N.Z. DAVIS CUP TEAM

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25099, 3 February 1947, Page 8

N.Z. DAVIS CUP TEAM

INVITATION TO OTAGO PLAYER (PA) DUNEDIN, February 1. J. E. Robson, the Otago representative tennis player, has been invited by the New Zealand Tennis Association to join the New Zealand Dhvis Cup team to travel to England in March.

inter-club' matches

Results of inter-club matches in the women’s and mixed grades of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Associations competitions played on Saturday were as £ol-

SENIOR WOMEN’S GRADE North Linwood v. Canterbury College II Singles.—Mrs H. Lane beat Miss A. Peppier, 6-2, 6-3; Miss S. Elsom beat Mrs M Millard, 6-1, 6-2; Miss A. Hughes beat Miss N Vile, 6-3, 6-1; Miss M. Hutchison (Canterbury College) won by default. Doubles. —Mrs Lane and Miss Elsom beat Miss Peppier and Mrs Millard. 6-1. 9-7; Misses Elsom and Hughes beat Misses Vile and Hutchison, 6-3, 6-3. North Linwood won by 5 matches to 1. Elmwood v. Canterbury College I ‘Singles.—Miss M. Burrell beat Miss I. Kitson 6-0, 6-1; Miss M. Whiteside lost to Miss P. Kitson, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6; Miss J. Bunt beat Miss A. Thomas, 6-1, 6-2; Mrs S. Austin beat Miss B. Binsted, 6-0, 6-0. Doubles.—Misses Burrell and Whiteside beat Misses I. and P. Kitson, 6-4, 6-4; Miss Bunt and Mrs Austin beat Misses Thomas and Binsted, 6-1, 6-2. Elmwood won by 5 matches to 1.

Sumner v. United Singles.—Miss P. Stevens beat Mrs B. Boyd, 6-2, 6-3; Miss N. Noonan lost to Miss V. Rollitt, 6-4, 1-5 (retired); Mrs A. Kite lost to Miss S. Hutchison, 4-6, 3-6; Mrs H. Chetwin lost to Miss A. Cuddon, 2-6. 5-7. Doubles.—Misses Stevens and Noonan lost to Mrs Boyd and Miss Rollitt, 6-8, 7-9; Mesdames Kite and Chetwin lost to Misses Hutchison and Cuddon, 4-6, 6-1, 0-6. United won by 5 matches to 1. SECOND MIXED GRADE Section 1 Barrington beat Shirley by 10 sets to 6; Spreydon beat Cathedral by 10 sets to 6; Elmwood beat Beckenham by 11 sets to 5; St. Albans beat Waimairi by 13 sets to 3. Section II Edgeware beat Shirley by 9 sets to 7; Redcliffs beat St. Paul’s by 10 sets to/6; Wigram beat Avonslde by default. THIRD MIXED GRADE » Avonside Church beat Edgeware by 14 sets to 2; Woolston beat Phillipstown by 9 sets to 7; Mount Pleasant beat Cathedral by 11 sets to 5. UNDER 21 MIXED GRADE Windermere beat Waimairi by 11 sets to 5; Elmwood beat Beckenham by 11 sets to 5;. Linwood beat Shirley by 11 sets to 4; Sumner beat United by 10 sets to 6; St. Mary’s beat Woolston by 10 sets to 6. EXHIBITION MATCHES CANTERBURY PLAYERS VISIT ASHBURTON Four of Canterbury’s leading men players—W. J. Smith, R. G. Pattinson, R. Howe, and T. Callender—gave exhibitions of singles and doubles play to a large crowd of tennis enthusiasts at the Ashburton Lawn Tennis Club’s court on Saturday afternoon. Further attraction was coaching classes conducted by Mr A. D. Brown (official coach of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association). The programme began with a singles match between Smith and Pattinson, in which the former, by his excellent placing of good-length balls, forced his opponent into errors and won the match, 6-1, 6-1. Smith's forehand and backhand stroking appeared effortless and his timing and footwork were a pleasure to watch. Both players had strong backhands, but on Saturday Pattinson’s forehand was weak. The court was very fast and he had difficulty in coping with the high-bouncing balls. There was little overhead play, both Smith and Pattinson preferring to battle it out from the baseline. Any loose balls were severely punished, particularly by Smith, who. in crosscourt driving, tucked the balls away in the corners to give his opponent few chances of returning them. The doubles exhibition between Howe and Pattinson and Smith and Callender was notable for its fast volleying and accurate overhead play. Each pair took a set, Smith and Callender by 8 games to 6, and their opponents by 7 games to 5. The final set was. not completed. Smith was the outstanding player, though Howe played some very tricky shots from the net

The final exhibition singles was between Howe and Callender, the former winning in straight sets. Later, the Canterbury players partnered some of the men on the Mid-Canterbury Lawn Tennis Sub-Association’s ranking ladder for some informal games. The Canterbury men were particularly pleased with the court, one man stating that it was the fastest court he had played on for some time. The visiting players were entertained at .the home of Mr A. Stanley.