LAWN TENNIS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21986, 9 January 1937, Page 17

LAWN TENNIS

CANTERBURY DEFENDS TROPHIES CHALLENGE OF YOUNG WAIKATO TEAMS VISITING MEN DO WELL Canterbury gained a lead—although a narrow one in the case of' the men —in both the Wilding Shield and Nunneley Casket matches against the challenging Waikato teams at Wilding Park yesterday. At the close of the first day’s play Canterbury led in the shield match by four matches to two and in the casket contest by five matches to one. The northern teams are composed largely of young and promising players, and they gave a very good account of themselves against the more experienced Canterbury teams, who have held the trophies for the last two seasons. The challenging teams are officially known as the Northern Zone, Waikato and North Auckland being grouped for the purpose of the shield and casket competitions. None of the visiting players is from North Auckland, however, and it is the enterprise of the Waikato Lawn Tennis Association that has been responsible for the entry of another team in the annual competitions which previously have been confined to Auckland. Wellington, and Canterbury, with an occasional challenge from the group of southern associations. The weather was excellent for yesterday’s play, and the courts, though by no means fast, gave welcome speed to the shots of players who have been struggling for the last week on. the rain-soaked Timaru courts. Roach Beats Dymoild The Waikato shield team is headed by a pair of young players who have created a most favourable impression on this visit to the South Island. J. Roach, the first man. has a good record in North Island tennis, including a win over N. G. Sturt, Auckland s best man. Yesterday he played good tennis to beat H. Dymond, a consistent Canterbury man. Roach has the most powerful backhand in New Zealand tennis, and though he is erratic on this wing, especially when dealing with short or low-bouncing balls, it is a prolific point-winner. A good serve, sate, though not fast, forehand, and accurate volleys and smashes complete his sound stroke equipment. He played good attacking tennis against Dymond, bustling’the Canterbury player with his forcing backhand drive andl welltimed advances to the net. Dymond made a strenuous effort to save the match in the third set, but Roach, to his credit, lifted his own game to a higher standard still. None the less meritorious was the performance of Livingstone in a set from H. A. Barnett, playing fir. for Canterbury in the absence of U. Angas. Livingstone’s shots all carry a

good deal of spin—top-spin on the forehand and under-spin on the backhand —and he maintains excellent control. He worked hard and hit strongly in an effort to break through Barnetts defence and he was rewarded in the second set when he forced errors from Barnett’s forehand and earned many good placements from the net. Gorich Wins j. Leng. Waikato’s third man, is a solidly-built youth, who, with a re- ■ stricted swing to all his shots, hits hard and accurately. He mjade a very good fight of his match with I. J. Corich. The latter, in his first shield match, played some delightful shots anq .made some great recoveries. D. Clow played a well-varied game against A. R. Cant, driving well on the forehand and bringing off some good volleys. The Canterbury players’ attack to. the backhand corner proved a little too strong for the visitor. , Canterbury’s doubles pairs were at a disadvantage in not having played together previously, and it must be admitted that their performances were disappointing. Livingstone and Roach out-volleyed Cant and Cprich, convincingly, but the surprise of the match was the excellent showing of Clow and Leng against Barnett and Dymond. They led 5-3 and had set points in the first set, and up to that time they had played fine aggressive tennis. Barnett and Dymond defended tenaciously and saved the set, going on to win the second more convinc-. ingly. when the visitors made more mistakes than in the early part of the match. Miss N. Beverley’s Strong Driving All the Nunneley Casket matches went according to expectations. Waikato’s team is headed by the Misses Nessie and Margaret Beverley, Who are now' well known in New Zealand tennis. The third and fourth players are not quite up to this standard,_ al- ' though both Miss M. Edmondson and Miss R. M. Drake are sound and capable players.: Miss N. Beverley gained Waikato s only win of the day in the casket series, her driving being too fast and well-controlled for Miss I. Poole. Miss Beverley is New Zealand’s second ranked player and runner-up to Mis? Dulcie Nicholls in two successive New Zealand championships. She hits her ground strokes very severely and she is decisive in her volleying and smashing. Miss T. Poole beat Miss M. Beverley more convincingly than she did in the semi-final of the Canterbury championship at Christmas. Her driving to Miss Beverley’s backhand opened up the court for safe advances to the net. but she could never take liberties with her opponent on the forehand. Miss Beverley’s forehand shots were well angled and fast. Good Doubles Win Miss Drake, a left-hander with a eood free style.' did well to take Miss N. G. Bishop. Canterbury’s third player, to 9-7 in the first set, and a little more enterprise at the crucial times might have Won the set: Miss Bishop was steady at critical points and after saving the first set found the range with her accurate drives and took the second With the loss of only one game. The influence of hard»cburts is to be sepn in the style of Miss Edmondson. whose top-spin forehand drive too often found the net in her match against Miss E. Rudkin. The latter served and drove well and scored often with shrewd variation of length. The Poole sisters had no difficulty in beating Waikato’s second pair, but the other doubles was a lohg and close fight, ending in the not entirely unexpected defeat of Misses N. and M. Beverley by Misses Bishop and Rudkin. The Beverley sisters are not ah ideal doubles combination, both being bettei* at driving than volleying, and Miss M Beverley particularly was apt to net volleys and smashes at important points. Misses Rudkin and Bishop also are baseline players and are quite content to fight their, doubles battles from the back of the court. They defended tenaciously and did not often make mistakes when they had chances to score from the net. The Results Following are the results of yesterday's matches: — ' SINGLES . H. A. Barnett beat D. Livingstone, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. H. Dymond lost to J. Roach, 7-9, 6-2, 3-6. „ A. R. Cant beat D. Clow, 6-3, 6-3. ,1. J. Corich beat J. Leng, 6-4, 10-3. DOUBLES Barnett and Dymond beat Clow and Leng, 8-6, 6-4. Cant and Corich lost to Roach and Livingstone, 2-6, 6-8. Canterbury, 4 matches, 9 sets, 80 games; Northern Zone, 2 matches, 5 sets, 70 games. NUNNELEY CASKET SINGLES Miss T. Poole beat Miss M. Beverley, 6-2, 6-4. ‘ Miss X. Poole lost to Miss N. Beverley, •3-6, 1-6. „ . Miss N. Bishop beat Miss R. M. Drake, 9-7, 6-1. Miss E. Rudkin beat Miss M. Edmondson, 6-1, 6-3. DOUBLES Misses I. and T. Poole beat Misses’ Edmondson and Drake, 6-0, 6-1. Misses Bishop and Rudkin beat Misses N. and M. Beverley, 1-6, 8-6. 6-4. Canterbury, 5 matches, 10 sets, 70 games; Waikato, 1 match. 3 sets, 47 games. . To-day’s Matches Following is the draw lor to-day’s matches:— WILDING SHIELD I. p.m—A. R. Cant v. J. Long, I- J. Corich v. D; Clow. . , 2.30 p.m.—ll. A. Barnett v. J. Roach, H. Dymond v. D. Livingstone. 4 p.m.—Barnett and Dymond v. Roach and Livingstone, Cant and Corich v. Leng and Clow. NUNNELEY CASKET 1.30 p.m.—Miss N. Bishop v. Miss M. Edmondson, Miss E. Rudkin v. R. M. Drake. 2.30 p.m,—Miss T. Poole v. Miss N. Beverley, Miss 1. Poole v. Miss M. Beverley. : 4 p.m.—Misses X. and T. Poole y. Misses N. and M. Beverley, Misses Bishop and Rudkin v. Misses Edmondson and Drake.