Tennis Titles.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 6, 8 January 1934, Page 8

Tennis Titles.

Sproule and Malfroy to Meet in Men's Final.—Miss Bickerton Wins Ladies' Championship.

(By Telegraph.—Prcs Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. The weather was still dull and overcast for the concluding day of the protracted New Zealand tennis championships. Play, which was impossible on Saturday, began at 9 o'clock with the resumption oi the semi-finals of the men's singles, Sproule (Australia) playing Andrews (England), and Donohoe (Australia) meeting Malfroy (New Zealand). The final of the women's singles championship was between Misses Valkenburg and Bickerton, both Australians. It is the intention of the management to push the programme ahead as rapidly as possible, and if everything goes well there is a sporting chance of finishing the tournament to-day. "If we cannot/' states tho secretary, "players will have to get away, and we will have to play the matches off whenever we get the chance. We cannot carry on indefinitely." By agreement among the players, who were informed that they might use Wilding Park yesterday, if the courts were playable, one inafch was decided late in tnc afternoon, when Malfroy and Marjorie MacFarlanc, the holders of the combined championship, beat Khodes-Willianie and Miss Wake, o—4, o—ll, 6—4, in a quarter-final game. No. 3 court rolled out dry, and was in good condition. There was a. very large gallery. It was a splendid match, with some clever net work and rapid interceptions by the men. Both ladies drove vioously, getting pace off their opponents' returns, and there were some keen battles of wite among all players. Rhodes-Williams played above himself, serving so well that it was only when his opponents broke through his third service game in the last set that the match swung their way. Miss Wake was the least steady player of the four. Miss MacFarlane gained many points' with low-skimming drives down the line, and. her returns of service were exceptionally accurate. Charles Angas, a former Dominion champion, and .the present Canterbury champion, was married this afternoon to Miss Elsie Treneary. Change In Fortune. In the final of the women's singles play was steady, with both cautious at the outset. Miss Bickerton, driving, the more accurately, won the first set 6—3, but Mies Valkenburg was on top in the second, winning it 6—l. Frequently she ran her opponent out of court, and occasionally came to the net for a winner. The match seemed to be Miss Valkenburg's with a three-love lead in the final set. Neither was keeping a good length, but Miss Valkenburg was the more aggressive. However, in the critical fourth game, Mies Bickerton suddenly made a stand, steadied her game, and gained control to take six games on end, the set and the match. It was a surprising change of fortune. Malfroy's Victory. A large gallery gathered to watch the resumption of the men's singles semifinal, in which Malfroy was leading Donohoe 6—3, B—6, with 4-all in the third eet. Both are wonderfully accurate volleyere, and again it was a keen battle to secure the net position and slam the other man out of court. The pace was on, and tho tennis was spectacular, but Malfroy made a number of errors, and Donohoe captured the third set 7—5. In the fourth set Donohoe was definitely in control. At tho outset he restricted the speed of the game, and frequently outplayed Malfroy, or passed him coming in, to secure a lead of three-love. Then Malfroy recovered touch and made the Australian run from corner to corner. The New Zealander went to a 4 —3 lead. More hard fighting followed, and Donohoe got the lead again at 6—5. Then 7-all was called, amid excitement, but Malfroy forged ahead to secure the set 9—7, and the match. It had been a very even contest. Sproule Always Superior. The semi-final between Sproule and Andrews was resumed from the stage of the first set, with Sproule leading 10 —9. Sproule served, but Andrews got the game and made it 10 all. Sproule again ran his opponent about as much as possible, using short-angled drives and a chopped drive that troubled his opponent. He kept up the attack, and took the next two games and the set, 12—10. The remaining two sets were quickly over, in favour of the Austi-alian. Andrews was plainly not in his best form. The- heavy court was against his style of play, and virtually his only effective weapon to counter Sproule's wizardry was a straight drive, which, with every bit of hia power behind it, hurtled to a definite target inches inside the base line. Too often, however, it rapped the top of the net or went out. There were some brisk exchanges in the third set, with Andrews showing flashes of his best form, but, even so, Sproule Rot to a_ 5—2 lead. Then Andrews pulled up slightly when Sproule made some mistakes, and made it 4 —5, but Sproule's superiority was always apparent, and the title-holder had to play second fiddle. An interesting event this morning was the women's doubles quarter-final match between Mesdames Adams and Dykes, the holders of the title, and the Misses Poole, of Canterbury. The first eet played on Friday went to the Wellington pair, mainly on account of Mi's. Dykes' superior court craft and lobbincr. To-day the second set began, with the Misses Poole leading 3—l. They kept up their hard driving down the centre of the Court, and hammered Mrs. Adams' short lobs, to win the set 6-;2. The final set saw the Wellington pair dominating most of the play, and they triumphed, 6— i.

Results:— Women's Singles. FINAL. Miss Bickerton (N.S.W.) beat Miss Valkenburg (N.S.W.), 6—3, I—fi, 6—3. Men's Singles Championship. .Semi-finals. Sproule (Australia) beat Andrews (England), 12—10, 6-2, 6—l. Malfroy (New Zealand) beat Donohoe (Australia), 6—3, B—6, 5—7, 9—7. Women's Doubles. Third Round. Mrs. H. M. Dykes and Mrs. R. P. Adams beat Misses T. and I. Poole, 6—l, 2—6, 6—4. Semi-final. Mieses Bickerton and Hall (New South Wales), beat Mesdames Dykes and Adams, 6—3, 6—l. Combined Doubles. Third Round. Mise Valkenburg and Donohoe beat Miss Nicholls (Wellington) and Sturt (Auckland) by default. • Miss Macfarlane and C. E. Malfroy beat Mise M. Wake and T. Rhodee-Williams, 6—4, 9—ll, 6-4. Fourth Round. Miss N. Hall and E. D. Andrews beat Miss N. Lloyd and I. A. Seay, 6-3, 7—5. Semi-final. Misri Hall and Andrews beat Miss Fleming and D. G. Coombe by default. Ladies' Plate. • Semi-final. Miss Newton beat MLss Gould by default.