LAWN TENNIS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21708, 15 February 1936, Page 19

LAWN TENNIS

MBtrA. AND CASKET MATCHES' ' ;: ’ ?

1 CANTERBURY LEADS IN both events

teams* strong i ' CHALLENGE

-it’the close of the first day's play ' L h e inierprovincial lawn tennis * £ for the Anthony , Wilding JJL and. the Kathleen Nunneley rL ti Canterbury, which is defend--Tboth trophies, has gained a lead Z, Wellington of four matches to .Tin each case. Fortunes fluctuated The shield contest, for after Canterbury had won three of the four singles Itches Wellington’s second • doubles Lr beat Canterbury’s first and it ganed likely that the day would end udth honours even. Canterbury’s second pair, 'however, retrieved the posi(ifio by scoring an equally unexpected niio. ■ ’ jjjj e weather was dull and threatening and a very light drizzle fell for a few minutes during the second round of singles matches. Considering the heavy rainfall of the last week the gilding Park courts were fast, and they played, very truly. There was a ftir gallery, and the spectators were - rewarded by some brilliant exhibitions by the leading players .of New Zealand. ; ",The Canterbury "tail” in each team appears to be stronger than Wellington's and the home side won all of the 'fltst four matches—two men’s and two Women's. H. Dymond started aggressively against the Wellington thirdnan, J. C,-Charters, and maintained a jdnnd driving and volleying attack 'throughout. Charters challenged strongly in the second set with good forehand drives, but Dymond’s defence was- - equal to the test. A. R. ■ Cant played one of his best games of the season to beat R. McL. Ferkins, although he started uncertainly. From the baseline he was very steady, and his volleying and smashing were sound. Even, more decisive were Can-/ terbury’s early victories in the casket contest. Miss N. Bishop Was too severe and too active for Mrs A. D. Latham, the former Scottish player, in a game of hard baseline driving, and Miss E, Rudkin’s, Stinging drives varied by short angled, Shots constantly forced Miss M.-Howe into error on the backhand. * ■Angara Revenge the Canterbury champion, played'tmprcssfve tennis to beat D. C. Cpcmhe, 6-31 6-0, .thus gaining his xevragwijr’ jps jdefeat'in the New Zealaftd Mfemi^oriship's., The score was of, the closepess of the' Angas’ refused to let a go without a struggle. Taking’tbttcTto find the length of his ‘ Angas later advanced, to ttfie gave ‘"a' polished volleying display.t|t seemed at first that H. A. Barneys'persistency ■ waygoing to be. too Ei A. l#et the latter matched the Canterbury ijian in steadiness and began to score off forehand ( errors;,an&wltb i fins volley‘d tpok .the .remaining two sets, witJTsplendid tennis. As expected, Miss D, Nicholls, the 1 New Zealand: champion, proved too strong for Miss I. 'Poole* Canterbury s, Second player, who, however, put: up a very creditable fight, retrieving finely , and scoring" with ■' vigorous drives. Against, thd‘steady Wellington player, Mrs N< Dickson, Miss T. Poole, first player for Canterbury, attacked constantly, and although she made errors in doing so, hers were the right tactics to break down the defence of a player who has the. reputation of being a heartbreaking stonewaller. i Surprises in Doubles 4 r The real surprises came in the men’s iubles, when the second pair of each tpan* defeated the first pair of the opposing side. Coombe and Charters fully reserved their win over Angas and Ijarnett, Coombe was the directing genius of the Wellington pair. He psed a wonderful variety of shots to force his opponents into weak returns, dipping cross-court drives and top-spin tobs being reminiscent of Wellington’s j{on France at his best. Charters was safe m all his shots and very severe overhead. Barnett’s game lacked its reual accuracy and both he and Angas gave their opponents too many short lobs. ; In_a similarly surprising match Dymond and Cant outplayed Roussell and texms. Dymond attacked with great wlrn from .any part of the court and flgangle smashing was deadly. Apart ffrwt a brief period in the second set mt was very steady. Roussell, alough volleying brilliantly at times, appeared to be tired after his strenuand Ferkins fell into error m the face of the Canterbury pair’s ■*®w*ntrated, attack. I," I ®, women’s doubles matches went recOTdmg -to expectations. The Misses eoote beat Miss Howe and Mrs Latham |n straight sets, but they weakened Jjamy m the second, and were in Sfger of losing it. Miss Nicholls and jl,? ■Dkkson were too strong altoMisses Bishop and Rudkin.' The Scores Following are the results of the first V* a y. Canterbury players being Wentioned first:— WILDING SHIELD Singles Angas beat D. C. Coombe, 6-3, 6-0. £22 6 2 a J nett lost tOEI A ’ Roussell > 6 . A 6 r Cant beat R. McL. Ferkins, if dymond beat J. C. Charters, 6-2, Doubles arid nu S anc * Barnett lost to Coombe W*. Charters, 3-6, 5-7. Dymond beat Ferkins and Roussell, 7-5, 6-4. ffaS? te «, ur y> 4 rubbers, 9 sets, 67 Wellington, 2 rubbers, 4 sets, “? games. '■f m I ; nunneley casket * ~ • Singles Poole beat Mrs N. Dickson, Poole lost t 0 Miss D - Nicholls, Bishop beat Mrs A- D. **™ani. 6-0; 6-2. Ruc^r * n beat Miss M. Howe, ,jL. Doubles T- and L Poole beat Miss Mrs Latham, 6-2, 8-6. Bishop and Rudkin lost to Nicholls and Mrs Dickson, 2-6, 4 rubbers, 8 sets,’ 60 Wellington, 2 rubbers, 4 sets,

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THE SHIELD* GAMES

ANGAS’S IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY

i Seldom has Angas in his long career played a better-judged dr more efficient game than that against Coombe yesterday afternoon; When they met in the New Zealand championships at Wellington Angas’s ground shots—particularly his forehand —were appallingly bad, and Coombe beat him with a bustling driving and volleying attack to this wing. The game opened yesterday with COombe again trying hard to get to the net on Angas’s forehand, but Angas held his own in the early exchanges. It was not until Angas appeared satisfied that his ground strokes were really under, control that he ventured into the forecourt himself, and then it was usually on a drive of excellent length to either corner. Coorribe’s returns would have been good enough to beat most players. Angas, however, riot only got his racket on to them, but cut them off for winners with gloriously crisp volleys or smashes to the sidelines. On defence, too, the Canterbury, man was as resolute as eyer, coolly countering Cooriibe’s attacks with well-judged passing shots and lobs. Rcussell’s Recovery A severely sliced backhand, a vigorous forehand, and a rocklike defence were the difficulties which Roussell faced when lie met Barnett, and they were altogether too much for him in the first set. Roussell was sending down fast drives of moderately good length, and Barnett revelled in them, driving and slicing them to take the first set with the loss of only two games. Thereafter, Roussell slowed down his shots to his opponent’s forehand, and when he was forced to play to the backhand he effectively mastered the sliced shot. His concentration on Barnett’s forehand with goodlength drives of only medium pace, however, was the main cause of the Canterbury man’s downfall, for the latter’s forehand completely crumpled dp, and he netted or outed time and again. He made several splendid recoveries in those last two sets, but only for Roussell to erid the rally from the net. ! Canterbury Successes .Against, a player renowned for his Steadiness, Cant himself played one of the steadiest games he has produced this season. Ferkins worried him in the early stages of the game with advances to the net following good drives to the backhand corner, but when Cant began to. counter these tactics with well-tossed lobs the initiative passed entirely from the Wellington man. Then it was Gant who came to the net behind good-length drives, and his volleying and smashing were unusually accurate. Ferkins led at 4-3 in the first set, but Cant then took eight games in succession. . Dymond was in great form, against Charters and substantiated the statement that the Canterbury team was without a tail. He angled and volleyed from %11 over the short court, and even from the base-line his overhead work was seldom found wanting. Charters found that he could get winners only when he charged the ‘ net, but even then Dymond frequently passed him. In the second set Charters played With much more sting, sending occasional slashing drives down the sidelines, but. Dymond was too agile for him, and was seldom passed at the net, where his defence was impregriable. , Brilliant Doubles Play Both of the doubles matches were first-class exhibitions, Angas and Bar•nett have the reputation of being, when in form, one .of the strongest doubles pairs in New Zealand, while Ferkins and Roussell were among the seeded. pairs in the New Zealand doubles championships. Yet both lost to pairs who played unexpectedly bril£ennis. Coomb 6 has all the gkrol&s, including piercing volleys an£ smashes, and his deft play was a constant menace to Angas and Barnett. One shot of Coombe’s stands out—a toprspiri lob which ‘ ran away ,on. bouncing—arid with threat of •this shot constantly in front of them Angas and Barnett fell into the error of hanging back from the net. The Wellington; jnen, on the, other band, got close in and hit hard at anything within reach. There were many bnl-. liant rallies among all four players, .and the recoveries,on both sides made th A S simiJar!y S &igh standard was seen i in the remaining doubles, in which Dymond and Cant rushed the net at every opportunity and finally smashed their way to an unexpected victory. Dymond’s forcing strokes gave the winners many chances at the net, anc * they took full advantage of them. Nothing better than Dymond’s smashing to the forehand sideline has been , seen at Wilding Park for a long time. Cant made few mistakes t and served strongly throughout. Ferkins had to bear the brunt of the attack, but although he defended well, the winners smashing was not to be denied.

THE CASKET MATCHES DESCRIBED

MISS L POOLE FIGHTS HARD

Canterbury has a very evenly balanced women’s four to defend the casket, and their supporters were fairly confident of their winning most of the games‘in which Miss Nicholls was not engaged. The New Zealand champion stands so far above her rivals that her opponents must takthe court at a considerable psychological disadvantage. Yet there were times in her match with Miss I. Poole yesterday • when the Canterbury girl seemed to have a chance of winning. She attacked confidently with goodlength drives to the comers and gained an early lead. Miss Nicholls, however, varying her drives with heavily cut •=hots which found the sidelines with great accuracy* eventually took control and wnn a well-contested game 6-4, 6-4. Miss Poole did not cease to try hard, and the games she won in the second set were mostly the result of valiant retrieving. Attacking on every stroke and maintaining an excellent length, Miss T. Poole gave Mrs Djckson no chance of imposing her own steady game on her opponent. Although the Wellington player took four games in each of the two sets she-never appeared to be in a winning position. Miss Poole concentrated on the sidelines throughout the match, and many winners stirred up the chalk. Mrs Dickson played top often tp the centre of the court, and although she kept a consistently good' length her' lack of variety enabled Miss Poole confidently to visit the net for angled or smashed winders. Occasionally Miss Poole was found wanting in her ground shots, but that was the only phase in which her constant - attack did not find her superior, ’Miss Bishop’s Promising Debut Playing in' her first Nurineley Casket match Miss Bishop distinguished herrelf with a convincing victory over Mrs Latham, a former Scottish representative player whose sound baseline game has made her a respected opponent in Wellington., Miss Bishop, however, was equally ■ sure in her driving, and she used the angles of the; court to greater advantage. The game was played mostly from the baseline, . but the little volleying, done was from Miss Bishop's racket, and she was very sure in . putting away anything loose at the net. Considering that Mrs Latham took Miss T. Poole, Canterbury's top player, to three hard sets In , the New Zealand championships. Miss Bishop's performance in winning .with the'loss of only two games was remarkably good. ■ In a match in which the spectacular was completely absent Miss Rudkin beat Miss Howe because she was gen-

erally the more consistent. Accuracy with her cross-court strokes, which often clipped the line, gave her the first set, and she maintained her accuracy in the second set with some beautiful placements. She varied her length well, and put more life into her drives. Miss Howe was not as steady as usual, and appeared to have difficulty in settling down. Too careful in the first set, she played much better when she loosened up in the second. Doubles Divided The Misses Poole were fortunate that their- doubles match with Miss Howe and Mrs Latham did not go to the third set. They went close to losing the second set entirely through their own slackness. They, took the first set untroubled, directing a keen attack to Mrs Latham’s backhand. They played with the greatest vigour, and the rallies were short when they visited the net. With the first set won so easily they lost concentration, and. after leading 4-1, found themselves 5-6 down. Their net play was careless and accuracy in their sideline play was missing. However, they pulled themselves together and took the next three games in a row, although not without having to fight for them, Mrs Latham and Miss Howe took full advantage of their opponents’ temporary weakness and for a time their deep lobbing and well-placed passing shots had the Canterbury pair in dire trouble. , ■ The generalship of Miss Nicholls and the supreme steadiness of Mte, Dickson were too much for Misses Rudkin and Bishop,: although the latter pair worked energetically in defence. It was always a losing game, and they could do no more than take two games in the first set. Miss Nicholls’s severe chops and drives constantly found gaps In the opposing court, and when she went to the net she volleyed decisively. The Wellington players, too. had the perfect reply to the Canterbury nlayers’ spasmodic attempts to establish themselves in the forecourt—a lob to within a few feet of the back line.

TO-DAY’S MATCHES

Following is the programme for today:— Wilding Shield \ 1.30 p.m.—Charters v. Cant, Ferkins v. Dymond. ‘ - 2.30 n.m.—Roussell v, Angas, Coombe v. Barnett. , ■ 3,45 p.m.—Ferkins and Roussell ,v, Angas and Barnett. 4.30 p.m.—Coombe. and Charters v. Cant and Dymond. Nunneley Casket 1.30 p.m.—Miss Howe v. Miss Bishop, Mrs Latham v. Miss Rudkin. 2.30 p.m.—Miss Nicholls v. Miss T. Poole Mrs Dickson v. Miss I. Poole. 3.30 p.m.—Miss Nicholls and Mrs Dickson v. Misses I. and T. Poole. 4.30 p.m—Misses Howe and Mrs Latham V; Misses Bishop and Rudkin.

MEETING OF ELLESMERE SUBASSOCIATION

Mr R. H. Ford, president, was in the chair at a meeting of the Ellesmere Tennis Sub-Association. The president was appointed manager of the team to play North Canterbury SubAssoclptlon to-day, and Mr T. J. Carter will be manager of the B grade representative team to play a Canterbury team at Wilding Park on a date to be fixed. It was left to the secretary to arrange a match with Banks Peninsula. Delegates were asked to obtain as many entries as possible for a tournament to be held at Easter on the Leeston courts. Because of harvest interruptions It was decided to close the inter-club competitions, air unplayed matches to be completed by February 29. Two B grade fixtures arranged were Southbridge v. Irwell, at Irwell, to-day, and Irwell v. Lakeside, at Irwell, on February 22. These games are expected to decide the competition. Sprlngston won the senior competition with Walhora No. 1 team second. Arrangements are to be made for an A grade representative match with Canterbury Association, at Motukarara. ( Representative Team The team to represent Ellesmere against North Canterbury, Is as follows: —Misses McLaughlin, K. Davis, E. Thompson, P. Brown, M. Davis, A. M. Wellwood, M. rfatchard, Mrs Eden, and Messrs W. J. Wralght, G. Nutt, B. H. Ford, F. A. Holley, A. Manson, M. Mackenzie, S. Duff, and F. E. Owers.

MATCH AT AKAROA The second match tn the Surprise Cup competition was played between the Akaroa Domain and Lawn Tennis Clubs on the Akaroa courts on Thursday, when the Domain Club won by 36 games. The Domain Club won dhe first match by nine games and. it is The following anp the results. Akaroa Lawn Tennis Club players being mentioned first:— . ; Women’s Slngles-r-Mlss Ivy Hayward 9, Mrs Eves 4; Miss Noel Henning 9, Miss C. Narbey 7; Miss A* Haley. 9, Miss P. Brocherle 5; Miss A. Kearney 3, Miss K. McNab 9. Men’s Singles—J. Wright 6, E. E. Eves: 9; A, Shuttleworth 5, V. Brocherle 9;; F. Williamson 3, I. Penlington 9; G. A. E. Le Lievre 3, T. Vaatau 9. * , Women’s Doubles—Misses I. Hayward and N. Henning 9. Mrs Eves and Miss Narbey 7; Misses Haley and Kearney 7, Misses Brocherle and McNab 9. Men’s Doubles—J. Wright and A. Shuttleworth 6, E. E. Eves and V. Brocherle 9; F, WiUamson and G. Le-Lievre 3, I. Penlington and T. Vaatau 9. Mixed Doubles—Miss Hayward and J. Wright 4, Mrs Eves and, E. E, Eves 9; Miss Henning and A. Shuttleworth 5. Miss Nanbey and V. Brocherle 9; Miss Haley and F. Williamson 7, Miss P. Brocherle and 1, FenUngton 9; Miss Kearney and G. Le Lievre C, Miss McNab and T. Vaatau 9. . Totals—Akaroa 94 games, Domain 131 games ,