GOOD TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 25, 30 January 1926, Page 10

GOOD TENNIS.

-« AUCKLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS. SEMI-FINALS THIS MORNING. Semi-finals were played in the Auck- j land Tennis Association championship i tournament at the Stanley Street courts this morning. There was a tricky wind all the morning that played havoc with lobbing specialists, but for most part the players were not greatly inconvenienced. Smyth and Larnpe soon disposed of i Brinsden and Griffiths in straight sets in j the semi-final of the men's doubles, and in the mixed doubles Brir.sden and Mrs. Scott-Watson had a great tussle with V. R. Johns and Miss Knight, who were i defeated by two sets to one. When the finals were about to start < the gallery was crowded. Mixed Doubles. Losing only two game?, Robson and Miss Macfarlane raced through the first set of their fourth round match with Wsftson and Miss Colebrook. Watson and Miss Colebrook put up a great fight j in the second set, but the combination i of the champion pair was too good, and although Miss Colebrook and her partner were missing very little, they I could not stand up to the'fierce attacks of Robson and the clever placements of j Miss Macfarlane. Unspectacular Semi-final. Five minutes after the semi-final of the men's doubles had been played Brinsden was on the court again, partnered by Mrs- Scott-Watson, to contest the semifinal of the mixed doubles with V. R. Johns and Miss Knight. Winning his] service, Brinsden dropped the next two ' games, and in the third Johns pulled up frpm 15-40 to win, largely on Brinsden's i mistakes. He made amends with a severe j service in the fifth, which he took to 15. Johns was 40-love in sixth, but it went I to deuce ere he got the game with a hard i smash down the centre-line. Mrs. ScottWatson's underhand service tempted Johns to drive without regard to length, ; and by missing the base line he threw ! the game away. Miss Knight won on her • service. With a 5—3 lead. Johns and j Miss Knight did not exert themselves in j the ninth game, which Brinsden took . after deuce had been called twice: but' the next game was taken by Johns on his service without the loss of a point: 6 —4. Brinsden took the initial garce in the second set, and in the next Mrs. Scott.Watson produced some nice strokes, ; J making placements -which got the opposition out of position. Making an effort. Johns and Miss Knight equalled in the fourth game. A squally wind from the south-west sprang up" just after the second sot opened, and the players found it difficult to accustom themselves to the new conditions. Brinsden and Mrs. Scott-Watson profited by their opponents' mistakes, and led 5 —3. Johns was driving too hard, and the "Kind canned several of his returns out of coirrt. I Brinsden took the set 6—3. Smashing I vigorously and leaving Mrs. ScotttJ Watson very little, Brinsden played I 'brightly and led 2—l in the third set, but Mrs. Scott-Watson"s mistakes and a hot sideline drive by Johns cost him the fourth. Johns netted several returns, I allowing Brinsden to equal, and in the next Miss Knight was short. Brinsden and his partner were the steadier and led 5—3. There was a long struggle in ! I the deciding game, in which Johns led | 30 —0 on his service, and then drove two returns out of court. Miss Knjght failed to get Mrs. Scott-Watson out of ! position with a corner shot, and Johns j netted the return. Brinsden missed, the! base-line, and Miss Knight failed to- get jup to a short one, which Brinsden dropped over the net. However, she made a fine late recovery, and it -was deuce again. Johns lost the next two points by driving into the net. anfl ati interesting match ended in favour of Brinsden and Mrs. Scott-Watson. SEMI-FINALS. GRIFFITHS AND BEINSDBN GO DOWN. A handful of onlookers watcli#d a; colourless display by Griffiths and Brinsden. and Smyth and Lampe in a. semifinal of the doubles championship. The visiting pair outclassed the Aucklanders in all departments, and won in three . straight sets. Both Smyth and Lampe j were deadly overhead, and the Wellington champion was driving well. Brinsden started serving and k>st the I first point through missing an easy shot at the net. Smyth and Lampe V-.rc lobbing with certainty, and this troubled the Auckland pair considerably. Lampe I had no difficulty in winning the next : game after the loss of one point. iXeither of the four had settled down and the play was colourless up to this point. Smyth and Lampe ran through, the first ■ set without any serious opposition, los- j ing only one game. One flash of bright play was all that the second set ooule i provide. It was a delightful pif*?e of net j work which Griffiths won with a pretty shot to the side. Three games went to Smyth before even a suspicion- of. good play was seen in the third set. The Aucklanders were lucky to take four games and showed little good form all through. Men's Doubles. SEMIFINAL. Smyth (Wellington) ana Lamp" iW'jnganuii beat Griffiths and Brinsden (Auckland;, C—l, 6—4, 6—3. Mixed Doubles. FOURTH ROUND. Robson and Miss Marjorie Macfarlane beat Watson and Miss Colcfcrcok, 6—2. 6— i. A. C. Johns and Miss P. SVftolis beat E. R. W. Smyth ami Miss Ma.'.'iTii.ick, o—-, 11—9. SEMI-FINAL. Brinsden and Mrs. Scott Watson beat V. R. Johns and Miss B. KnicbC. 4 —li. <j—o, t>—3. Semi-final.— Robson and Jfliss Marjorie Macfarlane beat A. <". Johcis and Miss Dulcie Meeve, 6—2, G—4.