LAWN TENNIS

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 172, 9 April 1923, Page 8

LAWN TENNIS

EASTER TOURNEY HARD COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS

INTER-CLUB MATCHES Under conditions distinctly unfavourable to high standard tennis, an endeavour was made on Saturday to have the Wellington hard court championships concluded. This was so far accomplished that there remains to be finished only two events, the Combined Doubles Championship and the Combined Handicap Doubles. lhe same pairs are opposed to each other in both finals. An attempt was made to determine the final of the championship combined, but it had to be abandoned through failing light, when Wilson and Miss Tracy were leading from T. S. and Miss Williams, 6 —l in the first set. These two matches will be played at 2 o’clock on Saturday. _ Throughout the whole of Saturday’s play a stiff northerly wind was blowing, which militated greatly against accurate play. The best play of the day was observable in the doubles, the singles, even among the men, taking the form of long, and for the most p.irt unintereMtinjJ, duels from the back line. One such game was that between T. S. Williams and C. F. Williams, when it took the first-mentioned player, with a handicap of 14, one and a half hours to reach to 60 points. There were occasions when the ball passed and repassed the net twenty or thirty times, and not one point in ten was won from a stroke that was meant to be a winner.

Mesdames Evison and Parkinson proved too strong for Misses 'Tracy and Warren. Both the Petone ladies played hard and consistently to Miss Warren's backhand. Although she made some good recoveries, occasionally doing brilliantly at the net, Miss Warren was not able to rise altogether to the strain imposed upon her. Both Petone ladies chose to play from the -back line, and it was very seldom that Miss Tracy was given an opportunity to exercise her undoubted ability at the net. . Her play, when she was permitted to take a hand in the game, demonstrated th© wisdom of her opponents in keeping the ball away from her to the extent they did. The Petone ladies, employing the same tactics, demonstrated their superiority in the ladies’ handicap doubles final by 50 —46. The semi-final of tho men’s championship doubles between Howe and Williams and Goldie and Wilson resulted in a close win for the latter pair. Howe and Williams, playing very carefully and endeavouring to break up the combined net play of Goldie and Wilson by dint of almost perfect lobbing, won the first set, 9—7. They lost the second set, 6 —4, and were leading, 3 love, in the third set when Williams fell heavily and injured his right arm and cut his chin. This seemed to affect his play somewhat, and although th© next two games went to two and three deuces respectively the scor© in games was equal at 3 all and 4 all. Goldie and Wilson, taking tho next two games, took the set and match.

In the other semi-final Wright and Barkman against Armstrong and Ward, with the scores one set all, th© latter pair established a lead in th© third set of 5 —2, and 40 —15, but lost the set, 7—5, and th© match. Wright and Barkman were no match for Goldio and Wilson in the final of the men’s doubles. The greatest factor contributing to their defeat was th© sound overhead work of Wilson In th© first set, which they lost, 6 —2. Wright and Barkman scored but 14 points to their opponents’ 26. Although beaten, 6—l, in the second set the losers put up a much better fight. Two of the games went to three deuces and one to four, while the points were 36 to 23.

Mrs. Evison, trying her hardest, was not able to prevent Miss Tracy from taking the net in the final of the ladies’ singles championship, and found herself beaten frequently by shots dropped short and at acute angles. Mrs. Evison’s game was purely backline, from which station she was able to execute some beautiful drives of perfect length with plenty of sting in them. But Miss Tracy, playing with the same equal consistency that she displayed throughout the tournament, introduced a greater variety of strokes and attacked, as compared with Mrs. Evison’s distinctly defensive game. The result, 6—l, 6—3, in favour of Miss Tracy is not an unjust comparison on the difference of play. The men’s handicap singles was won by T. S. Williams, who defeated Ward by means of stead.y medium paced drives, varied frequently by lobs of good length, which, because of tho strong wind blowing, made accurate dealing with them a very difficult matter. At one stage, Ward, who was giving Williams 2 points handicap, was leading 50 —46, but the scores were level at 53 all. Williams then winning 7 points to Ward’s one on tb<? latter’s service won the game 60 —54. Miss North, receiving 16 from M’ss Tracy, and seemingly nervous, was unable to reproduce in tho final of tho ladies’ handicap singles, tho form she displayed against Miss Williams in the semi-final. She commenced so badly that Miss Tracy was able to win her first ten services, and the two ladies wore equal at 28 all. From that point Miss North played better, getting some good length balls with a L-iir amount of work on them. She was not able, however, to cope with tho aggressiveness of a nlayer of the calibre of Miss Tracy, who ran out a winner by 50 points to 40. The following are tho detailed results :— MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES. Semi-Final. Wright and Barkman Armstrong and AVard, 6—4, I—6.1 —6. 7—5. Goldie and AVilson beat 11. AL Howe snd C. F. Williams, 7—9, 6—4, 6—4. FINAL. Goldie and AVilson beat Wright and Barkman. 6 —2. 6 —l. LADIES’ CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES Semi-final. Miss Tracy beat Aliss AVilliams, 6— 1. 6—4. Final. Miss 'Tracy beat Mrs.. R. Evison, 6—l, 6—3. LADIES’ CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES Final. Mesdames Parkinson and Evison beat Miss Tracy and Warren, 6 —3, 6—3. COMBINED CH AMPIONSHIP DOUBLES. Semi-final. T. S. and Miss AVilliams beat Bundle and Miss Lapworth, 6—2, 6—3. Final. N. AVilson and Miss Tracy have won tho first set, 6—l. The match, which had to bo discontinued through failing

light, will bo resumed next Saturday, at 2 p.m. MEN’S HANDICAP SINGLES. Third Round. T. S. Williams (14) beat C. F. Williams (scr.), 60 —54. Semi-final. T. S. Williams (14) beat H. Hollings (20), 60—51. Final. T. S. Williams (14) beat T. O. Ward (12), 60—54. MEN’S HANDICAP DOUBLES. * Semi-final. Ward and Armstrong (10) beat Wright and Barkman (0), 60 —53. Goldie and Wilson (4) beat H. V. Howe and C. F. Williams (6), 60 —57. Final. Goldie and Wilson (4) beat Ward and Armstrong (10), 60 —45. LADIES’ HANDICAP SINGLES. Final. Miss Tracy (scr.) beat Miss North (16), 50—40. LADIES’ HANDICAP DOUBLES. Misses Tracy and Warren (scr.) beat Mesdames Barkman and Witcombe (10), 50—48. Final. Mesdames Parkinson and Evison (6) beat Misses Tracy and Warren (scr.), 50—45. HANDICAP COMBINED DOUBLES. Third Round. Wilson and Miss Tracy (scr.) heat Mr. and Mrs. Barkman (scr.) 50—32. Semi-final. Wilson and Miss Tracy (scr.) beat Wright and Mrs. Witcomhe HO), 50— 33. INTER-CLUB MATCHES Th© following are the detailed recults of the inter-club matches which were concluded last Saturday MEN. Third Grade. Brougham Hill heat St. Francis by 3 sets to 0, at Brougham Hili. Results, Brougham Hill mentioned first: —Dry and Tucker beat Wilson and Andrew, 7 —5; Murray and Hay beat Costello and McElligot, 6—l; Middleton and Fisher won by. default from Kennedy and Delaney, 6—o. Lyall Bay beat Mitohelltown by 3 sets to 0, at Lyall Bay. Results, Lyall Bay mentioned first: —Scott and Tullock beat Btom and Williams, 6 —4; Hollings and Donovan beat Burt and Pearce, 6 —4; Polglase and James beat Gaines and Spencer, 6— 4. Hataitai beat Karori by 2 sets to 1, at Karori. Results, Hataitai mentioned first: —Kelly and Savage beat Plank and Garnsey, 9 —7; Lezard and Van Borsum boat Picot Bros., 6 —3; Winberg and Furrie lost to Christie and Watchman, o—6, by default. The third class men’s games are now finished for the season, and the championship won by Brougham Hill.

LADIES. Third Grade. Mitchelltown A won by default from Mitchelltown B. The third grade ladies games are now completed and ending tn a win for Brougham Hill, who now hold the third grade ladies’ championship for 1922-23 HOLDERS OF CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR 1922-23. Men’s Competition. Shield.— Brougham Hill. Cups.—Newtown. Pennant. —Brougham Hill. Racket. —Newtown. Ladies’ Competition. Shield. —Brougham Hill. Cup.—Brougham Hill. Pennant. —Brougham Hill,

INDOORS CHAMPIONSHIP WON BY VINCENT RICHARDS. (Roc. April 8, 11.5 p.m.) New York, April 7. Vincent Richards won the national indoors singles championship, defeating Francis Hunter, 6—l, 6—3, 7—5. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. OTAGO MIXED DOUBLES, BY TELEGRAPH. —PBESS ASSOCIATION. Dunedin, April 8. The final of the Otago Mixed Doubles Championship was played on Saturday, and resulted as follows :— N. Brown and Miss J. McLaren beat R. Guy and Miss M. McAdam, 6 —l, 6—4.

“LAWS” TROPHY. No. of games played No. of wins over Names losses Mrs. Hooper (winner) 58 28 Miss Treadgold ... 30 22 Miss Williams .... 45 21 R. V. Bundle ... ... 61 21 P. Williams 58 20 Miss Wild 60 16 Mrs. Norris 35 15 Miss Jennings .. 48 12 43 11 W. T. Harbison . 39 11