Tennis Championships

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 886, 1 February 1930, Page 15

Tennis Championships

MISS MACFARLANE BEATEN Women’s Doubles to Canterbury rIE defeat of Miss Marjorie Maefarlane in the semi-finals of the women’s singles was one of several unexpected results at the New Zealand tennis championships yesterday.

Press Association WELLINGTON, Friday. j The Governor-General and staff attended the New Zealand lawn tennis championships which were played in a wind, varying from a light breeze to small gale force, and which, provided some surprise victories. The chief event of the day was the unexpected manner in which Mrs. W. J. Melody convincingly defeated the singles’ title-holder, Miss Marjorie Macfarlane, after the latter had won the first set and led 4—o in the second. It was a wonderful recovery by a very game player, who i*tever let up, and who let loose a rain of point-winning shots on her Auckland opponent just when she seemed about to be beaten. The men’s singles’ semi-final event between D. G. France (Wellington) and Ivan Seay (Canterbury) provided what was the classic encounter of the meeting. Both played very carefully, with excellent length and placement, and varied their deep, well-timed driving with net raids, where they brought off some brilliant volleys. Seay excelled himself in passing shots and lowangled volleys, but he will never take the New Zealand singles championship until he acquires a back-hand which can stand the searching weakness which France gave it. FRANCE’S TACTICS France was attacking Seay on this wing throughout the contest, concentrating on the back-hand, and then suddenly sending over a deep drive to his fore-hand corner, or driving to Seay’s fore-hand, and waiting for a chance to whip one across the court, and catch him by a low, fast bounce. Thq Malfroy-Angas match was a clash of temperaments. Malfroy was over-anxious from the start, and put most of his. ground strokes around the service line, and failed to kill when he took the net. The tennis was much below the standard of a national semifinal, for Angas was equally bothered, and often refused to do mpre than hit the ball straight back at Malfroy. The match drew out to five sets before Angas clinched it. Miss Nicholls had another clean win against Miss Myers, of Wanganui, hit*ier ou t °f position, and finishing with strong ones, which Miss Myers could not return. Miss Myers was troublesome, but she did not play up to her earlier form. A SURPRISE WIN Another surprise came when Misses v\ake and Andrew took the women’s doubles championship from two Amnd volleyers, Mesdames Adams and tr, h< TL? T heir WIH WaS “OStly due to Miss VS ake, who played very consistently all through the doubles, and wh cm st ® a(iier than anyone against whom she was pitted. Details are as follow; MEN’S SINGLES. heat n sea5 al f'r^? > ; Rl France (Wellington) neat beay (Canterbury), 6-.-3, I—6 6 2 ( We'mnS, 6 ,“. oy WOMEN’S SINGLES. d&Srij?' *£&«?• ($“ WOMEN’S DOUBLES. t Viisses VVake and Andrew (Cantertmry) beat Mesdames Adams and Thomson (Wellington), 4— G, 6 3 COMBINED DOUBLES. First Round.—Wilson and Mj*«? r pv ir . r », (Wellington) beat Orbelllnd^Miss fwSssr ><WS£S!I 5 OUI l?.' —Wilson and Mrs. Thom- ? oa b ® at „ famyth and Mrs. Stuiman, 6—2, (Wellington) and Miss A? are ?i., (Canterbury) beat E. HoweU (Rangrtikei) and Miss Fleming (Otago), /wl'ii- /'■ France and Miss Brady (WeUmgton) beat Sturt (Auckland) and Miss Lloyd (New South Wales). 7 5. and M At < L* E ?T nd -’"~ l 3aadrall (Wellington) f:. n A Marjorie MacFarlane (AuckIr™ 5 t- 1 ’ France and Miss D. Howe (Wellington), 6—3, B—6; P. Howell (Rangitikei) and Miss D. Nicholls (Wellbeat Robertson and Miss Gibson (.South Canterbury), 6—4, 4—6, 7—5; Stedman (Auckland) and Mrs. Adams (Wellington) won from Glanville and Miss Morrison (Canterbury) by default; Walla.ee (Taranaki) and Mrs. Scott (South Canterbury) beat D. G. France and Miss Brady ( Wellington), 6—3, 6 —l. BOYS’ SINGLES. Semi-finals.—Robertson (South Canterbury) beat Heenan (Mid-Canterbury), , R * R * Uees (Auckland) beat Pender (Wellington), 6— l, 4—6, 6 3. GIRLS’ SINGLES. Final.—lsobel Morrison (Canterbury) beat Mavis Howe (Wellington), 6—2 b—4. JUNIOR COMBINED DOUBLES. Second Round.—Robertson (South Canterbury) and M. Eliot (South Canterbury) beat M. Elias and M. Howe (Wellington), 6—2, 6—2. Semi-final.—Robertson and M. Eliot UiOUtli Canterbury) beat Annett (Waikato) and S. Phillipps (Wellington), 6—o, b—U; Hennan (Mid-Canterbury) and I. Morrison (Canterbury) beat Ferkins and C. Longmore (Wellington), 6—o, 6 —3.

in the course of my experience seen a player in a championship do as Malfroy did in the seventh game of the last set—serve six faults in succession, and that when he was 40—love. That just about tore things for him. In the first set, Maifroy had a piece of very bad luck in a decision by the umpire. Angas returned a ball which was without doubt not up, and as a result lost an important game, but it is all in the luck of the game. MALFROY ANNOYED Malfroy’s court manners want watching. I am not for hitting a man when he is down, but he unquestionably showed, shall we say, bad form instead of temper on very many occasions, hitting his leg with his racquet, and generally showing annoyance. Albeit he was often smiling. We must give him every credit for a wonderful fight, however. Down two sets as he was, he played a splendid losing game. Not that the tennis was particularly thrilling. There were too many occasions where they both seemed to have agreed to give one another practice on the backhand, and the ball was pushed back and forth until it became very wearying. Of course, Angas showed good tactics in slowing up. MISS MACFARLAN E BEATEN More sadness for Auckland—Miss Marjorie Maefarlane hates the wind, so of course in her match against Mrs. Melody it needs must blow like mad. Mrs. Melody is never beaten, but when she was down love four in the last set, it loked all Lombard Street to a green gooseberry that Auckland would

FRANCE’S FINE FORM MATCH AGAINST SEAY DESCRIBED SOME SUPERB TENNIS (By WAYFARER.) WELLINGTON, Friday. By far tho best tennis of the day, if not of the tournament, was seen today when Len France beat Ivan Seay. The Canterbury man was playing beautiful, easily-produced strokes, using his head, and it was extremely unfortunate for him that he struck France when the latter was playing like a machine, and showing uncanny anticipation of most of Seay’s strokes. YY hen France won the first set, all the Wellingtonians sat up and began to take notice, thinking it was going a bGII over; but Seay came to lignt some superb cross and passing shots in the second set, and the game assumed a different aspect. ~ e . n * rance dug his toes in, and, realising probably that if he was to have his great chance in any year it \\as this year, played as one inspired, it was no disgrace to Seay to admit today to a better man. What Wellington wants to know now is, can he do it tomorrow against Angas? And what of the Angas-Malfroy match . A game of missed opportunities about sums it up. I have never

rejoice. But no. Along came the zephyrs, and blew Miss Macfarlane’s drives over the side-lines and her lobs over the back, so that she could not win another game, leaving two Wellington finalists. Mrs. Melody will have to put her best foot —indeed, both her best feet—forward tomorrow to boat Mark's sister, because Miss Xicholls is playing great stuff, as she again demonstrated when opposed to Miss Myers, who fought gallantly but fruitlessly to stem the local girl's advance to the final. Once again Miss Wake played a wonderful game in the doubles, and deserved all the congratulations showered on her by her own friends, and by her opponents’ supporters. Hearty and very sincere congratulations to the new champions. I am quite sure Miss Andrew will be the first to agree that her partner contributed most to their success. The mixed championships are not An interesting point was raised by an umpire yesterday, when he called iu the refree to decide what the position was when a player won a. point before the umpire had called “change.” as he should have. Of conrs , the score stands; but the amusing point was that the umpire, instead of calling 15—love, proceeded to call love —15, thereby transposing the score.