CHAMPION TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 26, 31 January 1930, Page 15

CHAMPION TENNIS

PROGRESS AT MIRAMAI

SEAY BEATS A. L. FRANCE

! The weather as the afternoon wore on ! yesterday could not have been better for - the continuation of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis championships at. Miramar. Play was resumed at 1 o'clock after a forced ad- ( jourmnent owing to the rain. Light rain again fell about hall'-an-honr later, but, al- " though it made things unpleasant, it-was not enough to cause play to be stopped for a second time. Then the sun came out ' and conditions, although there was a cool light southerly blowing, were a marked improvement. The courts rapidly dried under the influence of the hot sun, and were playing well, although slightly on the slow side. Quite a fair number of spectators were present. A leading feature of the afternoon's play was the elimination from the men's singles of A. L. Franco (Wellington) by I. A. ' Seay, the- Canterbury player, who thus repeated his performance of last Saturday when, in the final of the Wellington championships, he decisively beat France. Conditions favoured France's chops and heavily cut services, but Seay frequently beat France at his own game in playing short ones just over the net. Seay, too, was generally accurate in his drives, many of which were within a couple of inches of the side-line, but on the right side of it. France won the first set, 6-4, Seay making matters even by taking the second, 6-3.-The third set Seay won rather more easily, 6-2. In the fourth set, when Seay led, 4-3, France had a great" chance of making the score 4-all, and was actually leading 40-love. But a series of shots found the net or the outside of the court, and Seay won the game. He also took the next, which was the deciding one of the match. Seay thus won by three sets to. one', 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. France was playing a better game than he did last Saturday against the same opponent, but Seay again stamped himself as a superior player, and, after the first set, was a winner all through. In the semi-final Seay has to play D. G. France, the other semi-finalists being Malfroy and Angas. > The semi-final of the men's doubles, when N. R. C. Wilson (Wellington) and A. Stedman (Auckland) met C. Angas (Canterbury) and N. G. Sturt (Auckland) was productive of spectacular play Although there was never much; doubt as to the ultimate winners, plenty of hard hitting was indulged in by all four players, and some of the rallies were good. Wilson showed thai he/is a much better doubles than singles player, and he unmercifully dealt with most that came his way. Stedman ably supported him_ and played many winning cross shots. Wilson and Stedman won, 6-4, 7-5, 6-1 The other semi-final of the men's doubles was one-sided. D. G. France and C. E. Malfroy (Wellington) did very much as they pleased with M. L. Lampe (Wanganui) and A. L. France (Wellington). They won, 6-1, 6-0, G-3. The final, when Wilson and Stedman meet D. O. France and Malfroy, should produce stirring tennis. LADIES' SINGLES. In the third round-of the ladies' singles, Miss D. Xicholls (Wellington) experienced little difficulty in defeating Miss B. Knight (Auckland) The first set opened quietly, and from a score of 2-2 Miss Nicholls obtained a two-game lead. At times Miss Knight's play brightened, but she could not win more than another game, and the set went to the Wellington player, 6-3. Miss Knight commenced the second set in a spirited manner, and took the first game. Miss Nieholls evened, and won the next. Miss Knight then won only one more game, the set and

The match between Miss M. Myers (Wanganui), and Mrs. R. P. Adams (Wellington) went the full three sets, and was one of the most' interesting of the afternoon. Mrs. Adams won the first set 64, after having a lead" of 4-2. Miss Myers played strongly in the next set and ran to a, lead' of 3-0. Several errors,' coinbined . with the steady play of her opponent, lost her two games, but she settled down again and won the set 6-2.

The third anij deciding sot saw Miss Myers playing Mrs. Adams's back-hand corner consistently, with tlic Wellington player on the defensive. Miss Myers's score rnn to 5-0, but two games were then taken by her opponent before the Wauganui player took the nialch, 0-2. Detailed results arc as follows: — Third Bound. —Miss Marjorie Macfarlane (Auckland) beat Mrs. N. Thomson (Wellington), C-3, 64; Mrs. W. J. Melody (Wellington) beat Miss M. Whyte (Wellington), 6-1, 2-C, 0-3; Miss X). Nicholls (Wellington) beat Miss B. Knight (Auckland), 0-3, 0-2; Miss M. Myers (Wanga mii) beat Mrs. R. P. Adams (Wellington), 4-6, 0-2, G-4. LADIES' DOUBLES. Good progress was made with the ladies' doubles, the final of which is to be played this afternoon between Mrs. R. P. Adams and Mrs.. N. Thomson (Wellington), and Misses M. Wake and. M. 3.0. Andrew (Canterbury). Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Thomson experienced little diltieulty iv defeating Misses Brady -aii,d AVelcli, and they maintained their form" iv the semifinal, defeating Airs. W. G. Sturman and Miss Lloyd. Mrs. Melody and Mrs. Scott defeated Miss D. Howe and Miss D Nicholls, but were beaten iv their match witlr. the Canterbury pair. The semifinal ' between Mrs. Melody and Mrs. Scatt and Misses Wake and Andrews was a hard struggle, with the Canterbury pair more or less always in the bettor position. A feature of the match was the hard hitting of the players,, and from the spectators' point of view it was well worth watching. The Canterbury pair took the first set rather easily 0-3, leading throughout. Mrs.' Melody and Mrs. Scott commenced the second sot auspiciously, and at one stage led 3-0. After that the score went on to read, 3-1, 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, 5-3, 5-4, 5-5, 0-5, 7-5. Misses Wake and Andrews took advantage of everything within their reach, though in this set the lobbing of their opponents, arid particularly that of Mrs. Melody, was a source of trouble! to them. In-the final set the Canterbury pair proved too strong for their opponents, who were beaten 6-3. Detailed results are: r - Second Round.—Mrs, R. P. Adams and Mrs. N Thomson (Wellington) beat Misses E. Brady and N. G. Welch (Wellington), 0-4, 0-2; Mrs. W,. F. Sturman (Wellington) and Miss N. Lloyd (N.S.W.) beat Miss M. Gibsoii (South Canterbury), and Miss M. Whyte (Wellington), 2-0, 6-2, 64; Mrs. -W. J. .Melody (Wellington) and Mrs W. A. Scott (South Canterbury) beat Miss D. Howe and Miss D. Nicholls (Wellington), 3-6, 6-4, 8-6; Misses M. Wake and- M. E. Andrew (Canterbury) beat Misses Nichols and Macdonald 6-2, 6-3. Semi-finals: Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Thomson beat Mrs. Sturman and Miss Lloyd, 0-3, 6-1 Misses Wake and Andrew beat Mrs. Melody and Mrs. Scott, G-3, 5-7, 0-3. MIXED DOUBLES. In the first round of the mixed doubles Miss M. Gibson and W. G. Robertson (SouUi Canterbury) beat Miss M. Lee and N. G.. Whitema'n (Wellington), 0-2, 6-1; Mrs. W. F. Sturman and E. B. W. Smyth (Marlborough) beat Miss N. G. Welch and K. W. Dyer (Wellington) by default. ■ Second Round..—Miss I .Morison and I). Glauville (Canterbury) won from Mips M. Whyte (Wellington) and R W. Griffiths (Auckland) by default: Mrs. W. A. Scott (South Canterbury) and A. G. Wallace (Taranaki) beat Miss M. Myers and M. L. Lampe (Wangauui), 6-2, 6-4,

JUNIOR EVENTS.

Boys' Singles.—-Third round: M. Ileenan .(Mid-Canterbury) beat L. Annett (Waikato), 0-1, 6-1; W. G.-Robertson (South Canterbury) beat N. Davys (Wellington), 6-3, 4-0, 6-4; R. R. Lees (Auckland) beat A. A. MaeGibbon (Canterbury), 6-1, G-4; W. T. Render (Wellington) beat C. \V. Morrison (Wellington), 6-3, 0-4. The semi-fiual of the girls', singles saw. Tsobel Morrison (Canterbury) beat Stella Phillips (Wellington),'o-5, 0-2; and Mavis Howe (Wellington) beat Madeline > Eliot (South Canterbury), G-2, G-3. Boys' Doubles.—Semi-final round: R. R. and M. F. Lees (Auckland) boat-.C. W..Morrison and N. F. N. Bedford (Wellington), 6-1. 5-6, 6-2; W. G. Robertson : (South Canterbury) and M. Ferkins (Wellington) beat M. Heenan and G. -Doherty (Canterbury). 6-5, 6-1. The' final o£ tho girls'., doubles' did not

produce much in the way of promising tennis, the young iinalists perhaps being overawed by having to play on No. 1 court in front of all the spectators. The bare-legged pair, Madeline Eliot (South Canterbury) and Mavis Howe (Wellington) put up poor opposition to Jsobel Morrison (South Canterbury) and Glair Longmore (Wellington), the latter winning 0-3, 6-3. Junior Mixed Doubles.—First round: Amy Graham (Wellington) and A. J. Dickit (Taranaki) won by default from Jessie Burns and H. Winnie (Wellington), Joan Wallace and S. A. Young (Wellington)' won' by default from It. i Anderson and W. T. lender (Wellington); Stella Phillipps (Wellington) and L. Anuett (Waikato) beat Audrey Kean and T. N Bush (Wellington), G-0, 2-0, 0-1; Barbara Stedman and R. R. Loe. (Auckland) won from Juliet Nathan and J. Wylie (Wellington) by default; Jsobel Morrison and M. Heenan (Canterbury) won from Gvetdien Hume and P. J. Wychericy ■(Wellington) liy default; Madrlitie Eliot aiid AY. G. Robertson (South Canterbury) boat DoroMiy King and JM. Davys (Wellington), G-3, 0-2. Junior Mixed Doubles.—Second round: Stella Phillippu and L. Anuett -(Waikato) beat Joan Wallace and S. A. louug (Wellington), 0-1, 0-3; Glair- Longmore and M. Perkins -(Wellington) beat Barbara Stedman and R. R. Lees (Auckland), 0-3, 0-3; Isobel Morrison and M. Heenan (Canterbury) beat Amy Graham (Wellington) and A. J. Dickie (Taraimki), (i-3, 0-I.' .'