LAWN TENNIS NOTES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 38, 15 February 1939, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS NOTES

RESIDENTIAL TITLES NOTES ON WINNERS (By A. N. Campbell) The residentials of 1939 are now history and it would be extremely hard to discover another tourney where so many unexpected victories were recorded and where tennis was seen at its worst by players who were worthy of better things. In these columns reference is made nearly every week to physical fitness and the value of practice and more practice, and the results of the championships have proved that these matters have not been overstressed. A good player, who in the past has relied upon his or her ability to produce good tennis despite lack of practice, has come the proverbial thud this year and the spirit of laziness that so long dominated Wanganui tennis has spread its mantle over the sport in most clubs.

Neil Hay-Campbell is to be con- ! gratulated upon his singles victory and his reward for training and taking the ; game serious has been demonstrated. ; He was easily the fittest man of the i tourney and he controlled his game j against various types of opposition most successfully. He had a narrow squeak against C. Fenwick and just got home 8-6 in the third set. If Fenwick had attacked more in the final set it would have paid him, especially as he led 5-3. Against Leo Udy, Tippins could do nothing wrong and the rare spectacle of Udy on the defensive with Tippins taking the offensive was witnessed. The loser has certainly not had much play this season and his game is definitely below par, but Tippins’ win cannot be discounted too much as he showed signs of improvement and a desire to play a more attacking game instead of his old stonewalling methods. In the final, Tippins did not shine so much. The occasion was a big one for a player who in the past usually managed to survive only one round and his game was affected by nervousness. As, however, he had everything to gain and nothing to lose, it would have been better policy to have hit harder and attacked more even if it did result in mistakes. It was unlikely he could beat Hay-Camp-bell and the latter showed that he was in full charge of the game. He drove hard when it was necessary and slowed up the game on other occasions. It was a straight set victory won by the better player and the loser is to be congratulated upon reaching a final and performing so well. Lampe and Udy won the men’s

doubles after poor exhibitions in all matches in this event. The final of the ladies’ singles produced very poor tennis and although Miss Mavis Clark is to be congratulated upon securing the title, the standard of play in this event was not up to representative tennis, as a matter of fact very far from it. Miss Clark certainly played very steadily, but both she and Miss Peggy Wylds played a lot of soft pat ball, interspersed with frequent mistakes. Miss Clark has the ability to retrieve wonderfully and this, more than forceful play, gets her to the top. Miss Wylds, until this season a Taranaki representative, can play much better, but lack of practice told its own story. An athlete does not try and win races without preparation, nor does the golf champion neglect his stroke practice prior to a big tournament, so why our Wanganui players are so apathetic 1 do not know. The ladies’ doubles, won by Misses P. Wylds and Margaret Purcell, was also very mediocre, and Misses E. Low and M. Pawson did well to press them to a 7-5, 7-5 final. However, as neither pair was up to representative standard, it does not say much for the brand of tennis. There were patches of bright play but these were few and far between, and silly mistakes were too frequent. Ladies doubles play in Wanganui seems a lost art and ersp volleying is discarded in favour of drab base line duels and poor attempts at slashing. The remedy is to practice.

The combined doubles event was the only real play of the fixture and bright tennis was witnessed in nearly all matches. E. Tippens and Miss Thelma Greaves, the winners, de-

served their victory a<nd Tippens suddenly revealed a knowledge of play ir these matches that hitherto he ha‘ not shown. However, the credit wa.<

due to Miss Greaves, whose game was as good as any of the men and in the semi-final against Hay Campbell and Miss M. Clark she dominated play at the critical moment and pulled the match out of the fire. J. Connett and Miss T. Cox fought well to get to the final and I did not expect them to defeat either Leo Udy and Miss E. Low, and C. Hutchinson and Mrs. Knight. The latter pair played excellently and on Saturday accounted for the favourites in J. Finlayson and Miss Margaret Purcell. Hutchison has been playing very steadily and in this match he was really brilliant overhead while Mrs. Knight was steadiness itself. Against Connett and Miss Cox they played badly and that’s that. In the final Connett and Miss Cox fought gamely and against anyone but Miss Greaves they would have won, but the winners were too strong. Miss Fredra Jones, of Okoia, annexed the B grade singles after an 8-6 third set against Miss Joan Carey. The winner, who is not yet 15 played in the Wanganui tourney, Manawatu tourney. N.Z. junior and Wanganui residential fixtures and this is her first win, except for the singles titles she won at the Technical College. She needs to hit harder and place better and if she does she will go far. Miss Carey has taken up the game again after a spell and the rate of improvement she is showing is remarkable. She is easily the quickest person of her sex on her feet I have ever seen and there is no reason why next season she is not an A grade player.

O. Welch took the men’s B grade event when he defeated Jack Kidd. 1 think Welch exercises a hoodoo over Kidd and always seems to beat him yet Kidd can account for better players. The game was played at a slow pace and neither players took any risks. Each should speed up their matches. Kidd can but won’t and Welch could but doesn't. However,

they are only 16 years old and have a future before them. The sole selector of the W.L.T.A. has published his A and B teams to play Taranaki next week and I can just imagine the protests from some of the players and in fact can nearly hear them as I pen these notes. Mr. O'Toole has a thankless task this year especially in view of the upsets in the residential championships. Any team selected by any player would be open to criticism and as the selections are more or less revolutionary I do not mean to comment upon them this time and will allow the selector to justify himself by results. The following tournaments .have been approved by the N.Z.L.T.A. and are to be held at Easter time: Te Aroha. Auckland (hard courts). Dunedin. Wellington. Wellington (Catholic). Christchurch (S.I. Championships). Cambridge (handicaps). Whangarei. Roxburgh. Lower Hutt (Residential). Te Araroa. St. Johns (Wanganuil.