TENNIS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 91, 27 January 1934, Page 2

TENNIS.

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS. i United Press Association —Copyright.''. SYDNEY, January 26. The Australian tennis championships were continued to-day. Results:— Men’s Singles. • Semi-finals. F. J. Perry beat V. McGrath, 2-6, 5- 6-4, 6-4, 6-1. J. B. Crawford beat A. Iv. Quist, 6- 6-2, 6-2. Men’s Doubles. Final. F. J. Perry and G. P. Hughes beat A. Iv. Quist and D. P. Turnbull, 6-8, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Women’s Singles. Miss Hartigan beat Miss Bickerton, 6- 6-3. Mrs Molesworth beat Miss Wilson, 7- 6-4. Women’s Doubles. Final. Mrs Westacott and Mrs Molesworth heat Miss Hartigan and Miss Val ken burgh, 6-8, 6-4, 6-4. McGrath’s Early Effort. McGrath started brilliantly against Perry, who was netting his ground shots. McGrath cleverly slowed up his game and won the first two sets, after a great base-line battle. Perry forced the juice over the last three sets and gained a better length with his drives, coming to the net successfully. The Englishman also served brilliantly in every crisis. Whenever Perry attacked lie proved himself superior. McGrath was exhausted at the finish.

Crawford Superior. Crawford was definitely superior to Quist in all departments, with the possible exception of overhead work. Quist attempted to make a net attack, hut Crawford’s drives found the openings. The doubles final was evenly contested throughout. The Australians were at first brilliant, scarcely missing a smash or volley, but Perry’s fierce services and slashing drives, together with Hughes’s accurate return service and clever net interceptions, proved too good for the Australians. Womeni’s Games. Miss Bickerton was unable to cope with Miss Hartigan’s stinging drives to the corners, while Mrs Molesworth’s all-round play carried her

through against the New South Wales country champion. Mrs Westacott and Mrs Moleswo.rth paired excellently to down Miss Hartigan and Miss Valkenburg in the women’s final.

THE DAVIS CUP. BRITAIN’S CHANCES. • PARIS, Jan. 13. “Britain may retain the Davis Cup, but she will be severely tested by Australia and Japan, especially the former,” said Rene Lacoste, tlie French Davis Cup player, to-day. “Crawford, McGrath and Quist are a most formidable team,” he added. Ho does not mention the possibility of danger from the United States or France, but revealed that a secret scheme for the reorganisation of tennis in France had been formulated. He refused to divulge the details.