LAWN TENNIS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22319, 5 February 1938, Page 7

LAWN TENNIS

CHAMPIONSHIPS OF WEST COAST THIRD DAY’S PLAY Yesterday produced the best tennis so far seen in the West Coast Lawn Tennis Association’s annual championship and handicap tournament. The weather continued fine, and the attendance exceeded that on the two previous days. Easily the most impressive player in yesterday’s matches was B. Smith, who met E. Halstead in the semi-finals of the men’s championship singles. Smith won, 6-3, 6-2. He outclassed his opponent in nearly every department of the game. Halstead found it difficult to control Smith’s peculiar flatly-hit drives, which whipped off the court with great pace. A feature of Smith’s play was his sharplyangled volleys, many of which he took on the run, executing each shot with punch. Halstead served well and got in some good side-line drives, but, on the whole, he was erratic, netting and outing far too many shots. Like Reid, the titleholder, Halstead was unable to make use of his volleying equipment against Smith, who pressed him again and again at the net with cunning placements. Halstead made many splendid recoveries, but he was forced on the defensive for most of the match. Smith will meet P. Warnes in the final.

Playing in the semi-finals against O’Gorman, Warnes produced his best form to date. The match resolved itself first into a battle of tactics, and then into a test of endurance. Warnes won the first set, 6-3. O’Gorman in the second set made his opponent run from corner to corner with deeply-placed drives. 'There were some fine rallies, both men stroking cleanly. Warnes seemed rather too anxious to burn up the court with terrific drives from shortly-placed balls, when judicious placements were all that were needed to earn the points. O’Gorman won the set. 9-7. The last set was an indifferent exhibition of tennis. There were patches of brilliance, when O’Gorman made some amazing recoveries, and Warnes delighted the gallery with neat volleying and powerful smashing. It was Warnes’s overhead shots that were the undoing of his opponent. O’Gorman misjudged lob after lob. and every one was killed. At 4-4 the game became even more a test of endurance: both players were nearly exhausted, and the rallies were not far from becoming pat-ball. Warnes, hitting freely, drew ahead, however, to lead 5-4. He kept up the pressure with crosscoun drives and heavily-sliced shots, ending the three-hour struggle with a slice that shot down the siße-linc. An excellent demonstration of doubles tactics was provided in the semi-final— Mrs Provan and Mrs Cassels v. Mrs Cheyne and Miss Costello. Accurate lobbing and well-angled returns were varied with drives and chops. A feature of the match was the perfect combination that existed between the players, not one failing to “cover up” when necessary. Miss Costello and Mrs Cheyne won, 6-4, 6-4. Results were:— MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES SEMI-FINALS P. Warnes beat O’Gorman, 6-3, 7-9, G-4; W. Smith beat E. Halstead, 6-3, 6-2. WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES SEMI-FINAL Miss M. Wake beat Miss M. Costello, 6-2, 6-3. MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES SECOND ROUND Smith and Childs beat Hardie and Kennedy, 6-1, 8-6; Halstead and Pattinson beat Beban and Innes, 7-5, 6-2; O’Gorman and Stewart beat Nottle and Hill, 6-3, 6-0. SEMI-FINAL Halstead and Pattinson beat O’Gorman and Stewart, 6-2, 6-2. WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES SECOND ROUND Mrs Cassels and Mrs Provan beat Miss Wake and Mrs O’Neill. 8-6, 6-0. SEMI-FINALS Mrs Cheyne and Miss Costello beat Mrs Provan and Mis Cassels, 6-4, 6-4; Mrs Halstead and Mrs King beat Misses A. and O. Stapleton, 7-5, 6-3. MIXED DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP SECOND ROUND Halstead and Mrs Halstead beat Hardie and Mrs Cheyne, 6-3, 7-5; Reid and Miss Costello beat Turley and Mrs Vercoe, 6-1, 6-0; Warnes and Miss Provan beat Stewart and Miss Wake, 6-2, 6-3; Smith and Mrs King beat Childs and Miss A. Stapleton. 6-4, 7-9, 6-3. QUARTER-FINALS Pattinson and Miss M. Tyson heat Pllmmer and Mrs Cassels, 6-2, 6-0; Reid and Miss Costello beat Kennedy and Miss Richmond. 6-3, 6-1; Warnes and Mrs Provan beat Smith and Mrs King, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Halstead and Mrs Halstead beat Mehrtens and Mrs Mehrtens. MEN’S HANDICAP SINGLES THIRD ROUND A. Spark (rec. 2-6) beat Halley (rec. 15), 9-8; T. Childs (owe 15) beat K. T. Hardie (owe 40). 9-3; W. Smith (owe 40) beat R. Nottle (owe 3-6), 9-1. SEMI-FINAL T. Childs (owe 15) beat A. Spark (rec. 2-6), 9-4. WOMEN’S HANDICAP SINGLES SEMI-FINALS Mrs Cheyne (owe 30 3-6) beat Miss A. Stapleton (owe 4-6). 9-2; Mrs Halstead (owe 30) beat Miss Guthrie (rec. 15). 9-4. MEN’S HANDICAP DOUBLES FIRST ROUND McCluskey and Ray (owe 3-6) beat Cassels and Taylor (owe 3-6), 0-6; Dargan and Spark (rec. 15 2-6) beat Kelly and Cohen (scr) by default; Hardie and Kennedy (owe 30) beat Southward and Sharman (owe 2-6), 9-4. SECOND ROUND Hardie and Kennedy (owe 30) beat McCluskey and Ray (owe 3-6), 9-1; Dargan and Spark beat Reid and Warnes by default; M. and C. Hally beat Smith and Childs (owe 40) by default; Mehrtens and Innes (owe 15 4-6) beat Nottle and Hill (owe 2-6), 9-5. SEMI-FINALS Dargan and Spark (rec. 15 2-6) beat M. and C. Hally by default; Hardie and Kennedy (owe 30) beat Mehrtens and Innes (owe 15 4-6), 9-7. WOMEN’S HANDICAP DOUBLES SECOND ROUND Mrs O’Neill and Miss Ray (rec. 15) beat Miss Nesbitt and Mrs Abbie (owe 4-6), 9-5. MIXED HANDICAP DOUBLES FIRST ROUND Pattinson and Miss M. Tyson (owe 30 3-6) beat Southward and Mrs O’Neill (owe 2-6), 9-3; Butland and Miss Guthrie (rec 15) beat Turley and Miss Vercoe (scr), 9-2; Hardie and Mrs Cheyne (owe 30 2-6) beat Dargan and Mrs Moss (rec. 3-8). 9-7; Innes and Mrs Abbie (owe 15 2-6) beat Hill and Mrs Neville (owe 15 2-6), 9-5. SECOND ROUND Stewart and Mrs Cassels (owe 30) beat Ray and Miss Ray (scr), 9-4; Butland and

Miss Guthrie (rec. 15) beat Pattinson and Miss Tyson (owe 30 2-6), 9-7; Hally and Miss Sandman (rec. 15) beat Kennedy and Miss Richmond (owe 15 4-6), 9-6; Sharman and Miss Bush (owe 15) beat W Smith and Mrs King (owe 30 3-6), 9-7: Reid and Miss Costello (owe 40) beat Pllmmer and Mrs Halstead (owe 30), 9-8; Hardie and Mrs Cheyne (owe 30 2-6) beat Innes and Mrs Abbie (owe 15 2-6), 9-4; Nottle and Miss Nesbitt (scr) beat McClusky and Miss Boddy (owe 15), 9-4. THIRD ROUND Sharman and Miss Bush (owe 15) beat Reid and Miss Costello (owe .40), 9-8.