LAWN TENNIS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 178, 22 April 1924, Page 12

LAWN TENNIS

METROPOLITAN HARD COURT TOURNAMENT N. WILSON OUTPLAYS L. FRANCE The metropolitan hard court tournament was concluded on the Brougham Hill Club courts yesterday in perfect weather. That the tournament went through to the end with the swing it did was duo to the organising ability of Mr. J. A. B. Howe and the energy of those members of the management committee who were sufficiently interested to offer their personal assistance. The standard of tennis even in the handicap events, was gratify ijigly high. Two surprises were the defeat of L. France at the hands of Air. R. C. Wilson, and the defeat of D. France by R. Forkins, both in two straight sets. Wilson completely out-played L. France, dominating the not from which he could not bo dislodged, and smashing and volleying brilliantly. Nor was L. Franco noticeably below form, but he was opposed to a consistently aggressive player, playing at the height of his game—indeed playing as ho has not hitherto been seen to play. It was not only in stroke equipment that France was inferior to Wilson, but he was frequently forced out of position and compelled to stand helpless and see the ball clip the furthest side lino. Wilson presented the all too rare spectacle of a player exploiting every possible phase of the all-court game. The maintenance of such a standard of play would immediately place him in the ranks of the Dominion’s foremost players.

A genius for seizing opportunities and cleanly executing' his shots, combined with a marvellous power of retrieving almost impossible balls, and a refusal to admit himself beaten, resulted in R. Ferkins numbering D. France among his victims, putting him out in the semifinal of the championship singles, 6—4, 6—3. D. Franco led 3 —l in the first set, and when 3 all was called, evidently ceased to hope. Tn the match he was a mixture of brilliant shots and ridiculously bad ones. The match was won as much on his errors as Ferkins’s placements. To put over a shot which ought to be a winner and find it always coming back in a way to place one on the defensive is apt to become very annoying. Such was the position in which Franco found himself with Perkins, and he was thus incapable cf remaining temperamentally cool, an essential requisite in the game of tennis. It was a victory for steadiness aid coolness as opposed to rashness and md et ermi na ti on.

The final between Wilson and Perkins was in the nature of an anti-climax, rerkms was obviously tired and an nt. tack of cramp in his left leg did not improve matters. He was completely outplayed, by the same tactics which were responsible for L. Prance’s defeat, and went under I—6, I—6. In the final of the men’s doubles championship, Goldie and Wilson, especially tho former, were very erratic, against L. and D. Prance, who clearly demonstrated that, as. a doubles pair, they are vastly superior to any other pair ,in Wellington. Goldie was clearly not in the same class" as tho other throe and could not give Wilson anywhere near the support ho demanded. There were occasionally brilliant volleying rallies, with all four at the net. The scores wore not an inaccurate indication of the difference of tho pairs. In defeating D. Prance and Mrs. Cooks in tho semi-final of the mixed championship doubles, T. S. Williams and Afiss Williams registered a sterling performance. Miss Williams was steadiness peisonifiod, lobbing and driving with sound', judgment, while T. Williams’ rushing and smashing tactics proved very profitale. D. Franco and Mrs. Cooko did not combine will, and were unable to find length or in any wav assert themselves.

Mrs. Penlington, who right throughout the tournament excelled herself, was unable to make any impression on Miss Williams, who . had no difficulty in annexing the ladies’ championship singles, G—3, 6 —o. Miss Williams was far too steady and let nothing go by if there was a possible hope of getting to it. Her consistent lobbing was also a disconcerting factor to Mrs. Penlington. Mra. Penlington led 3—o in the first set, and then lost 12 games in a row. Tho final of tho ladies’ championship doubles resolved itself into a coiitest between Mesdames Cooks and Penlington, and Mesdames Evison and Parkinson, and resulted in a win for tho former, 6—3—6 —3. Mrs. Evison was tho weakest player of the four. Mrs. Cocke camo to light at several critical stages of games with smashes from the net. Mrs. Parkinson made strong endeavours to pull the game out of the fire, but the winning pair were quite as superior as the scores indicated.

The .measure of H. Williams’s (16) determination to win the final of the handicap singles against R. Ferkins (12) can be estimated from tho fact that although even at 19 all, he won 60—51. A less determined player would have caved in. under tho heavy smashes to which bis numerous lots were subjected by Ferkins. Not so Williams. Ho returned almost impossible shots in all manner of ways, preserving varying length more by accident than design, until he forced a very tired Ferkins into numerous errors.

Miss North (12) was hard put to it to beat Miss Turner (24), 50—47. Both ladies played a . long-drawn-out game from the back line. The outstanding feature was tho maintainance of a good length by both. Victory rested with the player who made fewest mistakes, rather than on tho making of a majority of winning shots. Hay and Hight (30) proved equal to conceding 4 points to Lezard and Van Borssum (34) in the final of the handicap doubles, and spread themselves over tho court to win out, 60—58. L. France and Miss D. Howe (10) had no difficulty in disposing of T. Ward and Mrs. Parkinson (G) in tho final of tho combined doubles handicap. Steadiness was tho outstanding characteristic of Misses Lucena and Townshend (20) in their match against Mesdamos Penlington and Cooke (scr.), in the final of the ladies' handicap doubles. The latter stages degenerated to a game of pat ball. At one stage it seemed as though tho scratch pair would win. The following are the results:— MEN'S SINGLES. Semr-finals.—N. Kt O. Wilson beat L. France, 6—4, 6—2; R. Ferkins beat D. France, 6—4, 6—3. Final.—N. R. C. Wilson beat R. Ferkins. 6—l, 6 —l. MEN'S DOUBLES. Final.—L. and D. France beat Goldie nnd Wilson, 6—2, 6—3. COMBINED DOUBLES. Semi-final. —Wilson and Mrs. Goldie beat L. France and Mrs. Penlington, 6 —5, 6 —10; T. S. Williams and Miss Williams beat D. France and Mrs. Cooke, 5—6, 6—5, 6—2. ■ Final.—Wilson and Mrs .Goldie beat T. S. Williams and Miss Williams, 6-5. G—4. LADIES’ SINGLES. Final. —Miss Williams beat Mrs. Penliingtuu, 6—3, 6—o. THE HANDICAPS LADIES’ DOUBLES. Semi-final. —Mesdames Pcnlington and Cooke beat Mrs. Brown and Miss Worth, 5—6, 6 —3, 6—4. Final. —Mesdames Penlington and Cooke beat Mesdames Parkinson and Evison, &_3 ‘ MEN'S SINGLES. Semi-final—R. Ferkins beat P. Williams. 60—19; H. Williams beat R. H. Donovan, 60 —56. Final.—H. Williams beat R. Ferkins, 60-51. MEN’S DOUBLES. Semi-final—Haigh and Hay (30) beat Allan and Castle (34), 60—49; Lezard and Van Borssum (34) beat Fisher and Kuch (32). 60—17. . Final. —Bay and Haigh beat Lezard and Van Borssum, 60—58.

LADIES’ DOUBLES. Final. —Alisses Lucena and Townshend (20) beat -Mesdames Cooko ‘and I’enlington (scr.), 51—19. LADIES’ SINGLES. Final.—AKss Worth <l2) beat Aliss Turner (21), 50—17. COMBINED DOUBLES. Semi-final.—AVard . and Airs. Parkinson (6) beat T. S. Williams and Miss Kelly (18), 50 —34* r . ... Final.—L. Franco and Afiss D. Howe (10) beat Ward and Airs. Parkinson (6), 50—15. OTAGO TOURNEY BY TELEGHAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION. Dunedin, April 21. The Otago Lawn Tennis Association’s Eastern tourney is rapidly approaching completion. In the final of the men s championship singles. W. Bray H. K Sumpter (Oamaru), 3—4>, b-4, o—l, 6-1. In tho final of the ladies championship singles Aliss Jean McLaren beat Miss D. Hart (Innai'it), 0-3, 6-4-