LAWN TENNIS

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26617, 31 December 1951, Page 2

LAWN TENNIS

END OF SOUTH ISLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS A. L. BLACKWELL WINS SINGLES. TITLE After a match lasting more than two hours, A. L. Blackwell (Canterbury) beat S. Watson (Canterbury), 5-7, 7-5, 7-5, to take the South Island lawn tennis mens singles championship at Wilding Park on Saturday. The women’s singles title went to the New Zealand champion, Miss J. Burke (Taranaki), who beat the leading Canterbury player, Miss Jean Mac Gibbon. 6-3, 2-6, 6-4. Play in the late afternoon was delayed by a heavy shower of rain, which made the courts very slippery. Against Watson, whose ability to retrieve is extraordinary, Blackwell played with extreme care, working him out of position. The volleying of both was very good, and the smashing, although not powerful, was very accurate. Blackwell played most of the match from near the base-line, but when he came to the net he nearly always scored. Blackwell was at his best in the third set. When Watson led 5-2, the match seemed to be his, but Blackwell, playing even more accurately, won five games in a row to take the match. Neither Miss Burke nor Mrs Mac Gibbon played very well in the final of the women’s singles, although Miss Burke was more solid and showed more purpose than her opponent. Miss Mac Gibbon constantly changed her type of game at critical moments, and fell into errors. Several times she led 40-0, only to hit' the next ball straight into the net and go on to lose the game. She appeared to become over-anxious, and could not decide the best method of attack. She played much better when she was fighting an uphill battle. Miss Mac Gibbon did not come into the net as often as usual, and when she did she often chose the wrong time and was passed with some very good angle shots. Both hit freely with fore- , hand and backhand strokes, and the volleying and smashing were good. Best Match of the Day I The final of the men’s doubles championship was won by Watson and Blackwell from P. R. Vesty (South Canterbury) and D. Radford (Otago), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. The rain which came on about 5 p.m. caused play to be stopped for a time, and when play resumed only a few spectators remained. These few saw the best tennis of the day. It was a match of very clever volleying, with very little baseline play. Blackwell’s enterprise, coupled with the steadiness of Watson, proved too strong for Vesty and Radford, who, although they won the first set, were forced into more and more errors as the game went on

The. final of the mixed doubles chamS ionship, won by A. N. Bailey (Canterury) and Miss Burke from E. D. White (Auckland) and Miss Mac Gibbon, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, was played at a very fast pace and was marked by excellent overhead shots by Bailey. Miss Burke played with her usual competent calmness. She was more impressive than she was in her singles match, and lobbed and volleyed very accurately. Miss Mac Gibbon was again very erratic, although she played some very good angle shots and smashes down the middle of the court. White’s very powerful service gained some points, but Bailey was able to control it and even score from it at times.

' Good Showing by Juniors G. W. Lane (Canterbury), who beat P. Angland (South Canterbury) in the final of the Canterbury junior under 18 boys’ singles championship, played very consistently and accurately. Angland made some brilliant shots, but fell into too many errors. The game was .played at a fast pace, and both hit very hard. Angland, who beat Lane in a recent Slazenger Shield match in Timaru. took the first set 6-5, but Lane’s steadier game gave him the final two sets, 6-1, 6-2. The under 18 girls’ singles championship was won by Miss M. Pauli (Canterbury), who beat Miss M. Oliver (South Canterbury), 6-1, 6-1. Miss Pauli, one of the most promising juniors in Canterbury, also won, in company with Lane, the junior mixed doubles championship. Results of the final day’s play were:—•_ SOUTH ISLAND SENIOR ’ CHAMPIONSHIPS Men’s Singles Final.—A. L. Blackwell beat S. Watson, 5- 7-5, 7-5. - Women’s Singles Final.—Miss J. Burke beat Miss J. Mac-, Gibbon, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4. Men’s Doubles Final.—Watson and Blackwell beat P. R. Vesty and D. Radford, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. Mixed Doubles Final.—A. N. Bailey and Miss Burke beat E. D. White and Miss Mac Gibbon, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. CANTERBURY JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS Under 18 Boys’ Singles Final.—G. Lane beat P. Angland, 5-6, 6- 6-2. Under 18 Girls’ Singles Final.—Miss M. Pauli beat Miss M. Oliver, 6-1, 6-1. Under 18 Boys’ Doubles Final.—C- Tippins and S. W. Bullen beat P. Angland and P; Mineham, 4-6, 6-5, 9-7. Under 18 Girls’ Doubles Semi-final.—Misses Pauli and Oliver beat Miss N. Myers and D. J. Allison 6-4, 6-1; Misses J. Mardon and J. Beadel beat Misses M. Patterson and K. Wood 6-3, 6-4. Final.—Misses Beadel and Mardon beat Misses Pauli and Oliver, 6-4, 6-5. Junior Mixed Doubles Final.—G. Lane and Miss M. Pauli beat S. Bullen and Miss J. Beadel, 6-5, 6-5. Under 15 Girls’ Singles Final.—Miss J. Craythorne beat Miss J. Davidson, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. HANDICAP EVENTS Men’s Singles Final.—D. James (rec 3-6) beat A. K. Leitch (rec 15), 9-7.