TENNIS TOURNAMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 25, 31 January 1928, Page 15

TENNIS TOURNAMENT.

ALL FINALS PLAYED.

SINGLES TO KNOTT.

INTERESTING DOUBLES MATCHES.

Finals in all events of the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association's championship tournament were played yesterday. Most of the matches were close, and several went the full length.

Champions for the year are:—Men's -5 singles: L. G. Knott; ladies' singles, Miss Marjorio Macfarlane; men's doubles, L. G. Knott and N. K. Sturt; I ladies' doubles, Miss Marjorie Macfarlane and Mrs. Marshall; combined j doubles, H. Brinsden and Miss D. Nicholls. j Men's Singles. t After J. Laurenson had beaten E. L. 2 Bartleet 011 Saturday it was surprising to see him beaten in the final of the men's singles yesterday by L. G. Knott 1 in three sets, 6—4, 6—l, B—6. At all times Laurenson is a difficult man to play, but Knott showed form which was even better than that which he displayed in the semi-final. Obviously he has learned a lot from the matches in which he played against the Frenchmen last month. Always hitting the ball at the top of the bounce, he drove with amazing speed and accuracy. He was placing beautifully, and when he came to the net he smashed and volleyed in a style 1 that has not been seen before at the . tournament. Playing Laurenson out of c position, he took the first two sets quickly, but the third he won only after s 14 hard games. After three-all, each 1 player won his serve until six-all was t called, in which Knott brought out a wonderful variety of shots and won his own and Laurenson's serve. In the last * game, which was his own serve, Lauren- ' son won only one stroke. Not once during the whole match was he playing as 1 well as Knott, whose win was very ' popular. Miss Macfarlane Wins. \ m ' All through the meeting Miss Mar- j jorie Macfarlane has been playing at her 1 best, and in the final of the ladies' 1 singles, against Miss Beryl Knight, she 1 kept up her form, to win the title, 6—4, 1 6—2. Both players kept mostly to the 1 backline, and gave a great display of 1 forehand and backhand driving. Only 1 occasionally did Miss Macfarlane come to the net, while Miss Knight stayed 011 1 the backline and tried to outplay her ' brilliant opponent with swift, passing shots; these were not too good for the Remuera champion, who met them with great smashing and volleying. When on the backline, both ladies kept a good length and it took one a fair time to work the other out of position. Hard Doubles Play. More than once it seemed that Brinsden and Griffiths would beat Knott and Sturt for the final of the men's doubles, but after five hard sets they went down to the two young players who had reached the final of the Dominion championship. Through most of the match, Knott and Sturt were the more forceful pair. Although the first set went to Brinsden and Griffiths, Knott and Sturt brought out all their shots in the second, and were seen at their best. Knott was smashing and volleying just as well as he had been in the final of the singles, while Sturt was placing accurately. Early Brinsden was handicapped through a blister which split, on his right hand, and for the rest of the match he was playing under difficulties. Still he volleyed and smashed well, and he and Griffiths put up a great fight against a very hard pair. The scores were:—3 —6, 6—2, 6—4, 3—(5, 6—4. A Long Second Set. It was only after twenty-two games in the second set that Miss Marjorie Macfarlane and Mrs. Marshall beat Miss Nicholls and Miss Ramsay in the final of the ladies' doubles. They took the match, 6—3, 12—10. Both sets were close, and while Miss Nicholls was driving and lobbing well, and Miss Ramsay, whose cuts are always troublesome, was also . playing solidly, Miss Macfarlane again showed a great variety, and drove and volleyed strongly. Her smashing was a feature of the match. She was easily the outstanding player of the four. Mrs. Marshall was very useful and had Miss Ramsay and Miss Nicholls thinking more than once. Mixed Doubles. When Brinsden and Miss Nicholls met A. C. Johns and Miss P. Millar in the semi-final of the mixed doubles, some brilliant tennis was exacted, but the spectators were disappointed. Of the four, Miss Nicholls was quite the most interesting. Playing her usually steady game, she delighted the crowd with a good variety of strokes. Especially in the last set did she show her best; she drove with force and accuracy and placed her shots well. Miss Millar played a sound game, but found a lot of 1 bad luck. Brinsden was very patchy. Although in the opening games he volleyed and smashed brilliantly, he went off quickly, and for the rest of the match was erratic. Johns was serving well, but most of his playing shots had no sting. There were few exciting rallies. Brinsden and Miss Nicholls won the first set, 6—4. Johns and Miss Millar led : through most of the second, and although ■ Brinsden and Miss Nicholls took a 5—4 ; lead, the Eden and Epsom pair won ' three games on end for the set, 7—o. : Brinsden and Miss Nicholls won the third ! set easily, 6—2. Experience won for Lampe and Miss i Knight their match against Turner and : Miss Whitelaw, the other semi-final in • the mixed doubles. Both young players put up a good showing, but together cliey . were no match for the Wanganui man and his partner, who took the match, • e—3, 6—4. In the second set, the game before the last was very interesting. • Miss Whitelaw was serving with the • score love —40. Although they had four match points, Lampe and Miss Knight : could not finish the game. In both sets ? there were several good rallies and often ' the ball crossed the net a dozen times.

Playing better than they did in tho semi-final, Brinsden and Miss Nicholls beat Lampe and Miss Knight B—6, C —2. Missing very little the Remuera pair played their opponents out of position often. Going to the net in every stroke Brinsden was particularly safe. He volleyed brilliantly. Miss Nicholls kept up the steady play which she showed this morning. Both Lampe and Miss Knight were missing on easy shots; Miss Knight was hitting wildly when she was pushed. In the second set especially Lampe and Miss Knight put up very little opposition.

Results of matches played yesterday are:—

Men's Championship Singles. Final: L. G. Knott beat Dr. J. Laur enson, 6—4, 6—l, B—6.

Ladies' Championship Singles. Final: Miss Marjorie Macfarlane beat Miss Beryl Knight, 6—4, o—2. Men's Championship Doubles. Final: N. K. Sturt and L. G. Knott beat H. Brinsden! and E. W. Griffiths, 3—6, C—2, 6—4, o —o, 6—4. Ladies' Championship Doubles. Final: Miss Marjorie Macfarlane and Mrs. Marshall beat Misses D. Nicholls and J. Ramsav, 6—3, 12—10. Combined Championship Doubles. Final: H. Brinsden and Miss D. Nicholls beat M. L. Lampe and Miss B. Knight, B—6, 6—2. Men's B Grade Singles. Final: N. Bowden beat Stallworthy, 4—o, o—2, 3—G, o—l, 6—2. C Grade. Men's Singles.—Final: C. G. Bowden beat G. "McDonald, 6—o, 6—2. Ladies' Singles.—Final: Miss C. Bryant won by default from Miss D. Bryant. Men's Doubles. —Final: Symes and Abbott beat Jonson and Wood, 4—o, b—4, 7—o. Ladies' Doubles. —Final: Misses Leng and Rukutai beat Misses C. and D. Bryant, 6—2, 3—6, B—6. Combined Doubles.—Final: J. N. Wilson and Miss Knell beat Bates and Mrs. Harvey, 6—3, 6—2.