CHAMPIONSHIP LAWN TENNIS

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 84, 3 January 1930, Page 11

CHAMPIONSHIP LAWN TENNIS

CONTEST FOR NORTH ISLAND TITLES

IMPROVEMENT IN STANDARD OF PLAY FINE WEATHER FOR SECOND DAY’S GAMES (By Telegraph.—From "Forehand.”) Wanganui, January 2. It would be impossible to better the conditions that peitained to-day for the continuation of the North Island Lawn Tennis Championships on the ten grass courts of the Wanganui Club. What was Baid yesterday of the ball boys was true to-day in a most certain form. Their use was most questionable, and not a few were observed somnolent against the back fences, or they moved with measured beat after the ball while the contestants waited. Also, too many of tjie umpires kept the scores a close secret, and one at least—in the Entwistle—Barkman match—was guilty of the unpardonable mistake of calling “set point.” It is the umpire’s duty merely to call the decisions where there are no linesmen, and to record the score, at the same time calling it loudly so that players and spectators may be under ho misapprehension regarding the actual position.

Again there were too many singles matches played to-day without the single sticks up. Here again the fault must rest primarily with the umpire, and secondly with the'players themselves. The absence of single sticks makes a difference of nearly one and a-half inches in the height of the net at the sides. The tennis to-day was of a higher standard than yesterday and. those considered with a chance for the championships showed themselves more in their true colours. Perhaps the best exhibition was that given by Malfrqy (Wellington) in his match with Turner" (Auckland). Both are young players of abotit the same age, Turner being perhaps slightly older. Both, n few seasons ago, were considered in their respective towns as players of great promise. Turner has improved since the time he came so close to winning the junior New Zealand championship, but his improvement merely served to accentuate Xwhat ji phenomenal boy player Malfroy is as players in this country are counted. Turner is ,not without good strokes, some fighting qualities and speed In covering the court. But Malfroy, by great cleverness and wonderful accuracy quite outplayed him. Very many times he had Turner running the wrong way. Under the stress Turner fell off in his backhand and netted low down. Malfroy’s drives down the side lines past Turner as Turner came in were most accurate, while their length was to within inches of the back line. Malfroy, too, was very sound in volleying, and showed himself superb in getting back into position if forced out over the side lines. Malfroy did not smash hard, but generally he was accurate. Very seldom did he give Turner a chance to play a fine, drive standing. He almost always' made Turner run hard. Mixture of Brilliant Shots. R. C. Wilson, in his two single matches to-day, was a mixture of brilliant shots, and apparently easy errors. In the morning he struck Marshall, of Wanganui, who is nothing if he is not a hard fighter. With nothing very wonderful in the way of strokes he yet succeeded in getting back all the hard drives that Wilson did not net out, and was generally accurate in placement. Overhead Wilson was .showing himself unreliable. Thus Marshall took the first set. But Wilson was coming more on to his game, and his severe forehand drives were more -frequently finding the corners, compelling Marshall to run far and hard. Marshall’s placements were becoming less and less steady, and his lobs not so deep, so that when the game finished Wilson’s game had approximated to normal. Wilson retained his form when in the afternoon he played D, Earle (Wanganui). This match had in it some good driving, Wilson frequently disguising the direction of his forehand stroke so that Earle found himself off post haste in the wrong direction. In the first set, Earle, hitting hard, was not timing too well, but when he settled down more quietly, relying on placement more than speed, and also for Wilson to hit the ball out, he did much better, and came within measurable distance of winning the second set. In this he was helped by a camera man, who would persist in turning a buzzing moving iiicture camera on to Wilson at critical stages of two games, causing him to lose both. Wilson’s smashing, which lapsed in the earlier part of the game, came on iu the second set. Although beaten Earle gave a fine display—one of the best I have seen him give. It might not have been so hard, but it gained in accuracy and placement and judgment.

An Interesting Match. A very interesting match and one not without "its amusing phases was the long baseline battle ;of Barkman (Wanganui) and Entwistle (Auckland). For these two to meet is the signal for a long day of it. Both played a rugged, persistent type of game almost exclusively from the baekline. Both are splendid fighters. Very rarely in the course of the match were the lengths sufficiently deep to face the opponent very much ou the defensive. Too often the ball did not go a yard past the service line. But the placement was good enough > to keep .the opponent chasing along the backline. Barkman .won many points by making Entwistle come in and then clouting the, ball past him. In the third set Entwistle tried to stonewall and that was the end for Entwistle. It was very laughable when Entwistle, after missing a shot, would raise his hands in despair to high heaven or mutter exhortations to himself. There is no more finished player off the ground, unless it be Malfroy, than Stedman. He carries with it a speed to which Malfroy cannot pretend. Taking the ball high, he belts it from corner to cc’ner with great accuracy. Nor is he lesa effective on the backhand. With that shot he gains points by the sharp angle at which he plnys it cross court. He was not so good at his low volleys. Brown, too, played hard drives and was not afraid to go for the corners, but he lacked Stedman’s accuracy and consistency. Beaten in Straight Sets. C. Angus has not been called on to extend himself yet, his matches being more in the nature of practice ones. Although beaten in straight sets by T. Rhodes-Williams, of Christchurch, Mitehell, previously of Napier, played a game that promises to take him further in the future than his conqueror. A left-hander and stroking with the same equal freedom as Rhodes-Williams, Mitchell’s forehand carried a much greater speed than Williams and was quite the equal of it in length. Williams, who played with great accuracy, both forehand and backhand, dared not let up for a moment. Mitchell chases fast along the backline and drove without a falter. Williams owed his victory to a great experience and his ability to vary his game. In serving Mitchell was fast and played well, while Williams was inclined to be careless. There was no comparison in the overhead work. Mitchell being much more severe and equally as accurate. Williams won points by delicate drop shots or smashing oft high bounding balls. Mitchell was weakest on his backhand, the ball being inclined to rise too high. When Mitchell learns,to discriminate on the balls to hit and also to play his backhand lower, he will be a harder man to beat. Charters, if he wants to get past Stedman. will have to play a great, deal better than he played to-day. In his two matches he lost the first set each time, but became more .accurate in his placing and volleying as the game wore on.

Con and Lampe know each other’s play backwards, and Lampe, when in form,, has always been on top, as he was to-day. Con is a better double player. The Ladies’ Singles. Mrs. W. J. Melody was in great form against Miss J. Ramsay, of Auckland, in the ladies’ singles. It was a case of cut meets cut, and Mrs. Melody found herself better able to deal with the shots that came her way. Both ladies placed well, but Mrs. Melody kept better length and very often beat Miss Ramsay with a hard drive cross court to the forehand. Miss Ramsay invariably netted this shot low down. Miss Ramsay concentrated as much as possible on Mrs. Melody’s backhand, but Mrs. Melody is no longer afraid to play this .stroke and she made quite a number of effective returns with it. There was very little net play, the advantage of what there was resting with Mrs. Melody, who also made no mistakes overhead. Miss Ballantyne played some fine hard driving tennis against Mrs. Adams, who started very shakily, mis-hitting every ball in the first game. Also Mrs. Adams found driving hard on the forehand a very unpaying propositions' Only when she settled down to place the side lines to run Miss Bn "antyne about did she assume an ascendancy and counteract Miss Ballantyne’s driving. Miss Scott experienced the accuracy of Miss Purcell, who. scarcely seeming to move because all her moving back to a proper court position is done between strokes, was made to chase fast all over the court. Miss Purcell played quietly, not worrying at all over any mistakes. These mistakes were mainly nets on the backhand.* An Attractive Game. Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Richardson played an attractive game, made even more interesting by the difference in style. Mrs. Richardson plays a hard, free driving game after the method of a good man player, while Mrs. Smith is very steady, getting the ball back coolly and with placement. Taking two bands to a backhand adds to her strength of play. Nor is she often caufeht out of position. Miss Eranklin, of Auckland, who beat Miss Pease, is very active and lets nothing go by without making an effort to chase after. She is strong in all departments, particularly with a forehand drive across court to the corner. She is very safe, too, on the backhand, while her service is fast and well placed. She is not heavily built, but all her weight is thrown into her forehand drive and her service. In Miss Pease she met a very steady player and a hard fighter. Very often, too, she had Miss Eranklin running hard. Miss Pease was weak in volleying and overhead. One of the best men’s doubles of the day was that in which Con and Udy overwhelmed Rhodes-Williams and Dymond. Con was terrific overhead close to the net, and many of his returns the opposition never saw. They were simply battered into helplessness by Con. bis partner, Udv, rendering valuable assistance by volleying ordinary to the opening and forcing the weak return to allow Con to do the rest. Kale and Pearce played well to take Miller and Lucas, who are a good combination, to three sets. Pearce particularly smashing and volleying well. Ducas showed fine head work, and backed up his sizing of things by sound volleying, hard driving and smashing. Hale found the pace beyond his ability to cope with, except occasionally. <

Absence of Surprises. Neither the ladiesC. doubles nor the mixed doubles matches produced any surprises, except in the case of the splendid tight in the ladies’ doubles of Misses Sanderson and Cameron, of Masterton, who took Miss Ramsay and Miss Hobson to 9—ll in the first set, and won the second, 6—o. . A splendid game of volleying and dnvr ing was given by Mrs. Barkman in the mixed doubles with N. B. Barkman against Lamb and Miss Potter. Some tine passing shots were played by Mrs. Burston, who played with Tukerc against Wilson and Mrs. Melody. DETAILED RESULTS Details are as follow: —

MEN’S SINGLES. I First round : H. Lamb (Auckland) beat R. Perkins (Wanganui), 6—3, 7—o. Second round: J. E. Marshall (Wanganui) beat R. Hardy (Auckland), b—3, 12—10; C. Beattie (Wanganui) beat P. E. Webb (Wellington), 7—5, 5—7. 6—4; H. D. Dymond (Christchurch) beat C. Wells (liawera), 4—6 6—2 6—l ;E. Pearce (Wellington) beat H. (Auckland), 2—6, 6—2, 9 7; Hubble (Auckland) beat Mortland (Xaihape), Malfroy (Wellington) beat Leahy (Taihapc), 6—o; lurner (Auckland) beat Jenkins (Wanganui), G_3, g —4; N. R. C. Wilson (Wellington) beat Marshall .(Wanganui), 4- 6, y 2 6—2; D. Earle (Wanganui) beat Beathe, 6-—-1, 6 —4; T. Rhodes-Wil-liams (Christchurch) beat Hounsell (Wanganui), 6- —0, 6—l; Mitchell (Wanganui) beat Dymond (Christchurch), I—b, 6 3 6—4; N. B. Bnrkman (Wanganui), beat J. Powdrell (Wanganui), Entwistle (Auckland) beat Pearce (Wellington), 7—6, 6- —2; C. Angas (Christchurch) beat Hubble (Auckland), b —4, 6—l; McFarlane (Hawcra) beat ertson (Palmerston North), 6—3, 1—o; M. L. Lampe (Wanganui) beat Henricks (Talhape), 6—4, 6—3; 11. Con (Wanganui) beat J. Robertson (Palmerston North), 6 —4, 6—3; A. Stedman (Auckland) beat Meuli (Wanganui), 6 - 0.6 —1; G. Brown (Auckland) beat ■.Strombom (New Plymouth), 9 —7, 6 —4; Boardman (Auckland) beat Small (Hastings), 6—4, 6—l: Charters (Wanganui) beat Colthart (Raetihi). 4—6. 6— 6—o. Fourth round: Malfroy beat Turner (Auckland), 6—3, 6 1 ; N, R. C. Wilson (Wellington) bent D. Earle (Wanganui), 6—2, 9—7; T. Rbodcs-Wi - liams (Christchurch) heat M. Mitchell (Wanganui), 6—4, G —l; N. B. Barkman (Wanganui) beat Entwistle (Auckland), 6—B, 6—4, 6 —l; C. Angas (Christchurch) beat McFarlane (Hawera). 6—l. 6—l; A. Stedman (Auckland) beat G. Brown (Auckland), 6—2, 6—O; Charters (Whangarei) bent Boardman (Auckland), 4—6. 6—3, 6—o; Lampe (Wanganui) beat H. Cox (Wanganui), 6—2, 6—3. LADIES’ SINGLES. Second round: Mrs. W. J. Melody (Wellington) beat Miss Ramsay (Auckland), 6—2, 6—l.

Third round: Mrs. R. P. Adams (Wellington) beat Miss Ballantyne (New Plymouth), 6—3, 2 —6, 6—l; Miss .Whyte (Wellington) beat Miss Cameron (Masterton), 6—4, 6 —4; Miss M. Myers (Wanganui) beat Miss R. Card (Featherston), 6—2, .6—2; Mrs. Smith (Wanganui) beat Mrs. Richardson (Wanganui), 6—3, 6—2; Mrs. W. J. Melody (Wellington) beat Mrs. Dempsey (Wanganui), 6 —l, 6—l; Miss Frankham (Auckland) beat Miss L. Pease (Hawera), S —6, 6—3; Miss D. Nicholls (Wellington) beat Miss Frankham (Wiyiganui), 6—o, 6—l; Migs M. Purcell (Wanganui) beat Miss D. Scott (Christchurch), 6—3, 6—3. MEN’S DOUBLES. First round: N. Miller and Lucas beat Hale and Pearce, 6—3, 5—7, 6 —3; D. I. and J. C. Robertson beat Edwards and Urwin, 6 —o, 6—l; Webb and Shaw beat Hounsell and Hutchison, S —6, 6—l. Second round: Melody and Entwistle beat Tukere and Bennett, 6—3, 6 —l; Nicholson and Hubble beat M ells and McFarlane, 6—4, 6 —3; Miller and Lucas beat Robertson and Robertson, . 9 7, 6 —4; Angus and Lampe beat Webb and Shaw, 6—2, 6—3; Pease and McCarthy beat Jenkins and Hamilton, 10—8, 6—4; Henricks and Bradley beat Latham and Q rr| J —6, (J —2, 6—4; Anmer and Marchant beat Russell and Roberts, 6—3, Third round: Cox and Udy beat Rhodes-Williams and Dymond, 6—l, 6—l. LADIES’ DOUBLES. Second round: Mrs. Adams and Miss Nicholls beat Misses Zeisler and Briggs, 6—o, 6—3; Mrs. Richardson and Miss Pease beat Misses Ballantyne and Scott, 6 —2, 6 —2; Misses Ramsay and Hobson beat Misses Sanderson and Cameron, 11 9, 2 —6, 6 —o ; Mrs. Smith and Miss Purcell beat Misses Franklin and Tucker. 6—o, 6—3; Mrs. Melody and Miss Myers beat Mrs. Dempsey and Miss Cox, 6 —l, 6 —l; Mrs. Marshall and Miss Card beat Misses Tulloch and Barry, 6— o, 6—o ; Misses Preedy and Whyte beat Misses Heard and Innes, 6—l, 6—2; Misses Potter and Frankham .beat Misses Latham and Izard, 6 —l) 6—3. MIXED DOUBLES. First round: Pease and Miss Hawker beat Scotland and Miss Lovegrove, 6—2, 6 — 2; Rhodes-Williams and Miss D. Nicholls beat Hamilton and Miss O. Zeisler, 6—l, 6—3; Strombom and Miss Ballantyne beat Gardner and Miss Barry, 6—l, 6—2; Purcell and Miss Purcell beat Walker and Miss Lane, 6 —l, 6—3; Meuli and Mrs. New beat Jenkins and Miss Dunlop, 6—4, 4—6, G—4; N. Miller and Miss Duncan won by default; Earle and Miss Ramsay beat Marshall and Mrs. Dempsey, 6—3, 7—5; Pearee and Miss Lowrie beat Hutchison and Miss Metcalfe, 9—7, 3—6, 9—7; Boardman and bliss Sanderson beat Louisson and Miss Walkington, 6—2, 6—2; Wilson and Mrs. Melody beat Udy and Miss Tucker, 6 —l, 6—l; Tukere and Mrs. Burston beat McDonald and Mrs. Wright, 6—2, B—6; Barkman and Mrs. Barkman beat Lamb and Miss Potter, 6—l, 3 —6, 6—2; McKenzie and Miss Card beat Nathan and Miss Pawsbn, 6—3, G—4; Charters and Mrs. Whitehead beat Wells and Miss Cameron, 6 —l, 6—4: Hale' and Miss Watt beat Edwards and Miss Tulloch, B—6, 3—6, 6 —2; Perkins and Miss Hobson beat Russell and Miss O. Tilley, 6—2, 6—2; Pownall and Mrs. Richardson won by default; Lampe and Miss M. Myers beat Lucas and bliss Cowper, 6—3, 6—3; Beathe and Miss Cox beat Izard and Miss Izard, 6—3; 6—4. Second round: Hounsell and Mrs. Marshall beat Bennett and Miss Elliott, 6—l, 6—3; Malfroy and Miss Preedy beat Hay Campbell and Miss K. Zeisler, ■ 6->-2, 6—l; Purcell and Miss Purcell beat Meuli and Miss New, 6—l, 4 —6, 6—l; Wilson and Mrs. Melody beat Tukere and Mrs. Burston, 6—l, 6—2; A. Powdrell and Miss Whyte beat Gardner and Miss Heard, 6—o, 6—2. DRAW FOR TO-DAY. The draw for to-day is :— 1 Men’s singles: Malfroy (Wellington) v. Wilson (Wellington') ;. Rhodes-Wil-liams (Christchurch) v. Barkman (Wanganui). Angus (Christchurch v. Lampe (Wanganui) ; Stedman (Auckland) v. Charters (Whangarei). Ladies’ singles: Mrs.. Adams (Wellington) v. Miss Whyte (Wellington) ; Miss Myers (Wanganui) v. Mrs. Smith (Wanganui) : Mrs. Melody (Wellington) v. Mrs. Frankham (Auckland) ; Miss D. Nicholls (Wellington) v. Miss M. Purcell (Wanganui). • .