LAWN TENNIS Seeded Players Win At National Tourney

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28169, 7 January 1957, Page 9

LAWN TENNIS Seeded Players Win At National Tourney

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, January 6. Saturday provided what must have been one of the quietest opening days ever for the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association’s championships. All the seeded players in both the men’s and women’s sections survived and in nearly all cases the expected rather than the unexpected happened. Although play in most matches was .one-sided some worthwhile tennis was seen. J. E. Robson, seeded first, was given little trouble by C. Allen, one of the visiting Australian Universities players. Robson wasted little effort and, although he took every opportunity, did not force the game. M. G. Davies, the visiting British Davis Cup player, lost a set to G. L. Johns, of Auckland. R, Howe (Australia), whose form at Hamilton was so disappointing, still found trouble with his two-handed shots. He beat R. H. Mahy (Poverty Bay), but he was still obviously not satisfied with his game. R. S. McKenzie easily beat R. J. Keenan who, although he fought every point, could not match McKenzie’s fluent stroke production. B. E. Woolf, to whom success in this tournament is necessary if he is to play at Wimbledon, produced some fine tennis to beat the Wellington player, A. D. Robinson.

The match which brought the best contest was the five-set struggle between D. Lye and K. H. Long. Long took the first two sets at 6-2 and 6-3 and, although he dropped the next set, led 5-2 in the fourth.

Lye fought back and survived numerous match points to finally win the set at 8-6. Grasping the initiative, Long was once more leading 5-0 in the fifth set and held match points. Lye recovered again and went on to take the set at 7-5. Miss Cox Wins Easily

Miss S. Cox, the defending champion in the women’s singles, beat Miss A. Purdy without losing a game. Miss Ruia Morrison, seeded second, was slightly less impressive against Miss B. Paterson.

Miss B. Nelson and Mrs H. Robson, the next two seeded players, had easy wins. Miss Nelson scored a surprisingly easy victory over Miss C. Trask, one of Auckland’s top club players. Miss J. Glenie is beginning to show the benefit of the intensive tournament play which she has had in recent months. The manner in which she beat Miss J. Hemming, a member of the Australian University team, was most efficient. The men’s doubles was notable for the impression the public got of the form of Davies and Knight. Although they received little opposition from K. Greenwood and Sloan, they played some delightful tennis and took the three sets without the loss of a game. Robson and McKenzie only dropped one game in their firstround match with Bignell and Robb. Howe, playing with M. L. Dunn was once more faced with the task of working up a combination and it will probably be in later rounds that he will be seen at his best. In ths following results,

otherwise stated, players are from Auckland. MEN’S SINGLES First Round R. N. Howe (Australia) beat R. H. Mahy (Bay of Plenty), 6-1, 6-2. 6-1; D. H. Lott beat K. F. Greenwood (Wellington), 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5; L. Rae (Australian Universities) beat R. Gribbins, 2-6, 2-6, 6-0, 6-1, 6-3; R. S. McKenzie (Wellington) beat R. J. Keenan, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3; J. S. Robb (Poverty Bay) beat L. A. Gerrard by default; M. E. Ellis (Otago) beat D. J. Ferguson. 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1; M, G. Davies (Great Britain) beat G. L. Johns. 6-3, 6-3, 0-6, 6-1; R. H. Turner beat Hihell (Australian Universities), 6-0, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5; P. G. Nicholls (Wellington) beat T. Russek (Northland), 6-2 7-5, 6-2; A. S. Burns beat G. Roberts, 8-6, 6-0. 6-3; B. E. Woolf beat A. D. Robinson (Wellington). 6-2, 6-0, 6-1; J. E. Robson beat C. Allen (Australian Universities). 6-0. 6-0. 6-0; A. G. Mills beat F. G. Dick (Wellington), 6-2, 4-6. 6-1, 6-0. D. L. Lye (Otago) beat K. H. Long, 2-6 3-6, 6-2, 8-6. 7-5; W. G. Ward beat J. H. Lockington, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4; R. Goldfinch beat N. C. Munro (Bay of Plenty), 7-5, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2; J. R.. McDonald (Wellington) beat W. T. Bignell (Poverty Bay), 6-3, 6-1. 6-1; B. R. Boon (Wellington) beat V. G. Atkinson, 6-4, 6-1 6-1; J. Z. -Montgomerie beat R. Sharpe (Wairarapa), 6-2, 6-3, 8-10, 6-1; N. H. Greenwood beat D. Brown, 6-0, 7-9, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Callaghan (Australian Universities) beat J. J. Borough, 6-4, 6-2, 8-6. WOMEN’S SINGLES First. Round Miss S. Cox (Wellington) beat Miss A Purdy, 6-0, 6-0; Miss B. Nelson (Wellington) beat Miss C. Trask. 6-1, 6-4; Miss R. Morrison beat Miss B. Paterson (Waikato), 6-3. 6-4; Miss L. Adams beat Miss L. McCarthy. 6-0. 6-2; Mrs R. Robson beat Miss H. Rika (Northland), 6-0, 6-2. Second Round. Miss V. Fladgate (Waikato) heat Miss J. Decker (Australian Universities), 6-1, 6-4; Miss M. Douglas (Waikato beat Miss L. McCracken (Waikato) 6-3, 6-0; Miss J. Glenie beat Miss 'J. Hemming (Australian Universities). 6-3, 6-2; Miss D. King (Wellington) beat Miss A. Emery, 10-8, 6-0; Miss R. Dickson beat Mrs J. Robb (Poverty Bay), 6-4, 7-5; Miss D. Davies (Hutt Valley) beat Miss G. Baigent, 6-2, 4-6, 10-8; Miss J. Davidson (Canterbury) beat Miss D. Taylor by default. MEN’S DOUBLES First Round M. L. Dunn (Wellington) and Howe beat Mills and K. J. Hayr, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0; Goldfinch and Ward beat Dick and Lockington, 6-1. 6-3, 7-5; Nicholls and E. D. White beat Ferguson and Turner. 6-4, 6-3, 6-1; Burns and M. A. Otway beat Mihel] and Allen. 6-0. 6-1, 6-2; McKenzie and Robson beat Bignell and Robb, 6-0, 6-0. 6-1; Parker and McDonald beat Chapman and Roberts, 6-4, 6-2, 7-5; Davies and knight beat Greenwood and Sloan, 6-0, 6-0, 6-0. WOMEN’S DOUBLES First Round Miss Nettleton and Mrs Robson beat Misses Douglas and Hatton. 6-1. 6-3: Misses Cox and Morrison beat Mesdames Robb and Lott by default. MIXED DOUBLES First Round Robson and Mrs Robson beat Woolf and Miss Bryant. 6-0, 6-3.