MASTERTON TOURNAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 19, 23 January 1924, Page 4

MASTERTON TOURNAMENT

SOME HIGH GRADE PLAY

APPROACHING^ FINAL STAGES,

(BI TELSQEAPH.—SPECIAL TO THE POST.)

MASTERTON, 22nd January.

. The/ provincial tennis championship tournament was continued at Masterton to-day, under the brightest conditions, and the events at the close of the day were well towards the final stages. The play was of a much-improved standard, as might have been expected when the better players got together. One of the lessons which the local players—or one or two^of them—have been learning from the Australian visitors is to play the umpire. When asked in Christchurch if they had anything to ask, the visitors said the 'only thing was that the local players should play the umpire as they did. Questioning a decision is not done by them. ■ One or two well-known players have been adopting this" bad habit, but the present tourney has seen a welcome change.

The suggestion has been published that the New Zealand Association might take a lesson from the quick running off of the events at Mastertdn, and not keep players at the New Zealand championships for a week or more. This suggestion is laughed at here. It is pointed out that the New Zealand championships require a, player to play fives set matches every round of each event entered for, as against three sets in the provincial events' No' player could bo expected to play more than one round daily, running, as this might, to fifteen sets for each player entered in all events. The standard of' play in the finals would be weak, owing to the players being asked to do too much if the suggestion were "treated seriously. Proficiency in. the game would take second' place to physical ability. In Australia, no player is asked to play more than one round daily, and New, Zealand has yet something to learn from Australia in the matter of. tennis, x

One of the finest matches of the tournament was played early in the .morning, when Mr. and Mrs. Melody met Lampe and Mrs M'Master in the first round of the combined championship. Sparkling teixnis resulted, both pairs combining well and- playing to their best form. . Each side won its service in; tho first set, till the games stood at B\all. Mrs. Melody then lost her service through Lampe" beating Melody with fine side-line work and volleying. Lampe . then took his service, and the first set 10-8. The second set was not so brilliant. Lampe and M'Master lost the first game, and then won every game, to take the set 6-1. The only really hard game was the. seventh. In the last set, Melody showed a,little of his splendid backhand, which \beat his opponents continually in the first set.

Two Petone ladies, Mrs. Parkinson and Mrs. Evison, jhad a great tussle in the ladies' singles. Mrs. . Evison,. who is top player at Petone and high in the Wellington- ladder, finally won in the third set, but only after Mrs. Parkinson had performed brilliantly, to take the second set to love.

Cowper and Mrs. Maddison had little difficulty in disposing of Pike and- Miss Payton. Miss Payton was not playing well, and Pike is showing the strain of a long series of matches. ..The appearance of Misses Wellwoodand. M'Lareii to decide for one of the positions in the semi-finals was the signal for the gallery to move their court. The first set was not up to expectations. Miss Wellwood made numerous mistakes,- was weak on her forehand, and could not produce the backhand which is usually a feature of her play. Miss M'Laren was placing well and keeping excellent length. In the second set, Miss Wellwood recovered her game, as she usually does, but the match was j confined to the back line, neither player j making any attempt at. even service line play, though Miss M'Laren plays a fine net game in doubles, and appears to have the physique to play up closer in singles, in addition to which she gets a lot of practice with men players. Mias Wellwood has improved in the move- I meats on the court, but is still bad in J anticipation, leaving short balls to drop before moving towards them". Conscientious . effort in this direction would improve her game by 30 per cent. Miss M'Laren went, to pieces in the third set, and lost her place in the championship. ,M. Young, of Thorndon,.. put Gqod- ' man (N.S.W.) out of the championship singles. Goodman had Young on the run, but he got there, and played good ground shots. In the third set Young had a 5-2 lead, but nervousness on his part enabled the more seasoned player to catch him, though Young won the next two and the match. Speaking of Young, Goodman said he had a very good service and a good heart,' and he was a sportsman on the court. His ground shots were good, but in service ' he was inclined to use the weak reverse service similar to that of Andrews, which was a mistake. The New South Wales visitors are unanimous in condemning this particular service. It is not so/much on account of the service that the reverse service is condemned, but because it weakens net play. The Australians use precisely the same spot in smashing as in. service, so that the service is continual practice for smashing. Andrews is not strong in smashing, nor in i rushing the net, the result being that in doubles he loses numerous points he should reasonably be expected to gain. "If New Zealand can produce a few more colts of a similar standard to Young, they will have good prospects," remarked Goodman. "That ■is, provided Young or similar players do not grow to think there is no hat sufficiently large for their heads:/ They must always go on with the full determination to win, and never think that ■an opponent can be brushed oft the courts, no matter how weak that opponent is." It must be understood that •nothing in Young's behaviour has called for the warning, which' was issued as general advice_ to young players. Confidence is required, but not overconfidence. '■ Pike (N.S.W.) and Lampe had a great match in the championship singles. Pike took the first set, which both' had chances to win, 8-6, but Lampe, with a fine run of play1 on the service line, ran Pike off the court in the second set Which he won easily. The match was characterised by fine driving, placing, and volleying, and was a first-rato exhibition. The final of the girls' championship resulted in a win for Miss Marjorie Lee of Lower Hutt, a protege of Mr. Melody. She quite easily outplayed Miss Bna .Finlayson, who, however, is a promising player. Lee has a most pleasing style, not at all confined to hack-line play Frequently in the final she came to the net, und volleyed and .smashed brilliantly. In _ this department she is outstanding. She has, however, tho serious fault of being slow in anticipation, failing to move for short balls until they havo fallen. " Wallace and Dickie, tho w.el].kud*'n . Zealand yaii'j \vgre niutclied uguimsl

Peach and Pike (N.S.W.). Play opened with a series of mistakes, but the. game rapidly evened up, and the spectators Were treated to a fine exhibition of serving, driving, placing, and volleying. The local players were unable to handle the hard driving of the visitors at the service line, and netted frequently at the start. The Australian pair controlled the game throughout, playing with increasingly fine volleying and smashing, Peach shining at the latter as usual. His footwork is one of the principal features of his game. The second set was more evenly contested. The visitors were not combining well; having practically not played together, but their placing and service-line play, combined with the fact that Pike, being a lefthander, was upsetting, gave them an advantage. There were some Brilliant rallies.

In spite of having played in the championship tournaments many times together, Mrs. Melody and Miss Macfarlane did not meet in the championship singles till to-day; when the result was a long and gruelling contest, very evenly contested from tho base line. Miss Macfavlane played a particularly bright backhand game, placing very well, and kept Mrs. Melody on the run. Miss Macfarlaue took the first set, then lost four games in succession, to. lead 4 to love. Miss Macfarlane managed to pull to 5 all, and then dropped her service,"* putting in a double fault, With the score at 30 all in the eleventh game. Many rallies were extremely long, one going to twenty-four strokes. Mrs. Melody played a low drive with a. lot of cut throughout. The third set was remarkable for the wonderful recovery of Miss Macfarlane. Mrs. Melody led her 5-1, when Miss Macfarlane steadied and won sis games in succession, and the match. She hardly made a mistake. With the score at 5-2 in her favour, Mrs. Melody had the game 40-love in her favour, and then lost it.

In the semi-final of the men's doubles, Copper and Walker met Peach and Pike, to provide the best double of the tournament. The visitors were combining better than earlier in the afternoon, and both were serving particularly well, Peach having ,little returned. Walker Was smashing and volleying brilliantly, while Cowper was very safe. The local pair led 5-4, but Peach's service levelled the score. A beautiful smash by Cowper proved to be the stroke which gave the local pair the first set 7-5. Pike struck a bad patch early in the second set, and the local pair led 3-I.' But some judicious lobbing worked them out of position in the next. Peach won hjE service, and the games stood 3-all. Cowper and Walker took the next two, completely outplaying the Australians. Walker's service put the Australians out of the event.

Smyth and Andrews met in the semifinal of the singles, but the game did not produce very much that was interesting, Andrews Winning without difficulty and showing greater court craft, and placing as well as volleying well at intervals. Miss Macfarlane had no great difficulty in disposing of Mrs. Booth in the semi-finals of the ladies' singles, although Mrs. Booth put up a fight for it. Mrs. Melody and Miss M'Laren maintained their position.. against Mrs. Mad-, dison and Miss Wellwood, taking both sets in good play. The winners havenot had a set taken from them during the tournament, nor has any other pair extended them to an advantage set. Following are the results:—- ■, MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES. Second Round.—Eales beat Perry, 97, 9-7. ■.■ ■;■ Third Bound.—Andrews won by default from R. V.' Hooper; J. Martin beat Eales, 6-2, 6-1; M. Young beat Goodman (New South Wales), 6-3, 3-6, 7-5; Pike- beat Lampe, 8-6, 2-6, 6-3; Wallace beat; Melody., 6-4, 6-3. Fourth Round.—Smyth beat Salmond, 8-6, 6-0, . ■ MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES. Third Round.—Wilson and Ellis beat Booth and Steel, 11-9, 6-2; Peach and! Pike beat Sievers and James, 6-2, 6-4; Melody and Andrews beat Groves and Bartholomew, 6-1", 6-3. Fourth Round.—Cowper and . Walker beat Hooper and M'Donald, 6-2, 6-4. LADIES' CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES. Third Round.—Miss M'Laren won by deEault from Mrs. Maddison; Mrs. Evison beat Mrs. Parkinson, 6-3, 0-6, 6-3. Fourth Round.—Miss Wellwood beat Miss M'Laren, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; Miss Howe beat Miss Payton, 6-5, 6-4. LADIES'CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES. Third Round.—Misses M'Farlane and Payton beat Misses Feast and Bri3ge, 6-3, 60. COMBINED CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES. Second Round.—Bunny and Mrs. Tweed won by default Hutchison and Miss Johnston; Lampe and Mrs. M'Mastei- beat Melody and Mrs. Melody, 10-8,6-1; Cowper and Mrs. Maddison beat Pike and Miss Payton, 6-2, 6-1; Maunsell and Miss Kiely beat Bee and Miss Lenz, 8-6, 6-2; Steel and Mrs. Steel beat Burns and Miss Feast, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4; Sexton and Miss Finlayson won by default from Pearce and Mrs. Balfour; Andrews and Miss M'Laren beat Sievers and Mrs. Broad, 6-1, 6-2; Barkman and Mrs. Barkman beat Martin and Miss Pragnell, 3-6, 10-8, 6-1. Third Round.—Steel and Mrs. Steel won by default from Smyth and partBOYS1' CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES. Third Round.—Lucas beat Tylee, 6-4, 6-2. GIRLS' CHAMPIONSHIP. Final.—Marjorie Lee beat Ina Finlayson, 6-0, 6-1. MEN'S .SINGLES. Third Round.—Walker 'beat Barkman, 6-3, 6-2. Fourth Round.—Walker beat J. Mar- i tin, 6-4, 6-4; Andrews beat Wallace, 6-0, 6-4; Pike beat M. Young, 6-4, 6-0. | Semi-final.—Andrews beat Smyth, 6-4, 6-0. I CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES. Fourth Round.—Peach and Pike beat Wallace and Dickie,. 6-3, 6-3; Goodman and Barkman beat Melody and Andrews, 5-1,, 6-1, 6-1; Lampe and Powdrell beat Wilson and Ellis, 6-4, 6-2. Semi-final. —Goodman and Barkman beat,Lampe and PowdreU, 6-1, 6-3; Cowper and Walker beat Peach and Pike, 6-5, 6-3. LADIES' SINGLES. Fourth Round.—Mrs. Booth beat Mrs. Evison, 6-4, 6-4; MacFarlane beat Melody, 6-4, 5-6, 7-5. Semi-final.—MacFarlane beat " Mrs. Booth, 6-1, 6-0. LADIES' DOUBLES. Second Round.—Mrs. Maddison and1 Miss Wellwood beat Mesdames Smith and Parkinson, 6-1, 6-4. Third Round.,—M'Master and Mrs. Howe beat Mrs. Booth and Steel,' 6-0, 6-3; Mrs: Maddison and Miss Wellwood beat Misses Poulton and Curtis, 6-3, 6-0. Semi-final.—Mrs. Melody and Miss M'Laren beat, Mrs. Maddison and Mrs. Wellwood, 6-3, 6-2. ! COMBINED-DOUBLES. ' Second Round.—Booth and Mrs. Bopth beat F. W. Martin and Miss Madely, 6-2, 6-3; Wilson and Miss Howe beatHeaps and Uism B, HuggiU, 6-3, 6-8, Third Ikiund.— Andrews and Mies

M'Laren beat Bunny and Mrs. Tweed, 6-0, 6-0; M'Donald and Miss Hodder beat Eales and Miss Thomson, 6-2, 6-2; Walker and Miss M'Parlane beat Mrs. Booth and Booth, 6-3, 6-2; Lampe and Tilrs. Master won by default from Steel and Mrs. Steel; Hollings and Miss Clegg beat Barkman and Mrs. Barkman, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4; Lee and Miss Lenz beat Sexton and Miss Finlayson, 6-3; 6-2; Peach and Miss Wellwood beat Goodman and Mrs. Evison, 5-1, 6-2.