MISS THELMA COYNE'S PROGRESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 307, 28 December 1935, Page 5 (Supplement)

MISS THELMA COYNE'S PROGRESS.

Miss Thelma Coyne added another State title to her credit by defeating Australia's first ranking player, Miss Joan Hartigan in three sets at the Victorian championships at Melbourne on December 14. The strength of . Miss Coyne's all-round game was well demonstrated in the first set, when Miss Hartigan tried to make an impression on her with one stroke—the forehand drive. In her reliance on this stroke, Miss Hartigan ran. round her backhand whenever she could and she left so much court open that there was usually a winning opening for Miss Coyne, whoso reliability at both backhand and forehand enabled her to retain correct court position and wait on the weak return.

Playing with natural freedom, Miss Coyne took the first game in the deciding set on Miss Hartigan's service, and then profited by her opponent's failure to hit her forehand accurately. With the scores again level, she played some of her beet tennis to go to 4—2. Miss Hartigan held her own service for 3—4, but her young opponent stormed the net in the eighth game to lead 5-3. Well placed deliveries gave Miss Hartigan her next service to love, but she could not match the excellence of Miss Coyne's backhand. driving in the 10th game. Miss Coyne won 6—l, 3—6, 6—4. '