LAWN TENNIS Woolf Wins Again To Enter Semi-Finals

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29102, 14 January 1960, Page 14

LAWN TENNIS Woolf Wins Again To Enter Semi-Finals

(from Our Own tieponer) AUCKLAND, January 13. Another good win to the 1959 Davis Cup player, B. E. Woolf, was a feature of the fourth day of play in the New Zealand lawn tennis championships at Auckland today. Woolf, who yesterday eliminated the third-seeded J. A. Barry, today beat K. H. Long (seeded seventh) to enter the semi-finals. Woolf’s convincing win over Long, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3, makes him a virtually certain member of the 1960 New Zealand Davis Cup team. If a fourth player is chosen to accompany L. A. Gerrard, M. A. Otway and Woolf overseas it will probably be a junior or intermediate player.

Woolf today relished the speed of Longs ground shots and used his opponent's pace to his own advantage. Both players hit their shots with great power with Woolf more consistent in maintaining a good length on his strokes Woolf s attacking of the net was based on good length shots to his opponents backhand and Woolfs backhand volleys from this position were firstclass. Consistent serving and overhead play added to Woolfs all-round advantage. Woolf in the semi-final tomorrow will meet Gerrard who. with Otway and the top-seeded J. E. Robson, had a comfortable straight-seis win today. Woolf beat Gerrard in the final of the national under 19 title four seasons ago.

Canterbury supporters were disappointed at the play of Miss J. Davidson, who was eliminated in a quarter-final of the women’s sihgles by Miss M. Johnston 1 Wellington?. Although Miss Johnston was third-seeded player, Miss Davidson beat her comfortably in a tournament in Christchurch earlier this season and should have been able to repeat this victory. The key to Mr Johnston’s success was in her consistent attacking of Miss Davidsons backhand, which failed the Canterbury player on many occasions. Miss Davidson was sound on the forehand side, but too uncertain on the backhand to beat a player as capable as Miss Johnston. Miss Davidson failed to position herself correctly for her backhand shots and could not cope with her opponent’s accurate attack. She served well but was unable to take advantage of her position at the net against Miss Johnston’s passing shots. The Wellington player only very rarely came to the net and she won all her points from the baseline. Judge Withdraws C. G. Judge has injured a muscle in his stomach and on medical advice has withdrawn from the men s plate event. The muscle troubled him on the second day and late last evening it severely curtailed the power of his serve when he and Miss Davidson were beaten, 13-11, €-3. by A. Chester and Miss E. Green in a mixed doubles match. This is bad luck for Judge, as hjs matches with the Wellington players, R. G. Clarke and R. N. Hawkes, in the plate event were expected to assist the national selectors if they decide to send an intermediate player with the Davis Cup team Miss Davidson with Miss Johnston has reached the semifinals of the women’s doubles. Their opponents for a place in the final are Misses D. King (Wellington) and V. Eladgate (Waikato).

The- former Canterbury player. E. D. White, was the star of a mixed doubles match late in the afternoon. With Miss D. Tayior. White won the first set easily against the second-seeded pair of Robson and Mrs H. Robson. White, who played senior tennis in Christchurch as much as 15 years ago, dominated the first

set with fine backhands and smashing and intelligent play at the net. Later the Robsons took control to win the second and third sets. G. D. Moss beat the Auckland junior, B. Young, in a hard threeset match in the first set of the men’s plate and later beat J. Roach (Wellington), 6-0, 7-5. In other matches R. C. Neumann lost to G. Campbell (Auckland), 8-6, 5-7, 1-6; B. J. Aldridge lost to J. Z. Montgomerie (Auckland), 2-6, 2-6; and R. M- Minson lost to P. Fletcher (Auckland), 1-6, 3-6. Results:— Men’s Singles Quarter-finals.—J. E. Robson (Auckland; beat J. R. McDonald (Wellington), 6-3. 6-2, 6-4; M. A. Otway (Auckland) beat A. S. Burns (Auckland;, 6-3. 6-0, 6-2; L. A. Gerrard (Auckland; beat P. G. Nicholls (Auckland;, 6-1, 6-2, 1-5; B. E Woolf Auckland; beat K. H. Long (Auckland;, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. Women’s Singles Quarter-finals.—Miss M. A. Sicith (Waikato; beat Miss E. Green (Auckland;, 6-4, 6-1; Mrs W. J. Tinnock (Auckland; beat Miss J. Glenie (Auckland;, 6-1, 6-3; Miss R. M. Morrison (Auckland) beat Mrs H. Robson (Auckland;, 6-2, 6-2; Miss M. Johnston (Wellington) beat Miss J. Davidson (Canterbury;. 7-5, 6-3. Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals.—Gerrard and Otway beat M. A. Ellis and J. Z. Montgomerie (Auckland), 6-2, 6-3, 6-4; J. A. Barry (Manawatu) and Woolf beat J. J. Borough (Auckland) and R Many (Bay of Plenty). 6-2. 6-2, 6-2; Robson and R. S. McKenzie ( Wellington) beat Long and G. LJohns (Auckland), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; Burns and Nicholls beat R. A. Goldfinch and W. Ward (Auckland). 7-5, 6-4, 6-4. Women’s Doubles Quarter-finals. —Miss D. King (Wellington; and V. Fladgate (Waikato, 1 beat Misses S Crummond and A. Gienie (Auckland;, 6-4. 9-7; Misses Davidson and Johnston beat Misses P. Belton and H. Lockington (Auckland), 6-2. 6-2; Miss Morrison and Mrs Robson beat Misses G. Landells and M. A. Smith (Waikato), 6-1, 6-3; Mrs Tinnock and Miss Green beat Misses B. Paterson and E. Terry (Waikato). 6-1, 6-4. Mixed Doubles Quarter-finals.—Gerrard and Miss Morrison beat Long and Miss B Bryant (Auckland). 6-0. 6-0; AChester (Auckland; and Miss Green beat M. Oliver and Miss N. Smith 'Waikato;, 6-4. 6-4; Robson and Mrs Robson beat E. D. White and Miss D. Taylor (Auckland), 1-6, 6-1, 6-0; Woolf and Mrs Tinnock beat R. G. Clarke (Wellington; and Miss Johnston. 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.