A SURPRISE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 5, 7 January 1938, Page 13

A SURPRISE.

TARANAKI PLAY.

MISS N. BEVERLEY LOSES.

AUCKLANDER'S PERFORMANCE

(By Telegraph—Own Correspondent.)

NEW PLYMOUTH, Friday

The defeat of Miss Nessie Beverley (Matamata), second Xew Zealand ranking player, by the New Plymouth champion Miss J. Taylor, was the outstanding happening at the North Island tennis championships, which commenced to-day.

It was a grueling tnree-set battle, in which Miss Taylor took the first set 6 —i. Aliss Beverley won the next convincingly 6—5. In the third the players were engaged in a back-line duel, both driving hard with few excursions to the net. Miss laylor won her service after staging a fine recovery from 15 —40 to take the lead 5—4. In the next game, with the score at 30—40 Miss Beverley double-faulted and the game was over.

In 'the men's singles the Parnell champion, 0. Litherland, started rather shakily against E. Nichols tWanganui). He was uncertain about nearly all shots, but just as he appeared likely to lose the fii«t set he staged a fine rally to take the set 6 —4. In the second set he was still erratic with his volleying, but his ground shots were beautifully executed, and he was always going like a winner. Hard-fought Game. The hardest fought game of the morning was that between A. Dickie (WaverleyJ and C. Nichols (Eltham). This was a real marathon, two out of the three sets going to the advantage stage. Dickie took the first 7—5, Nichols the next t> —4, but lost the third after leading 3 —l and square at 6-all. The New Plymouth players, C. H. Strombom and F. Jenkinson and F. Strombom and'F. Jenkinson staged a fine game, the former winning 4—6, 6—3, 6—3. Aucklanders Win. A Dickie was no match for N. G. Sturt, even though he played better than he did in his first game. Sturt's court coverage was too good, while he cleverly exploited a cut shot into Dickie's backhand apd followed it to the net. His volleying continually left Dickie standing. Considerable interest was displayed in the first game of the Aucklander, A. D. Brown, who was faced by C. Dickie in the second round. Brown plays the ball later than any other player at the tournament, and displayed wonderful coverage. Dickie made a good fight for a few games, but once into hie stride Brown was always going like a winner. He employed a cut return down the centre of the court to great advantage, while his work at the net was seldom at fault. Litherland fully extended J. G. Gunn. and the result might have been different had not Litherland missed many ''sitters*' at critical moments. Stern Struggle. B. Dold (Waikato) and F. Jenkinson (New Plymouth) had a stern struggle with the Auckland pair, O. L. Litherland and W. H. Entwistle. They won the first set 6—4, but the Aucklanders retaliated by taking the next, 6—3. Dold and Jenkinson led in the third, and an advantage set appeared likely when' Litherland and Entwistle quickly ran to 40 —love, but they fell into errors, and allowed the New Plymouth players to win five points in succession, to take the set and the match.

Miss M. Beverley, in her first round game, lost the fiiist set to Mies P. Wylds (New Plymouth), but won the next two in decisive fashion. In the second .-round she carried too many guns for Mies J. Hunter, who won the girls' championship at the-recent Hawera tournament.

The first Auckland ranking player, Miss B. Bishop, had a well-contested game with Miss A. Graham (Waverley) in the first round, but fairly overwhelmed Miss A. Bruce-Smith in the second round. She will meet Miss M. Beverley in the semi-final to-morrow.