TENNIS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 April 1939, Page 7

TENNIS

WELLINGTON TOURNAMENT.

A MARATHON MATCH. ißy Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Almost three hours were needed to decide one match —the final of the women’s singles championship —when the Wellington Lawn Tennis Association’s championship and handicap tournament was continued in Miramar yesterday. The contestants were Mrs R. P. Adams and Miss I. Small, Mrs Adams ultimately winning 16-14, 4-6, 8-6. The first set lasted 70 minutes. The game was an evenly matched backline duel. In the men’s championship doubles the Ferkins brothers had their colours lowered by Lyons and Gyles. Though the net play of the losers was good. Lyons and Gyles played soundly. Miss McNeil won the girls' singles: Her all-round steadiness and strong forehand turned the tide in her favour. Mrs 'Adams, who was tired after her long duel in the singles, and Howe, who was not in his best form, were beaten by Neale and Miss Burns in the mixed championship doubles final. The result was evident from the beginning, when Miss Burns did some fine smashing and volleying. Neale made some splendid openings and the pair were a formidable combination. Except for a gusty wind, which marred some of the earlier afternoon games but which abated considerably toward the end of the day, conditions were perfect. Results: — CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS. A Grade. Men’s - doubles: Semi-finals. —Lyons and Gyles beat Hamilton and Neal, 6/3, 2/6. 6/4; M. Ferkins and R. Ferkins beat Jacobsen and Smith, 6/1, 6/4. Final: Gyles and Lyons beat Ferkins and Ferkins, 6/1, 2/6, 6/4. Women’s singles: Final. —Mrs R. P. Adams beat Miss I. Small, 16-14, 4-6, 8Mixed doubles: Semi-final. —Neale and Miss Burns beat Sharp and Miss Porter, 6-3, 7-5. Final: Neale and Miss Burns beat Howe and Mrs Adams, 6-3, 6-1. B Grade. Men’s singles: Semi-final. —Fletcheibeat McCormack, 6-5, 6-2. Final: McCardle beat Fletcher, 2-6, 6-5,- 6-1. Men’s doubles: Semi-final: Gosling and Fletcher beat Brown and Polglase, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Final: Gosling and Fletcher beat Dunn and Powell, 6-5, 6-3. Women’s singles: Final. —Miss McNeill beat Miss Porter, 6-1, 6-2. Women’s doubles: Semi-final. —Misses Smith and Sullivan beat Misses Harrington and Porter, 6-5, 6-1. Final: Misses Beban and McNeil beat Misses Smith and Sullivan, 6-3, 6-0. Mixed doubles: Semi-finals. —Jacobsen and Miss Robertson beat Stanton and Miss Murphy, 6-3, 6-4; Dunn and Miss Monkman beat Gordon and Mrs Shennan, 6-4, 6-2. Final: Dunn and Miss Monkman beat Jacobsen and Miss Robertson, 6-3, 6-3. Girls’ singles: Semi-final.—Miss Longton beat Miss T. Smith, 4-6, 6-2, 9- Final: Miss McNeill beat Miss Longton, 6-1, 6-1. HANDICAP EVENTS. ' Men’s singles: Semi-finals. —Brown beat McCardle, 9-5, McCormack beat B. Smith, 9-4. Final: Brown beat McCormack, 9-3. Men’s doubles: Final.—McKenzie and Dunnet beat B. Smith and Dunn, 9-8. Mixed doubles: Quarter-final: Merlo and Miss Harrington beat McCormack and Miss Longton, 9-5. Semifinal: Rose and Miss Sullivan beat! Gordon and Mrs Shennan, 9-6. SINGLES TO HAWKSWORTH. TOURNAMENT AT HASTINGS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) HASTINGS, April 11. All the finals except the- mixed doublfes were completed today in glorious weather at the Hawke’s Bay Easter tennis tournament on the Hastings Club’s courts, and very fine tennis was watched by a moderately large gallery. The men’s championship singles was; won in straight sets by Hawksworth. His opponent, Dyer, did not produce the form which he showed earlier in the tournament. Hawksworth’s terrific forehand drive and equally forceful smash kept Dyer worried, and in an endeavour to be careful he put up a lot of fairly loose stuff for Hawksworth to put away. Both players had patches when they lost touch, but Dyer was the slower to recover. The finals of the men’s doubles provided thrills. Elliott, a seasoned veteran of Hawke's Bay tennis, combined perfectly with Dickie in all departments of the one-up-one-back game. Sharpe, usually deadly at the net, went astray badly on occasions with smashes, and Dyer also lost touch badly. The semi-final of the mixed doubles between Sharpe and Miss Glenny and Hawksworth and Miss Betts was one of the highlights of the afternoon. Hawksworth and Miss Betts retired when the score was 5-all in the second set, at which stage the light was failing badly. Sharpe showed flashes of form which placed him and Miss Glenny among the New Zealand championship finalists, intercepting daringly, while Miss Glenny phlegmatically patrolled the baseline and covered up holes in the defence. Sharpe’s volleying on occasions was sparkling and unexpected excursions right across the net proved most disconcerting to everyone except his partner, who remained imperturbable. The soundness of Miss Glenny’s baseline play was a big factor in the series of victories that this combination has achieved. The final of the mixed doubles will be played tomorrow. Results of today’s play are:— Women’s Singles. Final.—Miss Budd beat Miss Evans, 6-2, 6-5. Men’s Singles. Hawksworth (Masterton) beat Dyer, 6-3, 6-4. Men’s Doubles. Semi-finals: Dyer and Sharpe beat Lowry and Fullerton, 11-9, 6-3; Elliott and Dickie beat Hawksworth and Me- . Pherson, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. Final. —Elliott and Dickie beat Dyer and Sharpe, 6-3, 6-1. Women’s Doubles. Semi-finals. —Misses McFarlane and Budd beat Misses Dickie and St George | 6-3, 6-3. Final. —Misses Macfarlane and Budd beat Misses Evans and Glenny. 3-6, 6-5. 6-4. Mixed Doubles. Fifth Round. —Elliott and Mrs Milburn beat Nevitt and Miss White. 6-3. 1-6, 9-7; Sharpe and Miss Glenny beat Lowry and Mrs Hassall, 6-0, 6-4. Semi-finals. —Elliott and Mrs Milburn defeated Dickie and Miss Dickie, 6-3, 6-0; Sharpe and Miss Glenny beat Hawksworth and Miss J. Betts (Masterton), 6-1, 6-8, 5-5 (Hawksworth and Miss Betts retired).