TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 194, 13 May 1922, Page 15

TENNIS.

■ (By

“Fore-Hand.”)

LADY CHAMPION OF AUSTRALASIA MISS CURTIS’S GREAT PERFORMANCE By her sterling performance in winning the championship of New South Wales, which to all intents and purposes was the championship of Australasia, as all tho leading lady players from Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland also competed, Miss Nancy Curtis has • shed fresh lustre on the prowess of New Zealand tennis. After showing up prominently as a girl in the Wellington public school tennis championships for pome years, Miss Curtis in 1912 won the final in the handicap singles at the Wellington championship meeting. With a handicap of receive 8, Miss Curtis accounted for Miss Kelly Mclntosh (rec. 5) by 52—50. This was her first appearance in senior tournament play, and since then she has never looked back. Her sensational play at Auckland in 1920 brought, her into the very front rank of players in this country, and now she has crossed the Tasman and. in open competition vanquished the best of the players in Australia. The secret of Miss Curtis’s outstanding superiority is her all-round ability. She can not only smash and volley at the net, but has perfected base-line play to a fine art. As she has most of her tennis before her, she should go far to raise the standard of play in this country. She was very much at home in the final at Sydney on the firm, fast court. Her opponent was Mrs. Molesworth, the renowned Queenslander, who was the holder of the championship, and was regarded by many critics in Australia to be a coming world-beater. The first set saw a great fight. The pair won game for game, until at 9—B Miss Curtis captured her opponent’s service and took the set,. 10 —8. It was' strenuous work. Mrs. Molesworth, however, possesses, the requisite fighting, spirit for tournament play, and the second set saw another 'great struggle. “Five all” was called, and then the Queenslander evened up by taking the set, 7 —5. As Miss Curtis led 5—2, Mrs. Molesworth must hove made a brilliant uphill fight and a wonderful recovery. The final set must have been a great test, not only of skill and stamina, but of nerves. It was tennis of a high order, but after a hard and strenuous contest the New Zealand girl took set championship by winning out, 7—5. .