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THE FINALS.
SOME INTERESTING GAMES.
CHRISTCHURCH, Ist January.
The championships were concluded today in perfect weather. The courts have stood fairly well throughout, but the championship court reserved for ( big matches was too treacherous to be called good, false bounds at critical points of the games being not uncommon. Promptly a!b 9.30 a.m. play commenced, Fisher meeting Kiver in the handicap singles. The play was good, but the older player, keeping a good length >and placing well, won by two sets straight. Fisher then played right on, meeting White, the Dunedin champion, and conceding him four-aixths of 15. Although White took a set from Fisher in the championship, he was unable to do so to-day, and with two sets to his credit Fisher was in the final with A. D. Cox, to whom he afeo conceded foursixths, and in the play off the Wellington man made no errors, and placed the match to his credit by twelve games to one, thus winning the event outright. In the final of the Ladies' Singles Championship, Miss Nunneley again defeated Miss Baker, the New South Wales champion. The latter player was never in the race from end to end, and Miss Nunneley is the victorious champion for the twelfth consecutive time. Her steadiness and accuracy were wonderful, and although her wins do become somewhat monotonous, yet it is generally recognised that she stands head and shoulders above any lady player who has competed against her in New Zealand. She played just after the above match with Fisher in the Championship Combined against Miss Powdrill and Wilding, but, strangely enough, went to pieces at one time, driving eleven consecutive shots straight into the net. No doubt she was affected by the vagaries of Wilding's American service, which seemed to disorganise- her play in much the same way as it "had puzzled every one e!so. Miss Powdrill, playing a winning game all through, drove splendidly, and with her doughty partner right up at the net to kill anything loose was inspired with confidence right from the j jump. Fisher was quite out of the game most of the time, owing to the accuracy of his opponents, who gave the | man at the net no chance The match, i which went two sets straight to Miss Powdrill and Wilding, was not la.'L"ng in some very fine play. Wilding's returns at times from Fisher's smashes being i almost marvellous. There were come fine rallies, too, and at one stage in the first set, when Wilding was s—l5 — 1 and 40 love, the Wellington pair evened, when a long vantage game resulted in Fisher scoring the game by some fine smashing at tho net, and scoring another game before set was called. The match eventually resulted, 6—3,6 — 3, 6—3,6 — 3, after which the winners met Goss and Miss Gray in the final, and disposed of them by twelve games to love. The big match of the day again was that in which Parker and Wilding met in tho final of the New Zealand Singles, the latter winning 6—4,6 — 4, 2—6,2 — 6, 6—3, 6—l.6 — 1. This game was hardly as good as the semi-final of the Australasian Singles, when the result was similar, Parker gettin" but one set on each occasion. Today s match, however, was noL lacking in brilliancy, and the result, seems to indicate beyond doubt that Wilding is Parker's superior. His game all round | is strong; his service is always dangerous [ — sometimes kicking high over the head of his opponent and almost impossible to reach ; ' his backhand, though not so crisp and deadly as Parker'*", is solid and reliable, but it is his forehand that is too damaging. He keeps a good length, places splendidly, and every shot is full of) power ; his drive skims the net much more than Parker's, and it was seen repeatedly how ineffective the Parker's forehand was against a volleyer who has the tremendous reach and accuracy of Wilding. It is great satisfaction to know, however, that New Zealand can make a player of Wilding's standing in England go all out to win, and this meeting has been valuable for the reason that it has given some indication of the proportionate merits of English and colonial tennis, and the comparison J6 most highly creditable. Earlier in the clay, Parker had played in the semi-final of the Singles and defeated Heath, the Victorian, 6—3,6 — 3, 6 — S, 6—3.6 — 3. There was some pretty tennis in this match, despite the fact that Heath seemed to stroll through it somewhat leisurely. He started with Parker by running in on hiß (service, but Parker, by his accurate placing and judicious lobbing, soon forced him to resort to back-line play, and having done that Parker ran him from side to side at a great pace, his play raising the hopes of his partisans for his success in tho afternoon against Wilding, but their hopes were shattered, as already recorded. In the final of the Ladies' Handicap Singles Miss Nunnelly met Miss Ward, of the Wellington Club, conceding the long odds of fifteen and three-sixths. Miss Ward played what would have been considered a fine .hard game against anyone but the lady champion, but Miss Nunnelly was as safe and as deadly as at any time during tho whole meeting, and won the match two sets straight. To win this event from the scratch mark is one of Miss Nunnelly's best handicap performances, and she came through from end to end, losing only 8 games out of 68 — a truly wonderful performance. In tho Men's Handicap Singles, Solman, of Thorndon Club, secured third prize in the first grade. In the third grade Gillon, of Wellington, won easily from Clarkson in the final, the winner playing; a good safe game, placing well with his fore-hand. In the second grade Ladies' Handicap Singles, Mrs. Wagg, Lower Hutt, played right through five rounds, but scratched to Miss Stewart in the semi-final. Do la Mare and Beere euccessf ully negotiated five rounds of the Handicap Doubles, and succumbed in the semi-final after a close and interesting match. Miss Simpson and her partner looked very like getting home in the Handicap Doubles at one stage, but went out in the | semi-final to Miss Williams and Mrs. Cooper, who in turn were defeated by ilisaes Batham and Van Staveren. In this match the latter lady played a very fafa and steady game, whilst Miss Batham was in splendid form, the Wellington pair winning, 6—3,6 — 3, 6—l, and tho event — the provincial banner, which is won on championship points — goes again to Wellington with 8 points, England, represented by Wilding, ocoring 74 pointo, New South Wales 4 points, Taranaki 3 points. me following are the names of tho winners and runncrs-up in tho championship events: — Australasian Singles. — A. Wilding, F. Mi B. Fisher runner-up. Australasian Dougles. — Wilding and Heath, Cox and Parker runners-up. New Zealand Singles. — Wilding, Parker runner-up. 1 Ladies' Silgles. — Miss Nunnelly, Miss Baker runner-up. New Zealand Doubles. — Parker and Cox, Wilding and Heath runners-up. Ladies' Doubles. — Misses Nunnelly and Baker, Misses Powdrill and Campbell runners-up. Combined Doubles.— Mies Powdrill and
Wilding, Miss Gray and Goss runnersup. The following are winners of the Handicap events : — / Men's Handicap Singles.— P. M. B. Fisher, first grade; Colthart, second grade; Gillon, third grade. Ladies' Handicap Singles.— Miss Nunnellv, first grade; Miss Holmes, second grade. Men's Handicap Doubles.— Griffiths and Nicholson. Ladies' Handicap Doubles. — Misses Batham and Van Staveren. Combined Handicap.— Miss Gray and Sellar. _____
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 1, 2 January 1907, Page 3
Word Count
1,249THE FINALS. Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 1, 2 January 1907, Page 3
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THE FINALS. Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 1, 2 January 1907, Page 3
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Evening Post. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.