EDWARDS PLAYS WELL

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24768, 8 January 1946, Page 6

EDWARDS PLAYS WELL

COMBINED DOUBLES MATCH

DEFEAT OF BROWN AND PATTINSON

<P.A.) AUCKLAND, January 7. The most exciting match of the day in the Nev. Zealand tennis championships waj the combined doubles, in which Edwards and Mrs Edwards (Hutt Valley) defeated Robb and Mrs Robb (Wellington).

3 Edwards played a magnificent game, backing up and cutting off returns wherever possible to lighten the attack against his wife, who played both courageously and intelligently. The result might have been different had Robb been able to swing his backhand return straight down his side-line. Edwards, realising this defect, repeatedly anticipated the return correctly and cut it off at the net decisively. Edwards was here, there, and everywhere, even to saving shots over his partner’s head which looked like certain winners. It was a well-deserved win over worthy opponents, who fought back fiercely in the second set. The defeat of Brown and Pattinson, the seeded Canterbury players, was due to the orthodox play of Renouf and O’Connor (Wellington) against a pair who ; would not settle down to team-work. In • this Brown was the worse offender, not ’ being content to submerge his individual- ‘ istic play in order that his partner might ’ benefit from any openings he created. ’ Brown at times was brilliant, but he did ' not seem to be able to sustain the effort. Renouf and O’Connor played to Brown , and crowded the net, making no mistake with smashing opportunities The Wellington pair played a good, solid game and thoroughly deserved to win, coming from 5-2 down in the last set to take the next five games. The match between Gunn and Peter Smith was expected to prove the big match of the day. Smith, who has done very well in provincial tennis in the past, | could not match Gunn’s coolly thoughti out drives to both forehand and backhand. Gunn’s experience and courtcraft I always had Smith in difficulties. Crisp, I hard driving and accurate smashing by Gunn on his frequent excursions to the net contributed to Smith’s defeat. Gunn | wil’ now meet the winner of Renouf v. I Edwards. , _ , Miss M. Beverley (Waikato) showed that she has lost little of her skill. In her match with Mrs Edwards (Hutt Val-

ley). whom she defeated 6-0, 6-3, Miss Beverley was not at the peak of her form, but her forehand drives had plenty of sting. Her next match will be against Miss Kerr (Otago). John Barry (Auckland) and Peter Smith (Northland) were thoroughly extended to four sets when they met and defeated Lon Roach (Waikato) and J. C. Charters iHutt Valley). This match occupied more than three hours, and was a marathon of lobbing bv the southerners and smashing by the northerners. Young P. Becroft. the 1944 Auckland junior champion, played exceptionally well in his singles against R. McKenzie, although he lost in three sets. Becroft led McKenzie in the first set until the score stood at 4-2 in his favour, when McKenzie, with a brilliant burst of forceful forehand drives and accurate smashes, ran past him to take the set 6-4. Becroft tired and McKenzie went on to win the next two sets.