SENIOR SINGLES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 19, 24 January 1939, Page 8

SENIOR SINGLES.

TENNIS TOURNEY. PRELIMINARY ROUNDS TO-DAY A. S. BOBW THXXX-ÜBT WW. Senior «a|Jee 'were commenced in the tnanl • Auckland provincial tennis championships at Stanley Street to-day on the "best of five sets" principle. Though the morning promised to be fine there was a 'brief shower shortly before 11 o'clock which held up play for almost 20 minutes before "the courts were considered dry enough for matches to continue. Another shower accounted for 20 minutes at '11-30 a.m. There was a slight breeze which did not interfere with play. The attendance was moderate. ■ Win for A. S. Burns. It was not an exciting match when the junior title champion, A. S. 'Burns, beat D. Clow, the Waikato man, 6—l, 6—2, B—6.8 —6. It was mainly Burns'driving that gave him the match. He did not display anything special in any other department. Clow played well, hut it, was the general steadiness of Burns that' defeated him, Burns having better judgment and Clow failing with many "outs." Burns was down in the third set 5—2 and then forced the pace, going in to the net to collect the next three in a row, Clow taking the following game and Burns winning another three, to take the set and match. L. Roach (Waikato) wm much too consistent for P. E. Potter, whom he beat. 6—4, 6—3, 6—2. Neither player was hitting very hard, but Roach angled his shots well and kept Potter travelling around the court, particularly in the last two sets. Potter was returning Roach's high lobe well and placing them with accuracy, but Roach was returning everything without trouble and did not appear bustled at any stage. In the first set Potter led at 3 —2 and 4—3 before he lost ground; in the second set he reached a lead at 2—l, and the set went to 2-all before Roach got away; and in the third set games stood at 2—o in favour of Potter before Roach took the last four in a row, to carry set and match. J. Roach Too Good. J. Roach, Waikato's No. 1 ranking player, beat E. H. Orbell in a four-set match in which Roach showed up to advantage with a backhand and finished better at the net. Orbell played a steady game, but was "up against a cool, polished player. Gunn beat Wilson after a hard struggle in which there was not a great deal'of difference between the two plavers. Gunn, however, played a more polished game and refused to be bustled in any department. His returns were excellent. Results were:— MEN'S SINGLES. Roach beat P. E. Potter, 6—4. 6—3, g S. Burns beat D. Clow, 6—l, 62. R. R. Lees beat 0. G. France by default. 6R- H - Lewis beat M. P. Lees. 7—5. 6—B. I—6. *6—3. < 6^f a^ 3 . beat E " H - ° rbeU--6-?4 gj_^ Smith beat L A - Wylds, 6—2, A. S. Broun beat G. Brough. B—6.8 —6. 7—5, 6 4. ' 6 R- G. beat 8. 7. Robinson, J. C. Charters' beat C. O. Litherland. t —"•<), 6——l, 6— X. X. G. Sturt beat J. Leng, 6—l, 6 4,. 6—l. 3. W. (ionn beat M. T. Wilson, 6 J, 7—5, 6—4.