LAWN TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 484, 17 April 1909, Page 12

LAWN TENNIS.

/.'■,•"■■•■■.•'■■-■- .. — -«— ——- . . '■ '■ ' ■i-- : ■•.-:■•> . . ■.' • ~■:■'■■ ■ \ .; . '%.; : ' (Br Inter-Cidb.) v; ■ ..■ • As on many previous occasions, this Enstei tournament was commenced on' tho grass, only to be oontinued at intervals on the hard courts in the oity.' Friday was a most disagreeabU day for tennis, but, notwithstanding this, some very interesting gamos were got off on '. the Thorndon courts. ■ ';...• ' ;( ■ y ;;,:.-,•:. :.: The meeting of Miss Nunneley and Miss Wellwood, in the first found of the ladies' ohampionship singles, proved a great fight. Miss Nunneley led, 2—l, in the first , set; but suffered a bad spell, losing one game ; through three double fanlts. Miss Wollwood drove and placed beautifully,' picking up and returning many of.. what seemed to be her opponent's winning shots, anU took the first 6et 6—3. In the second set Miss Nunneley lod 3—2, and a desperate struggle ensued for' the sixth game, whioh eventually wont to Miss Wellwood. The next three games, although taken by Miss Nunneley, were keenly fought for by the Hastings lady. The third set had Miss Nunneiey going for. her shot every, time,; and hurling her. stinging drive into her. opponent's backhand . eorneiv only to have it invariably: returned by. Miss Wellwood's ; beautiful free back-hand stroke;.. With the score 5-2- in favour of Mis 3 Nunneley, Miss Well wood made another, effort, taking the next game, and having vantage ,in" in the ninth game, : but she could[•not ) withstand tho experienced and heady" play o£ Miss Nunneley. The loser got in some very effective smashes. .:; .- ■■•■-.• Miss Batham gave Miss .Travers a good-run; and theUatter in turn beat -Miss Ward in an astonishing manner.' Miss Ward has not been playing anything liko up to form in the singles, serving many double and driving very indifferently. Mrs. Holmes pressed her* hard, and, although beaten 6-2, G-2, the score does Qot denote, the fine game played by the Thorndon; lady. Miss Ledger,took a set froni; Miss Gray, and Miss Simpson and'.'Mrs. Goldie had a. long three-sot matoh,ending in favour of the tatter.. Miss Gray and Mrs. Goldie both fell in turn.to Miss Nunneley, who met and defeated Miss.Travers in .the final.: The first set was very,close, getting,to 5 all, when Miss.Nunneley annexed the two final games. Both players were hitting hard.and thore: were many sxeiting rallies, all from the base line,, there being_an entire. absence of net play. The 3econd_ set wont to Miss Nunneley, 6A2. H. 'Bice, of Sydney, played quite up to his reputation,. winning the championship singles, and;, our' best players, Smythe Brpivn, and .Swanston, without much 'trouble lJte.:.Tisitor.;is~a left-hander, and gets a tremendous, amount of "top" on to his back-hand ball very low and difficult to lift.,vWhpu .lifted..it appears/equally, hard : to ieep from ..driving it out.: r . ■ £sii»K? ■T^ 0 ??! 63 ■■, ior - J "Ksher-two :: sets .traight._ The-latter:played ma. disappointing Manner for a while,, apparently taking matters v.Then wheiihe d/dvtry to geS ins!; he was. holdßrora, who Was not- to ibejut off, smashing well and: repeatedly Sirivef:'' ■: clcan :: witn Deautiful .ijde-lSe relied onrhis■ excellent placing,and rorked his opponent -Peacock well out of nosijon before,he,went for. his winning shot. Pealock. went, very near .taking the.'second-set,' >wanston only winning it-by 7-5 - ■ • Smyths and;. Young looted like winners gainst Blair and Ksner with one set in and ,1»v n a ' a *£ 9 second set, A little elaok )lay, on the'part of the former pair, and some ery clever by JMer, enabled tho atter pair to take;the set at-8-fl. Blair, who' ad ..not,- been playing very, well, was now 'imKofi • ad ' B . roTO ' Bot * cnple of lucky our a all.-, ~;.At_this-. stage - ITisher ■■ appartotly 40 ./ 1 ! 0 ?. 3 ' d no A°od whatever afteN If hiri S m d - H 3 tten the order f. his play. :. Blau. who up. to this set,: had een playing- a really .fine; 'pamW.bebame quite S^ lombination.;. After Jbeating Misses Meares.and : scored Va .decided:" victory^ w> .lissesWJwood and War'd; J Miss ..TravefsXwas 'eJy : ..safβ>on^.the■lack::line^and ! ■■he I r^ , par■tne? iisposed • of..any short ones at ,the net ™ lecided manner. ~ . ;, vr .. : v ,'--^;;■•': •■:' i,,.*. ■:*- Jesses) and 'Ledger','' after a ? if m: n 4i. Mrs - Holmes, were pushed rnrd.bv Mrs. Goldie and Miss Van Staverei? mot accept defeat until three sets/ 6-3 ■73 ip-ro, had:been.played. • - rhe final;between vMisses Travers and 'Grav- ■. Misses Simpson and Ledger ,was a foregone ionqluswn,. the. former.pair'winning, 6-2, 6-2; :--rhe combined doubles supplied thoeurprises .f;the tournament. The Brown-Miss Well?ooa; v, Blair-Miss Nunneley match was placed '.n ,thegrass, courts, arid furnished surprise No. ' T- U a the *<) lme ?. Pfir won. The winners ombmed well,, and, although Brown poached recently, he. was very.:'successful 'with it, J V te too ii^ e first set. by really superior )lay, ,6-3. Blair apparently had not struck orm, but ;some ■■ of his shots and quick reurns .at the net were extremely pretty. In ne.jseoondjset ..the score was reversed,- Blair ind;'Miss_ Nunneley going , for safety, while Jrown did some slashing out. The third set V ' aS A^ 2 ;^ lth P lo V l eat, ' n g- Miss .Nunneley, n difficulties, tossed;up some short whichrere.immediatey poiu?(! ed upon by Brown/and' ff 1 " ff - adding another game to his score IJiolast game, and set were won on Miss Wellrood s serve. r : Mrs. Holmes and Webber saw ' and into a md.,the Wellington pair surprised their suplorters by beating Eice and Miss Travers after. iVew- : go ''-I : is was ' a most; exciting: natoh, Wilson, playing one , of his finest well baeked up by Miss Ward. Rfce tried to-do a■ little too much, S iad he left more to his partner, and saved nmself a bit, the result -might have been differ-. Smytho; andi Miss:: Simpson: certainly upset' when they put Brown: and : Biss iVellwood:out Brown was "off," and, when ie poached, which was very often, he invaria mishit: . On the ■ other hand ■ >mytho was severe at the net, and Miss Simp' ;pn gave. him. every support, from the.baseine. This pair in turn fell to Miss Gray and teandß^ ViOnßl^: .Fisher and Miss Batham scored a wii from tfiss Ledger and Peacock,' and then surprised .he, spectators Wilson iVard, who led,-.-6-2,..in-- the second set, and vere .within an ace of "set"-two sets straight. ; tfiss Gray and ;Touug and, Miss Batham und Fisher,were, thus,left:in to fight out the final.