, Misses A. Aughton, T. O’Donnell, B. Hiscock, E. Rinmer. C Grade. —Aratonga I.: Messrs. E. George, G. Coldman, F. Fowler, G. Morris, Mesdames Fowler, Arthur Worsop, Coldham, Miss G. Darling. Takapuna: Messrs. Parlier, Gamble, Symonds, Everton, Mesdames Jacobi. Martin, Mowbray, Sullivan. Aratonga II.: Messrs. Cave, Rose, Darby. Whitton, Mrs. Griffiths. Misses Sutherland, Jeffries, Stubbs. Y.M.C.A.: Messrs. Lanigan, Woods, Kitchener, Tregear, Misses Scott, Beaumont. Steele, Torrance. Unity I.: Messrs. R. Wilson, E. R. Bayley, J. W. Booker, P. H. Bailey, Misses U. Smith, V. Clarke, D. Wilson, Lewin. University: Messrs. E F. Thompson, Robins, Cook, W ilson, Misses Knell, Jessup, Leonard, Wilson. Ngataringa I. - Messrs. L. S % Bates, W. Darroch, J. N. Macfarlane, M. Jones, Misses M. Waddell, J. Harvey, M. Harvey, J. Prideaux. Seddonian: Messrs. R. Findlav, F. Upton, S. Sheaf, S. Von Sturmer. Misses M. Arey, R. Warrert. M. Trigg. Squires. D Grade.—Seddonian: Messrs. W. \\ orrall. W. Cox, A. Young, J. Thompson. Misses Lindsay, Barr, O. Grattan, E Grattan. PAPATOETOE CLUB I Following are the results of the club competitions played by the members of the Papatoetoe Tennis Club: PRESIDENT'S TROPHY Women’s Handicap Singles First Round.—D. Weston beat K. Waters. 2 —6, 6—-5, 6—2; N. Mellsop beat A. White, s*—6, 6—2, 6—3’; Mrs. Grierson beat R. O’Loughlin, 6—5, 6—2, 6—3: D. Waters beat M. Upton, 6—3, 5—6, 6 E. O’Loughlin beat G. Donnell. 6—2, 6—l: M. Cuthforth beat W. Meikle by default; D. Bryant beat Mrs. George, j 36, 6—5, 6—2; M. Wilson beat E. Brown, i 6—5, 6—2: H. Percy beat W. Burnside, i 6—l, 4—6. 6—2: P. Weston beat H. Bewes, : 6—2, 6—4; Mrs. Valentine beat K. Bryant, 5—6, 6—4, 6—3; K. Leonard beat: E. Farrand. 6—l, 6—2; R. Burnside beat ! D. Leighton, 6—4, 6—3; E. Haslip beat i N. Snelling, 6—4, 6—o. Second Round.—L. Mellsop beat D. : Waters, 6—5, 6—2; D. Waters beat Mrs. Grierson. 6 —2, 6—3: E. O’Loughlin beat M. Cutforth, 6—5, 6—4; C. Bryant beat M. Waters, 6—2, 6—5; D. Bryant beat M. Wilson, 6—3. 4—6, 6—3; P. Weston beat H. Percy, 6—2, 6—o; K. Leonard beat Mrs. Valentine, 6— i, I—6, 6—3; E. Haslip beat R. Burnside. 6—4, 6—3. DE PAS CUP Men’s Singles First Round.—V. Franklin beat G. Purchase. 6—3, 2—6. 6—l; E. Cutforth beat T. C. Douglas, 6—2, 6—o; B. Brown beat C. W. Firth, 6—l, 6—2; E. Burton beat S. Bryant, 6—2, 6—2. Second Round. —V. Franklin beat E. Cutforth. 6—3, 6—2; B. Brown beat E. Burton, 3—6, 6—3, 6—3; J. Valentine beat R. Ross, 6 —2, 6 —4; F. Carr beat Hicks, 46, 6—l; C. H. Firth beat F. Catt. 6—5, I—6, 6—4: J. Nicholson beat H. I Elder, 4—6, 6—2. 6—4: D. Burnside beat