LAWN TENNIS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22003, 29 January 1937, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS

■ ♦ WELLINGTON'S SHIELD CHALLENGE

PLAYERS FAIL TO MAINTAIN

TIMARU FORM

LBy Crosscourt.l

While it is recognised that Wellington will have a very strong men's team for the Wilding Shield match at Wilding Park on Friday and Saturday of next week, results in the recent North Island tournaments have made it appear that the team will not be quite as formidable as appeared likely after the New Zealand championships at Timaru. There is. too, a very strong possibility that D. G. France, chosen as fourth man in Wellington's team, will not be available for the match. He did not take part in the Wellington provincial championships last week nor in the Dominion tournament at Timaru. Few will deny that in the New Zealand championships Wellington players provided convincing evidence that the standard of the top men in the capital city is higher than that in Christchurch, but the Wellington players as a whole have not since appeared to the same advantage. Even Canterbury pessimists, who thought that Wellington could have the shield for the asKing. are beginning to think that the home team may offer a fight in defence of the trophy.

Wellington's Impressive Showing

Certainly the Wellington men played impressively at Timaru. The men's singles final was fought out between two Wellington men and five of the last eight in the event came from Wellington. Of Wellington's chosen team, D. C. Cocmbe, N. F. N. Bedford, E. A. Roussell, and France, only Bedford has since given Wellington supporters any reason for congratulation. Bedford won the Wellington championship from a very strong field, but Coombe, Roussell, and, R. McL. Ferkins, the team's emergency, all fell before the final. Coombe, the New Zealand champion, was lucky to beat young N. V. Edwards, lost a set to Ferkins. and then went out to the hard-hitting Auckland youth, A. D. Brown. Roussell was not impressive and was well beaten by another young Auckland player, J. T. Mayson. who took Bedford to five sets in the semifinal.

The replacement of France by Ferkins might be expected to strengthen the Wellington doubles, but Wellington enthusiasts cannot take much consolation from this, because Ferkins and Roussell, who are the national doubles champions,, were beaten by Sturt and Edwards, who in turn v»ere decisively beaten by Coombe and Charters in the final. That this last-mentioned combination is not likely to face Canterbury may be an additional factor in the defender's favour. Coombe and Charters now hold both the Canterbury and Wellington doubles titles.

Canterbury Team's Practices

Coombe's defeat in the Auckland championships yesterday by M. T. Wilson, a player who has fallen well down the Auckland ranking list, is another indication that the New Zealand champion has lost some of his fine Timaru form. Another significant result in the Auckland tourney is the early defeat by an unknown player of Mayson, who made such a good showing against the Wellington Wilding Shield team.

On the other hand Canterbury enthusiasts have had no reason this season to feel any confidence in the form of their own players. The team. C. Angas, H. A. Barnett, H. Dymond, and A. R. Cant, with I. J. Corich. emergency, has been putting in some strenuous practice in the last week and should give a better account of itself against Wellington than it did in Timaru A programme of practice matches has been arranged for tomorrow afternoon as follows:—1.30, Angas and Dymond v. Corich and R. G. Pattinson, Barnett v. Cant; 3, Angas v. Dymond, Barnett and Cant v. Corich and Pattinson.

TWO N.Z. CHAMPIONS

BEATEN .

SURPRISES AT AUCKLAND TOURNAMENT

(PKES3 ASSOCIATION TKLEGBAM.) AUCKLAND, January 28. Two big surprises occurred in the semi-finals of the Auckland tennis championships. . M. T. Wilson, an Auckland player, beat D. C. Coombe (Wellington), the Dominion champion, in three straight sets, scoring a well-deserved success. In the women's singles, Miss Margaret Beverley, the 18-year-old Matamata player, eliminated Miss Dulcie Nicholls, also a New Zealand titleholder, in three 'sets. Miss Beverley outplayed her opponent. When leading 5-2 in the first set, she was attacked by nerves, but thereafter she recovered, winning the next two sets.

YANKEE TOURNAMENT AT LINWOOD

Mrs D. Gunn (New Brighton) won the yankee tournament held for women players at the Linwcod Tennis Club's courts on Wednesday afternoon. Mrs Robert Wilson (Kirwee) was runnerup.

Arrangements were made by a committee consisting of Mesdames D. Clinton and Stammers and Misses L. Wright and N. Begg.

Mason, Struthers have engaged Mr Earle Einam, official coach to the Canterbury Tennis Association, and he will be pleased to book coaching lessons and to supply leaflets with illustrated hints to players. Mr Chas. Angas, New Zealand's leading amateur, is also associated with Mason, Stiuthers' Sports Department, and will be pleased to assist players with advice. —6 TENNIS PLAYEKS. The gut used by us tor all our restringing and repair work is selected with the greatest care and you can leave your racket in our hands with every confidence All work done on the premises by our own stringer, who has strung rackets for Vivian McGrath and all the leading players. Our motto: Quality. The Canterbury Sports Depot. 258 High. st. —1