BRIGHT TENNIS

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 307, 28 December 1929, Page 5

BRIGHT TENNIS

AUCKLAND TOURNEY. GOOD PROGRESS MADE. STEDMAN'S SURPRISE DEFEAT. [ Although drizzling rain marred the early part of the forenoon's play, and greasy courts made conditions difficult throughout the day, the Auckland Lawn ' Tennis Association's annual championship tournament was productive yesterday of'some bright tennis. Good progress was made with the programme, all the courts being occupied till after I p.m., when play was abandoned owing to failing light. The surprise of the day came when A. C. Stedman was beaten in the third round of the men's A grade singles by M. M. Morrison. Having beaten Bartleet a week ago for top place on the Auckland ladder, Stedman. was regarded by many as a certainty for the final, and it came as a shock to see the colt go down comparatively- easily in three sets. The going was fairly even in the first set, and it was only towards the end that the players settled down to attractive tennis. • Driving hard to the corners with beautiful length, Stedman had Morrison chasing up and down the base line, going to the net occasionally to finish off a rally with a pretty volley. But Morrison soon proved to be the steadier of the two, and Stedman, to the surprise of his supporters, lapsed into foolish mistakes. Even when Morrison was two sets in, Stedman could not strike his true form, and when the third set was half over, his hopes failed and died. Morrison was now the master, and playing with flashes of brilliance, he carried all before him. Time after time lie caught the colt badly out of position. Then, with a desperate smash down the centre line, he triumphed amidst applause from the gallery. The score was: 7 —5, 9—7, 6—l. Eesults not published in the 3.30 edition yesterday were as follows:— MEN'S SINGLES. A GRADE. Third Round. —Morrison beat Stedman. 7 5 9 7 j 6 —l; Sturt beat Entwistle, 0 o' 6 3,' 6—2; Charters beat' Griffiths, 5—7, 6—3, 6—l, 6 —4. B GRADE. Second Round.—Harrison . beat Colegrove, 6 —2, 6 —2 j Tonks beat Sparling, 6_1,'l 6—2; Brown beat Roberts, 6—o, 6—3; Bartleet beat Lamb, 6 —l, 6—2, 6—4. MEN'S DOUBLES. First Round. —Lamb and Boardman beat Turner and Turner, 3 —6, B—6,8 —6, 6—4, 4 —6 C —o ; Melody and Hardy beat Turei and Ruru, S —6, 6 —3, I—6. 6—2; Milne and Lucas beat McKeown and Potter, 6 —o, o—3,0 —3, 4—6, 6 —2 ; Stedman and Sturt beat Wilson and Wilson, 6—2, 10 —8, 6—l: Hubble and Nicholson beat Charters and North, 5 —T, 10—8, 6—3, 9 —7 ; Entwistle and Chisholme beat Coombe and Walton, o—4,0 —4, 6—o. 6—2; Bartleet and Watkins beat Reeves and Major, G —o, 6-—4, 6- —-1; Brough and Hobbs beat Latta and Latta, 6—2, 6—o, Second Round. —Coates and Chalmers beat Bassett and Bassett, 7—5, 6—l, 6 —l; Johns and Morrison beat Colegrove and Macfarlane, 6 —l, 6 —l, 6—l; V. R. Johns and Havr beat Partridge and Robinson, 6—2, B—6, 6 —4. LADIES' SINGLES. Miss Ramsay beat Miss Potter, 6 —l, 6—3. Mrs. Melody beat Miss Newton, 6 —2, 6—2; Miss Marjorie Macfarlane beat Miss R. Taylor, 6—3, 6—o. LADIES' DOUBLES.

First Round. —The Misses Marjorie and Marion Macfarlane beat Misses Parr and McCrea, 6—l, 6—3; Misses Knight and Whitelaw beat Misses Dods and E. Potter, o—o,0 —0, 6 —l; Mesdames Melody and Arneil beat Misses Potter and Sanderson, 6—2, 6—l; Misses Miller and Miller beat Mrs. Sturt and Miss Moginie, 6 —4, 6—3 ; Mrs. Herrick and Miss P. Frankham beat Misses Newton and Jean Chambers, 7 —5, 6—4. Second Round.—Misses Knight and Whitelaw beat Misses Marjorie and Marion Macfarlane, 6 —4, 7—5. GIRLS' SINGLES. First Round.—Miss T. D. Newton beat Miss E. Dickson, 6—o, 6 —2; Miss J. Chambers beat Miss J. McCullough, 6—4, 6—3 ; Miss M. Colson beat Miss N. Anderson, 7 —5, 6 —o; Miss R. Johns beat P. Buddie. 6—2, 6—4; Miss C. H. La Roche beat Miss Corboy, 6—-1, 7 —5. Miss Hall beat Miss Green. 6 —4, 6—3. Second Round. —Miss D. Chetwynd beat Miss E. Klssling, '6—3, 4—6, 6—o. GIRLS' DOUBLES. First Round. —Miss T. D. Newton and •T. Chambers beat Misses M. Hall and J. McCullough, 6—3, 6—4. BOYS' SINGLES. First Round.—O. F. Bushill beat J. H. Cooke, 6 —2, u—o ; C. Stephens beat C. B. Chalmers. 6 —3, 3 —6, 6 —3 ; M. T. Wilson beat T. H. Wilson, 6 —o, 6—l; D. Ryburn beat W. B. Sutherland, 5 —7, 6—4, 6—2 ; S. li. Walton beat C. K. Harrison, 6 —o, (J—3. "A Late Start." After delay through rain a start was made this afternoon with two semifinals of the men's A grade singles, Bareleet meeting Charters, and Sturt playing Morrison.