WILDING SHIELD WON

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 140, 10 March 1941, Page 9

WILDING SHIELD WON

Wellington Success CANTERBURY TENNIS TEAM BEATEN

* Women’s Side Also Wins

Increasing the lead they gained on Friday, Wellington’s Wilding Shield tennis team on Saturday beat the visiting Canterbury side by the handsome margin of eight matches to four. Wellington thus become the holders of the trophy for interprovincial tennis supremacy for the first time since the 1933-34 season.

Canterbury women who, like the men, were down 2-4 in matches after the first day’s play, fought their uphill fight almost to a successful conclusion, the verdict going to Wellington only after the last match of the day was decided.

.Detailed scores are (Wellington names first)

N, V. Edwards beat C. Angas, 6-2, 6-1.

R. McKenzie beat R. G. Pattinson, 6-3, 6-4. D. G. France lost to H. A. Baruett, 6-1, 4-6, 4-6. E. A. Rousscll beat O. Penfold, 2-6, 6-1, 7-5. Edwards and McKenzie lost to Angas and Pattinson, 3-6, 7-5, 4-6. France and Roussell beat Barnett and Penfold, 6-4, 8-6.

Totals: Wellington, 8 matches, 18 sets, 148 games; Canterbury 4 matches, 11 sets, 131 games.

Women.

Mrs. Green lost to Miss T. Poole, 4-6, 2-6. Miss J. Beban beat Miss J. Senior, 6-1, 6-2. Miss F. Fernie beat Miss K. Armstrong, 3-6, 8-6, 6-3. Mrs. Kennedy lost to Miss H. Elsom. 6-4, 2-6, 5-7. Mesdames Green and Kennedy lost to Misses Poole and Armstrong, 3-6, 3-6.

Misses Fernie and Beban beat Misses Senior and Elsom, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. Totals: Wellington, 7 matches, 16 sets, 140 games; Canterbury, 5 matches, 15 sets, 140 games.

Barnett’s Recovery.

Barnett and France opened the Wilding Shield proceedings with what was to prove the best singles of the day. France quickly struck his game and, playing with all his old dash, overwhelmed Barnett in the first set, making the net his goal at every opportunity and volleying and smashing with judgment and decision. After that France, though he still did many brilliant things, was not quite as devastating and Barnett, making remarkable recoveries and covering the court with great speed and agility, managed to do what few other players could have done in the face of France’s form and worried the Wellington man out of the decision, finishing the match with a lightning-like volley off a ball that had been deflected in its flight by hitting the net cord, a shrewd drop shot and an angled placement. Edwards Easily.

Angas was again off form and Edwards beat him easily. The Wellington man gave a sound display, driving consistently on the backhand and advancing to the net to score with neat volleys and strong overhead play. At the same time Angas contributed considerably to his own downfall.

McKenzie did not seem disposed to exert himself to the utmost against Pattinson and his’ game lacked something of the sting and polish of his performance on the first day. Nevertheless, when the need came for him to assert himself in the second set, he overtook Pattinson with more aggressive tactics and, though the Canterbury man refused to give in, till all was lost, he had to admit defeat. McKenzie was again deadly overhead and played many fine strokes. Roussell’s Recovery’.

Roussell, after losing the first set to Penfold’s steady play, asserted himself in the second and won easily. In the third he lost his form and recovered it only just in time, fighting from 1-5 down to take the set and a match that had been all but lost.

Edwards and McKenzie went down to Angas and Pattinson in a match which produced flashes of good play, but a good many 7 errors. Though Angas was still prone to make mistakes, he and his partner took the first set easily, as the Wellington players, specially McKenzie, were also having lapses. The home team was down 1-4 in the second _ set but then recovered to take the set 7-5. In the third set they were again down to the same extent before they made their run but this time, after some of tlie brightest play in the match, the Canterbury men resisted the challenge. France and Roussell followed up their doubles win on the first day by a second one, this time at the expense of Barnett and Penfold. Again they proved themselves a solid combination. Women’s Matches.

In the women's matches Miss Poole proved too strong for Mrs. Green. , The Canterbury player was rather erratic in the first set but took the second with the loss of only two games. Miss Senior, who failed to strike form throughout the series, was never in the hunt against Miss Beban, who placed the ball to the sidelines and forced either weak returns, with which she dealt with severely, or errors. As on the first day, Miss Fernie lost the first set and then went on to take the match with a sustained driving attack. It was a close call in the second set, however. Against Mrs. Kennedy, who played a competent, game, Miss Elsom owed her success in great measure to her. tireless retrieving of shots which looked like winners and her willingness to attack from the net. In the doubles the top Canterbury pair, as expected, emerged the winners. AU then depended on the last match, between Misses Beban and Fernie and Misses Senior and Elsom. The Canterbury pair succeeded in taking the second set, but could secure only three games in the third. . Shield Presented.

At the conclusion of play the Wilding Shield was presented to Edwards, captain of the Wellington team, by Mr. J. Mercer, president of the Canterbury Dawn Tennis Association, who congratulated the Wellington men on their win and mentioned specially the form of McKenzie. In his acknowledgement Edwards commented on file good sportsmanship of the Canterbury team in agreeing to defend the-shield away from their home courts. „ , , All the matches wore controlled by members of the Wellington Lawn Tennis Umpires’ Association.