ROBSON BEATS MCKENZIE

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

ROBSON BEATS MCKENZIE

! THIRD TIME IN SIX e MAJOR EVENTS i .. . WELLINGTON TITLES 0 DECIDED (New Zealand Press Association) . WELLINGTON, Dec. 30. p New Zealand's greatest lawn tennis player of the last decade, R. S. McKenzie, 7 failed again on Saturday to win his own '1 district championship. Although he saved - four match points, he went down in three ). straight sets to his old rival, J. E. Robson ) (Auckland)-. Besides beating McKenzie, 6-3, 6-1, 8-6, h Robson won the men’s doubles with McKenzie, and the mixed doubles with Mrs Anderson. o It was the third time in their six major r. encounters that Robson had beaten Mcs Kenzie. He won the 1948 New Zealand title from McKenzie at Central Park, and the North Island title at Hamilton. 1 An Otago representative till this season, ' s Robson was unable previously to play on t- grass courts before the major tournament •round. Auckland’s turf courts have been of great benefit to him, as his play during this tournament testified. Robson placed his ground strokes and formidable service so awkwardly and sprinted to the net so persistently that McKenzie was often bustled. Frequently >f he hit the ball out while attempting to d pass Robson, or helplessly prodded his rei- turn back to the net, where Robson was l_ in position to return a winner. , After winning the second set, 6-1, Rob- ’ son dropped his service for the first time in the third game of the third set. Mc1, Kenzie took the lead 3-1, but Robson e mixed his play cleverly and levelled at r 4-all, mainly by the use of some daring J lobs which floated tantalisingly near Mcp Kenzie’s outstretched racket. They battled • up to 6-all, when Robson drew away from _ McKenzie, who survived four match points before he tipped a volley into the net. Results:— Men’s Singles.—Final: J. E. Robson beat R. S. McKenzie, 6-3, 6-1, 8-6. Women’s Singles.—Semi-finals: Miss B. Nelson beat Mrs Chandler by default; Miss B. Meyer beat Miss H. Dykes. 6-4, 6-1. Final: Miss' Nelson beat Miss Meyer, 6-2, 6-4. Men’s Doubles.—Final: McKenzie and Robson beat P. Nicholls and F. Herring (Australia), 6-1, 6-3, 8-6. Mixed Doubles.—Final: J. Robson and Mrs Anderson beat D. Robinson and Miss B. E. Nelson, 7-5, 6-4. Junior Umpire’s Prize.—The special prize for the best junior lawn tennis umpire at Wilding Park during the South Island- senior and Canterbury junior championships was awarded to Miss Maureen Mitchell on Saturday.