LAWN TENNIS SEMI-FINALISTS FOUND FOR NATIONAL TITLES

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28481, 10 January 1958, Page 5

LAWN TENNIS SEMI-FINALISTS FOUND FOR NATIONAL TITLES

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, January 9. The semi-finalists have now been found in both men’s and women’s singles and doubles events at the New Zealand tennis championships at Central Park, Wellington. In the men’s singles semi-finals, R. Howe will meet L. Gerrard and J. E. Robson will play J. A. Barry. In the women’s singles, the titleholder, Miss R. Morrison, will meet Miss B. Nelson, of Canterbury, and Miss P. Nettleton will play Miss Sonia Cox, of Wellington. There were no real surprises in the men’s quarter-finals today although many expected R. S. McKenzie, seeded third, to beat Gerrard. The other three matches were all won convincingly by Howe, Robson, and Barry. The way in which J. A. Barry beat A. S. Burns created renewed speculation as to the likely finalists.

Barry played in a manner reminiscent of his best years to beat Burns with the loss of only two games, and for the whole match played near-perfect tennis, hitting his ground shots with excellent length and direction and rarely failing to put the volley or smash away for a winner. Barry made no more than a dozen or so errors in the entire match and although Burns has not had a great deal of tennis this season, even his very best would hardly have been good enough. Howe in Good Form The Australian, R. Howe, was also in very good form today and made short work of the Davis Cup representative, C. T. Parker, who had no answer to Howe’s game of very fast service, firm volley and lovely drop shots, acutely angled. J. E. Robson also played well to beat J. R. McDonald and his match with Barry tomorrow is creating considerable interest. It seems unlikely that Robson will provide Barry with the pace he thrives on, but on a fast court and on today’s form Barry should be very hard to beat.

In the fourth quarter-final, the young Davis Cup representative, L. Gerrard, beat R. S. McKenzie, seeded third, in four hard sets but hardly seems likely to beat Howe in the semi-final. McKenzie was a little unlucky to lose the first set in which he led 4-1 and any lucky breaks throughout the match seemed to .be with Gerrard. Although he was sometimes really brilliant, Gerrard was very inconsistent and had McKenzie been fit enotigh to have consistently taken the net position, it is likely that he would have won quite comfortably. McKenzie was content to leave the attacking and net position to Gerrard but when he did cope in he invariably volleyed or smashed a winner. The women’s singles results were as expected and Miss Morrison was in splendid form to beat Miss Glenie without the loss of a game. Miss Nelson won comfortably today but will have to be very good to extend Miss Morrison. The other semi-final, between Misses Cox and Nettleton, should be a very close match. Men’s Doubles The men’s doubles semi-finals will also be played tomorrow. The top seeded pair, Robson and McKenzie, today eliminated the last remaining Canterbury pair, G. G. Judge and M. C. Healey, and will renew their battles with Gerrard and Parker tomorrow. Howe and Burns and Johns and Woolf, the other semi-finalists, each met with stiff opposition in their matches today. The finalists have been found in the women’s doubles championship and first and second seeded pairs, Misses Cox and Nettleton and Miss Morrison and Mrs Robs' son, will meet. Misses Cox an<y Nettleton, who are combining beautifully, are likely to win. / Howe and Miss D. King pnd Robson and Mrs Robson will meet in the mixed doubles final. If Gerrard had been at his best, he and Miss Morrison would have beaten Howe and Miss King but

although Miss Morrison played splendidly, Gerrard made many simple errors, often on vital points. In the other semi-final* P. Healey and Miss Nettleton made a bold bid to upset Robson and Mrs Robson and very nearly succeeded. They led 4-2 in the final set and several times were within a point of match point when they tried hard to take Robson’s service when leading, 5-4. Results:—

Men's Singles Quarter-finals. —R. N. Howe (Australia) beat C. T. Parker (Auckland), 6-1, 6-1, 6-3; J. A. Barry (Manawatu) beat A. S. Bums (Auckland), 6-0, 6-1, 6-1; J. E. Robson (Auckland) beat J. R. McDonald (Wellington), 6-1, 6-3, 6-2; L. A. Gerrard (Auckland) beat R. S. McKenzie (Wellington), 9-7. 6-3, 7-9. 6-4. Women’s Singles

Quarter-finals. —Miss R. Morrison (Auckland) beat Miss J. Glenie (Auckland), 6-0, 6-0; Miss B. Nelson (Canterbury) beat Miss D. King (Wellington), 6-3, 6-3; Miss P. Nettleton (Auckland) beat Miss D. Taylor (Auckland). 6-4. 6-2; Miss S. Cox (Wellington) beat Mrs H. Robson (Auckland), 6-2, 6-2.

Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals.—McKenzie (W.) and Robson (A.) beat C. G. Judge and M. C. Healey (Canterbury), 6-2, 6-2, 6-2; Gerrard and Parker (A.) beat A. D. Robinson and D. L. Robinson (W.), 6-1, 6-0, 6-3; Howe (Aust.) and Burns (A.) beat F. Scarlett (W.) and G. K. Roberts (A.), 6-3, 8-6, 6-4; G. L. Johns and B. E. Woolf (A.) beat B. R. Boon and M. A. Ellis (W.)» 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

Women’s Doubles Semi-finals.—Miss Morrison and Mrs Robson (A.) beat Misses Nelson (O.) and R. Dickson (A.), 9-7, 6-0; Misses Cox (W.) and Nettleton (A.) beat Misses King and Taylor (W.), 6-3, 6-0. Mixed Doubles

Semi-final.—Robson and Mrs Robson beat P. Healey and Miss Nettleton, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5; Howe and Miss King beat Gerrard and Miss Morrison, 2-6, 6-0, 7-5.