LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 95, 23 April 1931, Page 17

LAWN TENNIS.

AUSTRALIANS' VISIT.

ATTRACTIVE TENNIS AT STANLEY STREET.

(By HALF-VOLLEY.)

Although the match between the Auckland Association's team and the visiting Australians, D. P. Turnbull and D. Thompson, had to be postponed from Monday till Tuesday afternoon on account of wet weather, a surprisingly large gallery of spectators gathered at Stanley Street to see the match. The courts were very heavy and slow to the point of being very slippery; but fast tennis was the order of the day, and the public got their money's worth. Although the Aucklanders, A. C. Stedman and E. L. Bartleet, proved superior in the singles ynatches, in the doubles the Australians .reversed matters and were on top all the way, treating the gallery to a delightful exhibition of net play. Stedman Defeats Turnbull. A. C. Stedman, playing first string for Auckland, played a well-judged game against the South Australian champion, D. P. Turnbull. » Turn-bull's stinging service was the outstanding feature of his game, and lie frequently left Stedman standing with services aces. Stedman, however, equally reliable on his own service, and he succeeded in breaking through the visitor's service once in each set to win 6—4, G—4. It is difficult to say how Stedman would compare with Turnbull under good conditions when each of them had had practice. The slow court and slippery surface war, much against Stedman, but on the other hand his opponent had had no tennis for three weeks, and had been only one day off the . boat. Thompson Extends Bartleet. E. L. Bartleet met and defeated the younger Australian, D. Thompson, and lost the first set. Thompson played a most attractive volleying game, and forced the pace successfully during the first set in which Bartleet's lack of practice prevented him from finding his accuracy in passing drives. The Aucklander improved out of sight in the second and third sets, though a temporary slump allowed Thompson to catch up to s—all in the third set. Bart- • leet's backhand lias never been seen to better advantage than in the last two sets- of this match. Australians Too Good in Doubles. Having lost both the singles, the Australians treated the gallery to a firstclass exhibition of doubles tactics in defeating Stedman and Sturt, undoubtedly Auckland's best , double, in three straight sets, in which the Auckland pair never looked, like winning ~ either the Second or third set. There 13 bo doubt that in the doubles game Australia leads the world; and whenever Australian teams come to New Zealand the result is the same—at singles we hold our own, more or less; but at doubles we go down every time. The visitors rushed the net- throughout the match and had the Auckland pair scraping on the baseline during the greater •- part of the play. . In this they were helped partly by their strokes and partly by their tactics: TurnbuH's terrific service is a great asset both in singles and doubles —nothing faster has been seen in Auckland. It is a straight slap, hi't with his full weight, and goes for aces time and again when it-lands in the service court. It was easy for Thompson to command the net wlien Turnbull was serving. But when cither Australian was receiving, the other, true to Aussie tradition, would stand at the net, staking all on the receiver's ability to play a dipping crosscourt return. It is this return, produced consistently off any service, that is iwithout doubt the whole secret of successful aggressive doubles play. Turnbull's cross-court forehand drive was deadly, and had the server guessing all! the time. It turned defence into attack time and time again, and enabled Thompson to stand at the net with absolute confidence. Thompson, when he received, appeared to run round his backhand unduly; but he got results all the same, and his backhand, when required, functioned surprisingly well. It was in the persistency with which the Australians rushed the' net, held the net and pushed their opponents off the net, '"which spelled success. And when at the net they were right up, not three feet away from it. It was a lesson in doubles tactics which young players particularly would do well to notice and remember. •* Of the two Aucklanders neither appeared to be on their best doubles game. Stedman was slower on his feet than usual—the slippery surface worried him a lot —and lie did not appear to be able to smash with any great speed. 'Sturt, who was under a disadvantage* When compared with the other three players, in that he had had no single to warm him up, was inaccurate, and tended to be caught on the service line. But perhaps it was as much the bustling tactics of the Australians more than anything else which prevented the Aucklanders from producing their best game, and the result must have been an object lesson in doubles tactics to many a young Auckland player. V"! Auckland Ranking List. "Half-Volley" now issues his annual attempt at ranking the Auckland firstgrade players, and will comment .upon and justify his ranking in this column during the next two or three weeks. His ranking is as follows, — , - Men. —(1) A. C. Stedman, (2) E. L. Bartleet, (3) N. G. Sturt, (4) M. M. Morrison, (5) J. C. Charters, (6) E. W. Griffiths, (7) H. C. Rowlands, (8) V. R. Johns, (9)- S. Lamb, (10) A. K. Turner, (11) V. N. Hubble, (12) P. E. Potter, (13) M. Aldred, (14) W. G. Watkins, '(15) G. Martin. (16) J. T. Harrison. Women. —(1) Mrs. H.. M. Dykes, (2) Miss Marjorie Macfarlane, (3) Miss B. jMJ Knight, (4) Miss J. E. Ramsay, (5) Miss Marion Macfarlane, (6) Miss T. D. [Newton, (7) Miss L. Robertson/ (8) Miss Pat Miller, (9) Mrs. B. Napier, (10) Miss M. Potter, (11) Miss R. Taylor, (12) Miss D. Wilson, (13) Miss M. RiQhardson, (14) Miss N. Whitplaw, : (15) Miss P. Frankham. HANDICAP MATCHES. RESULTS AT SPRINGDALE. * t (From Our Own - Correspondent.) TE AROHA, Wednesday. In the Walters Cup competitions Miss ,F. Hunger won the ladies' singles and Mr. jkF. Rae the men's singles. Following are 3kVift results !— Handicap Singles.—First round : ■Mj&fe H. Walls (owe 15) beat Miss V. l&jrain (rec 10), 40—31"; Miss F. Hunger (owl 6) beat Mrs. McNeil (rec. 17), 40—20 ; Miss C. WagstafE (ree. 8) beat Miss I. -King (rec. 20), 40-34; Miss D. Pagan, (rec. 3), /a bye. Second round: Miss N. Hi van (rec. 20) beat Miss R. Love (scr), 40—37; Miss D. Malcolm (owe 5) benll Mict v. . 2), 40 —o2; Miss C. 1

Wagstaff beat Miss D. Fagan, 40—38; Miss F. Hunger beat Miss H. Walls, 40—31. Miss F. Hunger beat Miss C. Wagstaff, 40—30; Miss N. Ryan beat Miss D. Malcolm, 40 —32. Final: Miss F. Hunger beat Miss Ryan, 40—30. Men's Handicap Singles.—First round: F. Rae (scr) beat H. Hunger (owe 2), 50—46; D. Malcolm (owe 30) bent 11. Wagstaff (rec. 8), 50—44; B. Malcolm (rec. 7) beat I. Prowse (owe 20), 50—47 ? W. Walters (rec. 2D), a bye. Second round : I. .Tones (rec. 23) beat R. Wagstaff (owe 2), 50—26; J. Sharkey (ree. 23) Heat R. Jones (rec. 20), 50—45; W. Walters beat B. Malcolm, 50 —31; F. Rae beat D. Malcolm. 50 —43. Semi-final: F. .Rae Dtat W. Walters, 50—44: I. .Tones beat J. Sharkey. 50—46. Final: F. Rae beat I. Jones, 50—48.