COLOURFUL PLAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 260, 2 November 1935, Page 10

COLOURFUL PLAY.

BROOKES AND PERRY. World Tennis Stars — Crowds at Stanley Street. A tennis master of a generation that has gone and the dynamic personality of the world tennis champion of to-day combined to treat spectators at the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association's Stanley Street Courts this afternoon to brilliant exhibitions of the game. Norman E. Brookes, the Australian tennis genius of a few years ago, was scheduled to oppose- in doubles P. J. Perry, whoso artistry and skill won him the Wimbledon title again last year and helped in a large measure to retain the Davis. Cup for Great Britain.

The exhibitions, prayed in ideal conditions, were perhaps the most colourful that Auckland has known. More colour, if more were needed, was added by the appearance of the hard-hitting Miss Joan Hartigan, Australian champion, and semi-iinalist at Wimbledon last year. PERRY V. STURT. Cheers greeted F. J. Perry and N. G. Sturt as they walked on to the court for the first match of the afternoon. Injured in his match with Wilmer Allison when he lost the American title at Forest Hills, Perry was playing his first tennis since then —against the advice of doctors who told Perry not to play for another month. On a perfect court that was a tribute to the ground superintendent, Mr. E. W. Griffiths, and those under him, the players had a long "warm up." Perry, displaying all the old delightful court mannerisms that Aucklanders know, was, nevertheless, obviously nursing himself and it was plain that he had not fully recovered from his injury.

To the delight of the crowd Sturt took the first two games. Perry had made many mistakes and Sturt soon had a 3 —l lead. Perry now started to assert himself. Artistry peeped through, but his brilliance was only occasional and he was still missing many shots. Sturt went quietly ahead to win the first set at o—4.0 —4. It had been a set of spasmodic brilliance on the part of both players, but the big crowd cheered in appreciation.

Although Sturt was playing fairly soundly, Perry was settling down now and he was soon playing so well that whenever ho was in diflieultics he could win a point with comparative ease. Perry knew Sturt's weakness—his backhand—and whenever the Englishman wanted a point he played to the Aucklander's backhand and won it through Sturt's mistakes.

Always Perry had the match under perfect control. On tho rare occasions that Perry went to tho net, he killed loose stuff with severity. His agility close in was a delight. He played amazing angle shots on either hand, he volleyed and half-volleyed with consummate artistry and he drovo with unerring accuracy to win the second set at o—3.

Good as he had been, Perry displayed tho best tennis of the match in the third set. He did not reach the heights that Auckianders have seen him reach, but there were enough dazzling flashes to delight the crowd. Shirt fought gallantly, going for every shot with confidence, but always Terry was just a stroke too good and he ran out a winner, 4—o, G—3, o—3.

Young Americans. Unknown to the crowd who were watching tho exhibition matches, the two young American players, P. P. Blanchard and N. S. Tiluey, played a practice match on No. (i court. Both are ranked in the first 20 players in America and they enjoyed fast, evenlycontested games together, with nobody to applaud the more brilliant shots. Their standard was a long way ahead of that of many of New Zealand's leading players. Results:— F. J. Perry (England) beat N. G. Start (Auckland), 4—o, o—3, o—3. Miss Joan Hartigan (Australia) beat Miss Marjorio Macfarlane (Auckland), 7—5, o—3. F. J. Perry and N. E. Brookes won the first set from N. G. Stmt and M. T. Wilson, o—3. The Aucklanders led 4—3 in the second set, when the visitors had to leave to catch the Lurline.