Nine Matches to Three

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 504, 6 November 1928, Page 12

Nine Matches to Three

BRITAIN WINS TENNIS RUBBER

Bright Doubles at the End

FINISHING with a great climax of doubles, the tennis test match. Great Britain versus New Zealand, proved the < Hd Country’s superiority, at this time in the year, anyway, by nine matches to three.

New Zealand collected two singles and a double, and with a bit of luck, would have taken two more matches. The second day again began disastrously, three singles being lost on end until Noel Wilson (Wellington) stemmed the tidal wave with a win against Higgs. The best tennis of the match was given in the final doubles. New Zealand winning one and losing the other, after a strenuous fight. Speed and aggressiveness did the trick for Britain. As Gregory, the British skipper pointed out after the match, the visitors believe in hitting every ball they can reach, and in trying for everything, even when it looks impossible. New Zealanders, perhaps, led by Ollivier, showed a tendency to take a winning shot for granted. WEAK OVERHEAD

period, cost him the match after a rare struggle for the second set. A self-inflicted blow with the racquet took a patch of skin off Collins’s nose in the first game, and laid him on the turf for a brief spell. He was obviously unsteady on resuming, and France ran into a comfortable lead at 3 —l and 4 —2. The tall Scotsman’s panacea for such reverses seems to be a spell in top gear, and he clapped on the pace to such effect that France dropped four games in a row, and the set. The tennis during this period was sometimes of the brilliant order, with Collins hitting hard from all parts of the court, serving fiercely, and often picking up smashes on the full or stroking his volleys with the utmost severity from the rear of the court. France hit another of his brilliant patches early in the second set, driving Collins out of court off service, and running to a commanding lead at 5 —3 after the visitor had led 3 —2. Here France apparently decided that safety tactics were called for, a grave tactical error, as Collins would not be betrayed into errors, as Higgs was on Saturday. He again clapped on the pace, and France dropped two successive games in tame fashion. Then Collins won his service, and France dropped his own, allowing Britain to win 7—5, a crushing blow to New Zealand, as the match should at least have gone to three sets. HOPES HIGH New Zealand hopes ran high in the course of an intensely exciting double, in which Ollivier and France captured a set from Britain’s leading pair, Gregory and Austin, and pushed them to a close finish in a third set that for the onlookers was crammed with thrills. Though the standard deteriorated a trifle toward the finish, when the New Zealanders, at any rate, were palpably affected by the strain of the fighting finish, the tennis exhibited was generally of a high order, with periods of dazzling thrust and counter thrust. Gregory and Austin were not so severe overhead as on Saturday, but they were strong enough to show up in unpleasant contrast the weakness of the New Zealand pair when a killing smash was demanded. Both sides were often lobbing short, but whereas the English team, and Gregory in particular, put the overhead balls down with force and direction that generally spelled finality, the New Zealand pair lost chance after chance through temporising with the short lobs and allowing the visitors to finesse their way back to an attacking position. Ollivier was especially timorous overhead, and he had many chances to do great execution. But outside this weakness he was the dominating figure on the court, angling his drives nicely to Austin’s backhand line, and out-volley-ing him repeatedly with delicate placements that fizzed off the court at an unplayable angle. Once Gregory, whose motto should be “Never say die,” chased one of these shots from Ollivier’s almost on to the next court. When he got there he found the umpire’s chair blocked his return, so sharp was the angle of Ollivier’s shot. New Zealand, having taken the first set at 7 —5, there were fireworks in the second when the British pair set out to retrieve the lost ground. Under the severe peppering the New Zealanders lost touch, and dropped the set at 6—2. In the final set France was often at fault, netting his returns off service. With the British team at 5—2 the end seemed to be in sight, but a wonderful rally by New Zealand took the score to five all. The onlookers were simmering with excitiment, intensified by keen exchanges In which the opposing teams often criss-crossed at the back of the court to cover deep drives and .lobs. Gregory won his service to lead at 6 —5, short lobs costing New Zealand dearly. Ollivier picked up the odd game on his delivery, but Britain held the margin after a netcord shot had aided Austin at a critical stage. France countered by winning his service, squaring the match at seven all, but the ever-reliable Gregory won his service in simple fashion, and in the next game Ollivier dropped his service and the match.

Except for Wilson, who went for high stuff in the doubles, the Dominion side showed that they were not strong overhead, that is, compared with Gregory who did his best to put the bounce of his smashes over the stand. Once rhe ball was in reach it was gone. Bartleet lacked confidence, and his best shot, the cross-court drive, was not under control.

Geoff Ollivier was showing his old cunning in the doubles and he tried to hang on to Austin in the singles. Wilson, after doing the trick with steadiness against Higgs, came on to give a triumphant display in the doubles, in which he outshone everyone. France could not play a winning game against Collins when he had it in striking distance. Gregory did not leave his singles against Bartleet in doubt very long. He began it and ended it with a love game on his hard service, having lost five games. He did not seem to be hitting iis hard as he was against Ollivier on Saturday. The Aucklander was plainly nonplussed by his mistakes and the constant battery to his backhand was too heavy. There were few patches of the Bartleet of New Zealand championship form, and the rallies constantly went to Gregory. Neither man went to the net very often. v WILSON HANGS ON

Evidently profiting by the example of France, Wilson was out from the start of his singles to play the ball until Higgs made the mistakes. At first it looked as though the Englishman was going to be too fast and accurate, but Wilson came along nicely to run out 6 —2. In the second set Higgs was determined and Wilson developed faults. The game descended, the Wellingtonian putting across very short stuff and losing the set. The third set was better, both men playing with more confidence. Wilson found he could make his opponent run, and that there were some openings down the side-lines. He led 4 —3 and 5—4, and fought valiantly to win an exciting last game. UPHILL FIGHT

It was 3 —o against them before Bartleet and Wilson began to find their feet in the exciting doubles. The Britishers were strong in attack, driving forcefully and volleying accurately. Stop-volleys from Collins were unplayable and Higgs showed his true form for the first time. Wilson was striking form and Bartleet, although often caught in mid-court was scoring with service, Wilson cutting off prettily. Britain led 4—2, but three aces gave Wilson the seventh game. Collins rocked in his serve to take the important eighth game. Striving uphill Wilson carried New Zealand. Bartlett aiding only with service. Five all came and the crowd registered enthusiasm. Then New Zealand forged ahead 6—5, and had two set points before the games were 6—6. It looked as though the chance was lost, but again the advantage game went to the home team, only to be evened by Britain’s serve. Playing great tennis, the Wellingtonian came ahead B—7. and his efforts took the set in the next game. GREAT WIN

The second set began promisingly for New Zealand, Bartleet collecting his serve and Wilson his, to lead 2—l. Britain evened and, striking a good patch, forged to 4—2, cross-court driving often finding our men’s lack of combination. Wilson took the seventh game on service, but Britain Went to 5—3. and the uphill fight began again. Determination carried the games to five all, and then gave New Zealand the advantage game. Wilson was playing the game of his life. Collins could not be denied. Intercepting brightly Wilson helped Bartleet to win his serve, and lead 7—6. Higgs went down o—4o0 —40 on his serve, and at 15—40 a net-cord shot gave a well-earned victory to the home side. It was a great win, due mostly to Wilson, who was brilliant overhead. AUSTIN BEATS OLLIVIER Though well on his game, and driving at times superbly, Ollivier could do little to check Austin in the second single on No. 1 court. Low, skimming drives featured the opening exchanges. There was a roar of encouragement for the New Zealander when a brace of racing drives set Austin chasing for a third to catch him hopelessly out of position. Ollivier got the third game in the first set, but from that point the Cantab increased his lead, Ollivier being unable to strike consistent length. Austin swung his deep, thrusting drives to either corner, and came racing in to finish off the rallies with sharply-punched volleys that Ollivier could not even approach, let alone return. Having won the first set 6—l, Austin ran into a 2-love lead in the second. Ollivier was playing capital tennis, but Austin s capacity for running him out of court with steeply-angled drives from the forehand corner beguiled him into leaving many openings. Matching the Englishman, drive for drive, Ollivier took the third game of the second set. and lack of decision at the net cost him a great chance in the next, when Austin’s agility extricated him from a seemingly hopeless position. Ollivier called the tune in the fifth game, swinging low drives to either side-line, and punching crisply from the net. Austin conceded the game, but went on to take the rest for the set and match, though he took an unconscionable time to deliver the final flow, when there were six match points following deuces, with Ollivier serving, the winning shot being a mis-hit backhand that hit the cord and trickled COLLINS BEATS FRANCE France, though not the steady France of Saturday, had moments of real brilliance in his tussle with Collins. At some stages he was so commandingly superior to the Scotsman that he seemed to have the match in his grasp. Then he would fade for a game or two, and it was ono of these periods of fading that, coming at a critical

RESULTS OF THE PLAY Saturday Singles H. W. Austin (Great Britain) beat E. L. Bartleet (New Zealand), 6— l, 6—o. E. Higgs (Great Britain) lost to D. G.-Franco (New Zealand), 4 —6, 5—7. J. C. Gregory (G. 8.), beat G. Ollivier (N.Z.), 6—3, 6—2. I. G. Collins beat N. Wilson, 4—G, 6—3, 6—l. Doubles Austin and Gregory (G. 8.), beat Bartleet and Wilson (N.Z.), 6 —2. 6—2. Collins and Higgs (G. 8.) beat France and Ollivier (N.Z.), 6—B, 6—l 6 2. Monday Singles J. C. Gregory (Great Britain) beat E. L.. Bartleet (New Zealond), 6—2, I. G. Collins (G. 8.), beat D. G. France (N.Z.), 6—4, 7—5. H. VV. Austin (G. 8.), beat G. Ollivier (N.Z.), 6—l, 6—2. E. Higgs (G. 8.), lost to N. R. C. Wilson (N.Z.), 3—6, 6—3, 4 —6. * Doubles Higgs and Collins (G. 8.), ' lost to Bartleet and Wilson (N.Z.), 7—9, 6 —B. Gregory and Austin (G. 8.), beat Ollivier and France (N.Z.), 5—7 6 2 9 —7. Great Britain: 9 matches, 19 sets. New Zealand; 3 matches, 8 sets. Yesterday there was; another large attendance at the Stanley Street courts for the play in the New Zea-land-Great Britain tennis test. The onlookers included"—Lady Jean Macintosh, Lady Myers, Mrs. Brander, Mrs. carpenter, Mrs. L. Horrocks. Mrs. Rhind, Mrs. T. S. Culling, Mrs. MacCartney, Mrs. G. Bristed, Mrs. J. Wilson. Mrs. Dove. Mrs. Palmer, Mrs P Upton, Mrs Hodges, Mrs. Tonks. Mrs Morpeth, Mrs. Hickson, Mrs. Bartleet. Misses E. Culling E. Myers. C. Russell, C. Anderson. McCormick, Smeeton, D. Taylor, Marion Macfarlane. Knight. B. Wilson. Marjorie Macfarlane.