LAWN TENNIS Mrs J. Tinnock Beaten By Waikato Junior

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29103, 15 January 1960, Page 6

LAWN TENNIS Mrs J. Tinnock Beaten By Waikato Junior

(From Our Own Reporter)

AUCKLAND, January 14. The advance to the final of the women’s singles of Miss A. Smith (Waikato) was the feature of the fifth day of play in the New Zealand lawn tennis championship at Auckland today. In the final Miss Smith will meet the titleholder, Miss R. Morrison (Auckland). The Aucklanders, L. A. Gerrard and M. A. Otway will contest the men’s singles final. Miss Smith beat the fourth-seeded Mrs J. Tinnock to gain her place in the final today. The 16-year-old Waikato girl, who was not seeded, won this match 6-2, 6-4. Mrs Tinnock retrieved steadily, but Miss Smith placed the ball well to the corners of the court. Mrs Tinnock’s drives deep to Miss Smith’s backhand did not worry the Waikato junior who returned faster drives of good length.

Gerrard was again in excellent hard-hitting form in his defeat of B. E. Woolf, the only unseeded player to reach the semi-finals. Woolf played as well as he had in the earlier rounds, but the pace of Gerrard's ground shot and volleys gave him no chance. Gerrard won his services without the loss of a point whereas Woolf was always struggling to hold his. Woolf had his chance in the second set when he gained an early service break with good length shots. Woolf held game point for 4-1 when a desperate return by Gerrard just clipped the baseline. Gerrard recovered to 3-all, after a long game, on his own serve and broke through to take the set 6-4. The third set saw Gerrard at his finest He hit his serves with great power and invariably placed his first volley for a winning shot. Woolf dropped his serve in the first game after a struggle but Gerrard’s power and speed were the ultimate factors. In contrast, the match between Otway and the top-seeded J. E. Robson was one of fluctuating fortunes. Both players covered the court well and were consistent with serves, volleys and ground shots.

Only in the fifth set did Robson finally wilt under the impact of the sustained power of his opponent.

Otway won an interesting first set and Robson held his first serve in the second only after five deuces had been called. Otway then unleashed all the power at his command to take six games in a row to win the second set. Otway out-nlayed Robson in this period and conceded only seven points in six games.

Robson gained a vital serve break in the seventh game of a hard-fought third set and held on to this advantage to take the set at 6-4. A tired Robson could not maintain his form in the final set and Otwav won it 6-2 to enter the final on Saturday. Miss Morrison was always In control of the semi-final against Miss M. Johnston (Wellington).

G. D. Moss, the last Canterbury competitor in the men’s plate was beaten in the third round by R. N. Hawkes (Wellington) 7-5. 6-2. Results:

Men’s Singles Semi-ftnals.—M. A. Otway (Auckland) beat J. E. Robson (Auckland). 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6-8, 6-2; L. A. Gerrard (Auckland) beat B. E. Woolf (Auckland). 6-2, 6-4, 6-1. Women’s Singles

Semi-finals.—Miss R. M. Morrison (Auckland) beat Miss M. Johnston (Wellington), 6-1, 6-4; Miss M. A. Smith (Waikato) beat Mrs W. J. Tinnock (Auckland,) 6-2. 6-4. Mixed Doubles .

Semi-finals.—Gerrard and Miss Morrison beat A. Chester and Miss E. Green (Auckland). 6-4, 7-5; Woolf and Mrs Tinnock beat Robson and Mrs H. Robson, 6-1, 6-2.