BIG TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 25, 30 January 1930, Page 10

BIG TENNIS

PLAY AT MIRAMAR

DELAYED BY RAIN

MEN'S' SINGLES

The weather was not too kind when, the New Zealand lawn tennis champipnships were resumed at Miramar this morning. The rain which caused, the abandonment of all play yesterday had made the courts less fast than they had been, but by this morning they had rolled out well. When play was resumed shortly after 10 a.m. conditions were good, but a southerly suddenly came up and tho rain came down. A cessation of play until 1 p.m. waa decided upon, the courts meantime being rolled.

Chief interest to-day centred on the fourth round matches in the men's singles wherein several star players were in action. D. G. France (Wellington) and A. C. Stedman (Auckland) fought out the top half of the draw for entry into the semi-final round. Stedman served and took the first game, but France evened things in the next by several brilliant passing shots. The next two games also went to France, who, although none too certain,ii£ some of his overhead shots, was content to let Stedman beat himself by his own. errors. Stedman, playing a. steadier game, scored with several good crossshots, and did not give France a chance of getting up to the net, winning two games in succession and making the score three-all. France took the next two games and led 5-3 in the first set, but Stedman came to light again and evened things up at 5-all, when the rain, stopped play for the time being. Stedman was driving deep and hard, and had France on the defensive on the base line.

When play was resumed, France clinched matters as far as the first set was concerned, winning 7-5. In the second set there was only one in the hunt, France winning 6-love. France was too good for Stedmanj and although play in the,,- third set was even for a time and the score reached 4-all, France » finally won, 6-4. The scores were 7-5, 6-0, 6-4.

WILSON v. ANGAS.

The match between N. E. C. Wilson (■Wellington) and C. Angas (Canterbury) started in favour of Angas, who obtained a lead of 3-l> chiefly by -well placed passing shots. Wilson then obtained another game, but Angus, playing strongly, went ahead to lead 5-2, too many of Wilson's shots being outed. Rain at this stage caused'an adjournment to shelter.

Upon resumption Wilson evened up the score to 5-alI, taking advantage of several weak returns on the part of Angas. Wilson took the next game also. The following games with" Angas serving were prolonged, both players failing with a number of weak shots. Angas finally pulled it off and made I the score 6-all after Wilson had been at set point several times. Angas led 17-6, but lost ihe next two games. Eight'all was called, then 9-8 in favour of : Wilson, who took the next game and ! the first set, 10-8. The second set saw Angas run right away and win the set, 6-2, from 2-all. Angas was forcing1 Wilson into errors and was playing a (beautiful length and placing well. In the third set Angas attained a lead of ifour games before Wilson scored a game. Wilson then got two games, but Angas took the next two and the set, 6-2. In the fourth set Wilson, although getting in some good first services, was unable to reach the accurate placements made by Angas. After 3-all had been called Angas reached 5-3. Wilson managed to get one more game before Angaa won the deciding set, 6-4. The win by Angas was all the more creditable as he was none too well when he took the court, and as Wilson, was favoured by several doubtful decisions on the part of the umpire. He judiciously mixed the short ones with deep drives, which frequently found Wilson out of place. The scores' were 8-10, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. * MALFROY v. STURT.

.. The match between C. B. Malfroy (Wellington) and N. G. Sturt (Auckland) opened quietly. Both players were content to play from the base-line in the first two games, which Malfroy won rather easily, mainly througn the errors of his opponent. In the third game, in which Sturt had the service, the Auckland player took the net, and, forcing matters, he made the- score 2-1. |He played brighter in the next game, which he also won. With the score at two all, there was some bright play, a feature of which was Sturt's cross-court driving. Malfroy stood up to the attack well, and there were some fine recoveries by both players. That game went to Malfroy, but Sturt won the next, which made the score three all. The service in the next game was Sturt's, and he had Malfroy on the run with side-line drives. Malfroy; made the score 4-4 in the next game,' and a service ace was responsible for giving the next game to Sturt, the score then reading 5-4 in his favour. In the next game Malfroy was prominent in net play, and he won the game and also the next, which made the score 6-5 in his favour. Malfroy played a better length, and placed better in the final game of the set, which he took 7-5.

In the second set, with the score at 2-1 in Malfroy's favour, deuce was called seven times, but Sturt evened (2-2). Sturt won the next two games with hard driving, and Malfroy's placings were faulty in the next two games, which gave Sturt the set 6-2. Sturt won the third set 6-4. He commenced with a service ace and repeatedly found Malfroy's backhand corner. Malfroy temporarily improved and ■ the score went to two all. Malfroy kept on fighting, and made the score four all, but the last two games were taken rather easily by Sturt, who also took the set. In the fourth set there were some brilliant opening rallies, and Malfroy had a lead of three clear games. Sturt won the next game, and eventually made the score four-all. Malfroy stuck to his opponent and won the set 6-4. A feature of the play in that set was the hard hitting of both players, Malfroy being tie more accurate of the two. The fiftji and deciding set was disappointing in that Sturt failed completely to produce the form, which he had shown in the second and third sets. He constantly netted easy shots, whereas Malfroy took the net with success. The fifth game of the set was a love game, and Malfroy won the set and match after a brilliant net rally, six-love. The match score was 7-5, 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.

MIXED DOUBLES.

Mrs. W. A. Scott (South Canterbury) and A. G. Wallace (Taranaki) beat Miss M. Myers and M. L. Lampe (\Vanganui), 6-2, 6-4.

The third round game in the men's singles between A. L. France (Wollington) and A.' G. Wallace (Taranaki) was concluded this morning before the rain came on. France had matters much his own way and won 6-1, 6-3, fe-2. A. L. France will now be playing I. A. Seay (Canterbury) in the fourth round.