AUSTRALIANS ON TOP

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 119, 13 February 1940, Page 10

AUSTRALIANS ON TOP

N.Z. Lawn Tennis Tournament

HIGH STANDARD OF PLAY Bromwich And Miss Coyne Win Mixed Title One championship title was decided yesterday and the others will be decided today in the New Zealand lawn tennis tournament at Miramar. The final played yesterday was the mixed doubles, which was won by J. Bromwich and Miss T. Coyne (Australia) in two sets against J. H. Crawford and Miss N. Wynne (Australia).

The final round has been reached in the other four championship events, the finalists being Crawford and Bromwich in the men’s singles and Miss Wynne and Miss Coyne in the women’s singles, Crawford and Bromwich and C. Angas and A. D. Brown (Canterbury) in the men's doubles and Miss Wynne and Miss Coyne and Miss M. Hardcastle (Australia) and Mrs. Gallagher (Wellington) in the women’s doubles.

A strong northerly wind was blowinf yesterday and causing occasional dust clouds. Though the players were hampered by it, the standard of tennis was very high, the play being particularly good in the concluding set of the women’s singles semifinal between Miss Coyne and Miss Hardcastle postponed at set-all on Saturday and in the mixed doubles final. Two other events decided yesterday were the women’s plate won by Miss I’. Cooke (Auckland) and the veterans’ doubles won by R. V. Hooper (Manawatu) and M. L. Lampe (Wanganui) after a long third set against R. Browning and D. F. Glanville (Canterbury). Well-Matched Pair. The semifinalists in the women’s singles, Miss Coyne and .Miss Hardcastle, in their final set played the most consistent and well-matched tennis seen up Io that slage at the tournament. It was st splendid display of weil-eonirolled hitting, and the players , . , even that it would have needed . > .ne slightest change of fortune io give the match to Miss Hardcastle. She kept a beautiful length throughout, varying deep drives with occasional well-phtced short ones that had Miss Coyne running hard. Miss Coyne was rather more severe in her stroking and had the advantage over her opponent in her greater effectiveness at the net. From the backline she frequently beat Miss Hardcastle with fast drives to within inches of the sideline.

Miss Hardcastle established a 4-2 lead only to lose the next three games and give Miss Coyne a 5-4 lead on her service. However, Miss Coyne could not hold it and Miss Hardcastle, hitting over the backline, dropped her own service at 6-6. With a love game she evened the score to 7-7, but two double-faults and an outed volley gave Miss Coyne an 8-7 lead ami siie reached 40-love in the next game. Miss Hardcastle saved one matchpoint with a good backhand drive but Miss Coyne, coming to the net and volleying a winner, won the next point and with it the match. Beginning at 3-all in the first set, after Saturday's postponement, R. Howe (Wellington) in his semifinal match with Bromwich began well. Playing very accurately and with more caution than usual, he led 5-4 and had two set points. The first of them Bromwich disposed of with a two-handed shot that went for e clean winner. The second Howe lost with a drop shot that failed to materialize and the game went to Bromwich with a similar shot which did succeed. Howe collected one more game before Bromwich really got going to take the set 8-6. Bromwich was now in excellent form. His fast shots were reaching their mark in fine style and Howe, who had lost most of his earlier caution, could not match them and frequently could not pick them up at all. Bromwich won the second and third sets, losing two games in the second and one in the third and taking the last six games in a row. Crawford In Form. Angus has all the strokes and the tempera input ut a giant-killer, but Clawford, the giant in this case, was in no mood to be trilled with and though Angus's persistence gained him a set Bl the other men’s singles semifinal the ultimate result, was never in doubt. In contrast to bis earlier displays-, C'rawtord showed his best form from the start, lie was stroking with all the polish and accuracy for which he is lainous, repeatedly working Angus out of position and winning with a well-placed shot. He was hitting his volleys cleanly am once be got his racket to the ball at the net there was rarely any answer possible The first two sets were quickly oyer, but Angus’s tireless retrieving and Ins ability to take full advantage ot any lapses on Crawford’s part had their reward in the third set. Crawford had .momentarily lost touch and the set. went to Angus 6-2. Crawford was back at his best alter the interval and quickly reached a o-l lead and though Angas won two more -ames. Hie second of them to love off Crawford’s service, the set and match went Io Crawford. 6-3. D G France (Wellington) and N. G. Sturt (Auckland) began well in the semifinal match of Ihe mens doubles against -\n-as and Brown, and won the first set after a close struggle. But thereafter Angas dominated the position with uiifailin- neeuracy at critical moments. He was well backed up by Brown, who smashed and volleyed well Ihe other pair made costly errors, and with Angas in such form they had no chance. Bromwich and Miss Coyne played consistently good tennis to win the mixed doubles'title. They were both in excellent form in the final against Crawtord and Miss Wynne, a mutch which produced much exhilirating play. Ihe men were well matched, Bromwich s extra a—ressiveness at the net being balanced by” Crawford’s accurate placing and heady return of service. Miss Wynne, however was making many mistakes, and as agains-t this. Miss Coyne played brilliantly, standing up to Crawford’s best sluds and generally playing a splendid all-round gnmo. The first set was well contested, a long game at 5-5 going against Crawford and Miss Wynne lifter they had reached deuce from love-10 on the'latter’s service. The second set was in favour of Bromwich and Miss Coyne all the way, and their comparatively easy win was well merited. New Zealanders Eliminated. In the semifinal of Ihe mixed doubles, Bromwich and Miss Coyne disposed of R. Howe and Miss M. Beverley in straight sets, dropping three games in each of them. There was plenty of hard hitting on both sides, but. the Australians combined better than the others, and their work at Ihe net was clearly superior. ’Hie oilier semifinal between Crawford and Miss Wynne and 11. Barnes (Australia) and .Miss Cooke, was much more interesting to watch. The match went to three sets. Crawford and .Miss Wynne winning the first and third to love, and losing the second 6-8. There were many exciting rallies, the younger pair standing

up to their experienced opponents in great style. In the first set and again in tlie third. Bn rues and .Miss Cooke did wonders in keeping the ball in play, but always the others won the deciding points. In tile second set Crawford and .Miss Wynne looked like repeating their performance iu I lie first. They led 3-love, lint errors began to creep in. and Barnes, and Miss Cooke, in a gallant display, won the next live games, and went on to take tlie set. The third set was a repetition of tlie first, witli Crawford and Aliss Wynne on top nil the way. Detailed results are:— Men's Singles. Semifinals: .1. Bromwich beat 11. Howe. 5- li-2, (i-l : •!. 11. Crawford beat C. Angas, I)-’-’. 0-1, 2-6. 0-0. Women’s Singles. Seniiliiial: Miss T. Coyne beat Miss M. Hardcastle, 3-0, 0-4, 0-7. Mvn’N DoublcH. Seniiliiial: C. Angas and A. JI. Brown beat I>. <i. France and X. G. Sturt. .>-7. 6- 0-2, 6-1. .Mixed Doubles. Semifinals: .1. Bromwich and Miss T. Covne beat It. Howe and Miss M. Bevericv. 11-3, 6-3: .1. H. Crawford and Miss X. Wynne bent R. Barnes and Miss I'. Cooke, D-ii. li-8. 6-0. I'inal: Bromwich and Miss toyne beat ■Crawford and Miss Wynne, 7-.). 6-2 Women’s Plate. Seniiliiial: Miss M. Howe bent Miss .1. Nicholls, 0-3. 6-2. Filial: Miss Cooke beat Miss Howe. o-0. 6-3, 6-0. Veterans' Doubles. Filial: it. V. Hooper and M. L. I.anipe lieat it. Browning and I>. F. Glanville. 0-1, 1-0. 10-S.

TODAY’S MATCHES

The matches to be played at Miramar today are as follows:— . Noon: Final, womens singles. Miss X. Wvnne v. Miss 'l'. Coyne. Followed by lin'al, men’s singles. .1. 11. Crawford y. .1 Bromwich. Followed by final, womens doubles. Misses Wynne and Coyne v. Misu M. Hardcastle mid Mrs. Gallagher I’ulioweil by linal, men's doubles, .1. 11. i rnwford and .1. Bromwich v. C. Angas and A 1 p.m.: Men's plate final, M. I' erkins v. J. Hamilton. , , 111 umpires are to report at 11.-m a.m.