YOUTHFUL CHAMPIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 67, 20 March 1926, Page 10

YOUTHFUL CHAMPIONS.

SCHOOL TENNIS TOURNEY.

THE FINAL MATCHES.

Bright tennis was seen at the Stanley Street courts this morning, when the final matches of the secondary schools' and Auckland junior championships were played. When the championships were started some three weeks ago, the tennis seen was not of a particularly bright character, but the final rounds, more especially in the girls' games, produced a high standard of junior and secondary tennis.

Easily the best player among the boys was A. H. McDonald, from the Auckland Grammar School. He has a good serye, driven particularly well on the forehand, misses little overhead and goes for everything with confidence. His backhand is the one weak spot in a fairly good equipment of strokes. His match with Hetherington in the final of the junior championships was good. Although he won the first set to love, four of the games went to deuce, and in a couple long advantages were played. Mac Donald could not go wrong on his forehand and won consistently with clean 'placements. Hetherington drove hard to his opponent's backhand, and although he received weak returns, he could not finish off his attack with- a winner. Hetherington could take only the first and sixth games in the next set. He served poorly and gave MacDonald an opportunity to use his accurate forehand. This he did with great effect. Going to the net only occasionally, he drove Hetherington's serve all over the court. Hetherington on several occasions made pretty openings, but he just failed to finish them off. On the few vieits which Mac Donald made to the net he gave a good display of volleying. He won 6—o, 6—2. Bowden put up a good fight against Mac Donald in the final of the schools' championship, but Mac Donald knew too much for his opponent and ran out the winner 6—2, 6—4. Although Mac Donald won the first set fairly easily, he was kept busy in the second, when Bowden suddenly struck form. Bowden opened up a strong attack and kept his opponent running from fiide to side for quite a time. When he led +—3 he looked very much like taking the set, but Mac Donald, playing well, staved off the attack and won tlie set and the match. A colourless display was given by the finalists in the boys' doubles. All four made many mistakes and were afraid to hit out. The standard of the girls' play, for the most part, was far superior to that of the boys. Miss Taylor and Miss Griffiths gave a good display in the final of the championship singles, and the score, 6 —l, 6 —3 to Miss Taylor, is in no way an indication of the difference between the players. Miss Pat Miller won rather easily in two straight sets from Miss Grenier in the final of the schools' championship. Both girls went for everything with confidence. They drove well from tb e base line and when they came in to the net they showed that "they knew something about volleying. Probably the hest tennis of the tournament was seen in the final of the girls' doubles. The team work of neither pair was particularly good but all four drove hard and accurately. On many occasions one of the four would come to the net and smash with the accuracy of a real champion. Their overhead work as well as their volleying was surprisingly good. It would be hard to single out the best player among the girls but probably the one who showed a little more promise than any of the others was Miss J. Taylor. She possesses a good serve and drives remarkably hard and accurately for one of her physique. Miss Pat Miller and Miss Phyllis Grenier show great promise and these two should go a long way in the game. Right throuugh the tournament there was no hitch in the management, which was in the hands of Messrs. Ohlson, Richardson and Ward. Results:— BOYS. CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES. Semi-finals.-jMacDonaid beat Frankham, V —, h „ : Hetherington heat Spence, 0 •> 4- —'), o—O. ' i F J na r*r~r-K- H ; MaeD onald (Grammar) mil*; c' hetherington (Mt. Albert Grammar), 6—o. 6—_ SCHOOLS SINGLES. Semi-finals.—Bowden beat North, 11 5MacDonahl heat Francis. 11—o. r- F ,l na i~~-\- H - Mac Donald (Grammar) beat C. G. Bowden (Grammar), 6—2, 6 4. SCHOOLS DOUBLES. Final.—Hetherington and Wilson (Mt. Albert-Grammar) beat Smith and Francis (Grammar), 6—o. I—tj, (5—3. GIRLS. CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES. Semi-finals.—Miss ,T. Taylor beat Miss P Grenier, 7—-*.. 4—l*. 6—o: Miss G. Griffiths beat Miss Waters, 4—6. 6—4 &—Z Final.—Miss J. Taylor (Grammar) beat iMiss G. Griffiths (Epsom Grammar), 6—3 6 —l. SCHOOLS SINGLES. . Semi-finals.—Miss P. Miller beat Miss J Browniee, 9—4: Miss P. Grenier beat Miss •T. Taylor, 13—11. ~F lnal A —-'?, lss p - "-''Her (Grammar) heat Miss G. Grenier (St. Cuthbert's), 6—.'!, SCHOOLS DOUBLES. , Fi '■'"l—Misses P. Grenier and X. Whitelaw (St. Cuthbert's) beat Misses J. Brownlee and J. Taylor (Grammar), 6—4, 6—3.