LAWN TENNIS Gerrard, Miss Morrison Win Three Titles

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29105, 18 January 1960, Page 13

LAWN TENNIS Gerrard, Miss Morrison Win Three Titles

(From Our Own Reporter)

AUCKLAND, January 17. The Auckland players, L. A. Gerrard and Miss R. Momson, each won three titles at the New Zealand i n J us c J lam Pionships, which were completed in Auckland yesterday. Gerrard and Miss Morrison had on -he mixed doubles final on Friday, and yesterday they won the singles and doubles titles also.

n,.n„ T i ?o a^° n J h , e last day was disappointing to the ciowd of 220 at the courts. The four finals were all too one-sided to produce tennis of a consistently high standard, and it was the final of the men’s plate event which gave most pleasure to the spectators.

Gerrard won the final of the men’s singles when he completely outplayed M. A. Otway in three sets. This encounter between Otway, the Auckland champion, and Gerrard, the North Island titleholder, was expected to produce an interesting match, but Gerrard had too much power for his opponent. The main difference between the two players was in service Gerrard served powerfully for the whole of the match, and Otway had no answer. Gerrard's occasional double-faults did not relieve the pressure, and the young Aucklander continued to serve as hard as possible. By contrast, Otway’s fine serving of the previous day had completely deserted him. His first serve was not consistent, and his second not fast enough to trouble Gerrard.

As in his previous matches, Gerrard confounded his opponent with his speed to the ball, and the power of his ground shots and volleys. He advanced to the net at every opportunity, and hit his volleys so hard that there was rarely any return. Otway did not hold his service at all in the first set. Gerard quickly ran to a lead of 4-0 with powerful forehands and crisp volleying. Otway gained a service break in the fifth game, but Gerrard won the next two to take the first set at 6-1. Gerrard took Otway’s serve to love in the first game of the second set, but Otway recovered to 2-all with good retrieving. Gerrard went ahead again to a 5-2 lead, but his opponent then took the initiative in the next two games before conceding the set at 6-4.

Otway took an early lead of 3-1 in the third set, and was well placed to become the first to take a set from Gerrard in any event in this tournament. Gerrard then produced his best tennis of the match to take the next four games with hard driving and safe net play. Gerrard won the match after rain had held up play briefly in the last game. Easy Victory Miss Morrison had a surprisingly easy win over the 16-year-old Waikato player, Miss A. Smith, in the final of the women’s singles. Nervousness badly hampered Miss Smith’s play, and she made far too many errors in her hard-hitting game to extend Miss Morrison. Miss Morrison drove hard to Miss Smith’s backhand with success, although Miss Smith had returned similar shots with ease in her semi-final against Mrs J. Tinnock on Thursday. The Waikato girl did herself less than injustice in this final, but it should not be long before she wins a national title. Miss Smith began the match with a flourish when she took Miss Morrison’s serve to love in the first game, but she was allowed to win only one more game in this set. Miss Morrison returned service very well, and placed her volleys nicely from the net. Miss Smith held her service only once in the second set, and the match was over in 32 minutes. Miss Morrison and Mrs H. Robson showed good combination to beat the younger pair of Misses J. Davidson (Canterbury) and M. Johnston (Wellington) in the final of the women’s doubles. Mrs Robson played by far her best tennis of this season, and this was the main factor in the victory. Uncertain Returns Uncertainty in return of service cost Misses Davidson and Johnston this match. The Auckland pair served consistently, but without great power yet were still able to cut off the returns at the net Mrs Robson volleyed extremely well off the returns of her service, and Miss Morrison, as always, was very safe at the net

Two double-faults by Miss Davidson in the fourth game let the Auckland pair into a 3-1 lead. The younger pair made not one successful return to Mrs Robson’s service in the next game, and good play by Miss Morrison brought the first set to an end quickly at 6-2. Weak lobs by Miss Johnston were quickly dispatched by Miss Morrison in the first game of the second set, but three fine passing shots off Miss Morrison’s serve let Misses Davidson and Johnston into a 2-1 lead. Miss Davidson was forced into volleying errors when following her sendee into the net in the next game, and Mrs Robson’s fine volleying brought the Auckland pair a 3-2 lead. With Misses Davidson and Johnston holding a 4-3 lead, Miss Davidson dropped her serve for the fourth time, and Miss Morrison and Mrs Robson took three games successfully for the match. The -men’s doubles final, in which Gerrard and Otway beat J. E. Robson (Auckland) and R. S. McKenzie (Wellington) was begun when the final of the men’s plate event was still in progress in the next court. The last set in the latter match between E. D. White (Auckland) and R. G. Clarke (Wellington) was so exciting that the crowd ignored the men’s doubles completely. The plate event did not end until the first two sets of the men’s doubles had been completed. At one stage in the men’s doubles Otway aced McKenzie with his second service, ■but this was not noticed by the crowd, as White and Clarke were playing far better tennis. Otway and Gerrard were far too sharp for the veteran combination of Robson and McKenzie, and the older pair did not have a chance against powerful stroking and crisp volleying from the 1960 Davis Cup selections. Quick Volleying Quick volleying exchanges were a feature of this match, with Otway and Gerrard hitting harder, and Robson and McKenzie plac-

ing the ball better with their fewer opportunities. Robson and McKenzie both lost a service in the first set, and the younger pair kept their advantage to win 6-2. Both Gerrard and Otway moved into the net with confidence behind their services, and kept their opponents on the defensive.

Robson lost his service in the first game of the second set, and ihe pair could never regain the initiative. Games went with service to the end of this set for a 6-4 win to Gerrard and Otway. Play was held up for nearly two minutes in this set as the crowd applauded White’s eventual victory over Clarke in the plate event.

McKenzie held his service in the first game of the third set and, when Gerrard lost his, the older pair broke through to a 2-0 lead. However, continual pressure told on Robson, who was not getting a good length on his second serve. Robson lost his service twice in this set, and Gerrard served powerfully in the final game to make sure of the title.

Three Points Only The national junior champion Clarke, gathered a mere three points in the first set of his match with White. Clarke came back to take the second at 6-3, but the former Canterbury player White took a 4-1 lead in the third. Clarke closed the gap but White won 8-6. White gave his younger opponent an object lesson in volleying and return of service in the final set. Clarke’s delicaatelyangled volleys were just missing the sidelines, and he was failing to put his smashes away for winners.

Auckland, which won all five events, took the Anthony Wilding Memorial Cup for the most successful province at the championships. Miss J. Lessing of Auckland won both the Kramer Trophy for the best umpire and the Salek Cup for the best woman umpire. Results were:— Men’s Singles Final.—L A. Gerrard (Auckland) beat M. A. Otway (Auckland), 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. Women’s Singles Final.—Miss R. Morrison (Auckland) beat Miss M. A. Smith (Waikato), 6-2. 6-1. Men’s Doubles Final.—L. A Gerrard and M. A. Otway (Auckland) beat J. E. Robson (Auckland) and R. S. McKenzie (Wellington), 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. Women’s Doubles Final.—Miss R. Morrison and Mrs H. Robson (Auckland) beat Miss J. Davidson (Canterbury) and M. Johnston (Auckland). 6-2. 6-4. Mixed Doubles Final.—L. A. Gerrard and Miss R. Morrison (Auckland) beat B. E. Woolf and Mrs J. Tinnock (Auckland). 6-4, 13-11. Men’s Plate Final.—E. D. White (Auckland) beat R. G. Clarke (Wellington). 6-0, 3-6, 8-6.