BRILLIANT TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 11, 14 January 1933, Page 19

BRILLIANT TENNIS

TEOPHY GAMES BEG-IN

WELLINGTON LEADING

Wellington teams revealed brilliant form at Miramar Grounds yesterday, and at the close of the opening day's play in the Anthony Wilding Memorial Shield and the Kathleen Nunneley Casket the local sides are comfortably ahead. Wellington leads Auckland in the Wilding Shield by 5 matches to one, and in the Nunneley Casket by five matches to one. mSffiSi!' WdliDSton Pla^rs WILDING SHIELD. Singles. C. E. Malfroy beat N. G. Sturt, 6-4, 6-1. S-6,6-1 °c beat A> C- Stedman, 3-6, i •"*; Cl WiJso" lost to H. C. Rowlands, 4-6, 6-2, 2-6. 6-31^ ICL' Ferkins' beat M- M- Morrison, Doubles. Malfroy and France beat Rowlands and Morrison, 6-1, G-4. StuT-t S°64 and • Fe!- kills beat Stcdman and NUNNELEY CASKET. Singles. , P Ml fi s- H- M. Dykes beat Miss 8.. Knight, orD, a-o, 7-5. ■ Miss D. Howe lost to Miss Marjorie Mactarlane, 7-5, 2-6, 4-6. ? Irs> D-'Gi France beat Mrs. B. Napier, „ ,Mii; 3 o M. Whyte beat Miss J. Ramsay, 0-4, u-o, 6*4. Doubles. Mrs. Bykeg and Miss Howe beat Miss Jxamsay and Mrs. Napier, 6-2, 7-5. Mrs. Prance and Miss Whyte beat Misses Macfarlane and Knight, 4-6, G-2

THE SHIELD GAMES,

It was expected that the Wellington team would more than hold Auckland in the Wilding Shield matches; it was not expected that they would gain such a big advantage as they had at the close ot play. But the margin between the teams was a margin of merit, not one of local knowledge or of ability to meet weather conditions. The match of the greatest drama was that between D. G. 1 ranee (Wellington) and A. C. Stedman, the Auckland Number One, a past national singles champion and one of the greatest hitters this country has produced. It was an encounter which teemed with moments of suspense,.with brilliance of stroke, and with changing fortunes. Stedman, whose keenness and power brought victory straight to;his grasp,.found it.elude him irom that fatal moment when he played safe at 6-3, 5-3, and 40-15. He had taken the first set in a blaze of hitting which 1< ranee, despite fine play, could not counter, and he had wiped out arrears of two games in the second set to even, the score at 3-all and lead 5-3 when France, staking everything he had on a final burst, broke through to take the set. ■. The third set was a repetition of the end of the second. France was tiring; he torced the pace to make an end and his speed and accuracy of shot caught Stedman again and again. The early games were keenly fought, then suddenly came a collapse, and Stedman finally failed on service. That slight unsteadiness in him gave France the match. .

MALFROY SUPERIOR,

The contest between Malfroy and Sturt on the contrary, was a fight between two players ■ who were not evenly matched. 1< ranee and Stednian had often exchanged shot for shot, in the MalfroySturt match one player was definitely the better Irom the beginning it was seen that the match would resolve itself into how Jong Sturt could hold service, and the break came in the eighth game for Malfroy to lead 5-3. He failed to take the set there, but his hard hitting, agility at the net, and rapid judgment gave it

him at G-4. Up to that stage Sturt had played with strength and skill, had hit brilliant drives and cut off returns at the net, but had seen many good returns turned away for winners by Malfroy, who was storming the net at every opportunity. From the end of the first set Sturt was quite obviously doomed. He was countering the strokes of a player of international reputation and was trying too hard. . ; . Every encounter has its surprise, and yesterday's was the way in which Rowlands, an Aucklauder with no such notable success- to his credit, defeated Wilson. Rowlands won by no fluke; he ran up immense leads in the first and third sets and defied Wilson's efforts to break them down. In the opening set he was 5-0, and though the Wellington man, by desperate striving, managed to reach 4-5 he was held from the beginning of the last game and beaten on service. It was a novel sight to witness Wilson persistently on the defensive against RowlanSs's powerful forehand, to see him passed at the net and forced to resort to tossing against an opponent who was extraordinarily quick in summing up any.situation and in devising measures to counter it. In this match Wilson did not beat himself. He was soundly defeated by a better player, and after his rallying of forces in the second set (aided perhaps by the fact that the Aucklander had made a great effort to end the first) he was completely outplayed. His fate was revealed by a loss of his opening service game, and the hard-hitting. Rowlands moved on to a victory of which Wilßon at his bestcould not have robbed him.

FERKINS WINS.

The Ferkins-Morrison match was merely a slaughter. Ferkins opened with control of the ball, Morrison with wild hitting. For a- moment in the first- set it looked as though Morrison would show more discrimination, but he failed through inability to apply the pressure at the right moment and to sustain it when applied. He fought strongly to stave off the inevitable, and Ferkins . won the games which put him into a winning position only after intense effort, but he won them and never really looked like losing them—in the seventh game of the second set which meant 5-2 or 4-3 there were five deuces, but every time Ferkins held the odd point. He won by that keenness which enabled him to keep a little ahead. It was the same in thd double which matched Ferkins and Wilson against Stedman and Shift. Ferkins was the steadiest player there, the most reliable vollcyer, the consistent raiser of chances, the finest taker of them. Wilson, unsteady at moments, learned to rely on him, and together they routed the first Auckland pair. The toss was the determining factor in this Wellington victory. Ferkins and Wilson met the net.attack of their adversaries with well-judged lobs that caused .the. northerners.to falter and finally break down. The lob 'and the slight wavering of Sturt on: service made the difference. . Sturt lost his service-to drop the winning lead Auckland had held in fhe first set, double-faulting and netting a sitter to be 4-all, he dropped it again to bo 0-2 in the second set, a lead which Ferkins and Wilson held all through. .■:-.". In the other double Malfroy and France, after opening weakly and easing up in. the second set, had matters- much their own way. They often had complete command of the net, their understanding was good, and they maintained, an incessant, volleying attack, wresting the net position from Mqrrison and Rowlands at every opportunity. Though they made the score 4-all in the second set, the Aucklanders were never really on even terms.

THE CASKET GAMES;

The performance of; -.the.. Wellington ladies in. the Nimneley: Casket games was the great surprise of the day,. 'On paper Auckland had much the stronger team; on the courts it worked'out differently". For Auckland to win ouly one single and lose both doubles, that was unexpected. But for the win of the Wellington girls to be on sheer merit was more of a surprise. They were opposed by two New Zealand representatives of last year who played together as first double. They were considerably less experienced than the whole Auckland 'team. But they

marked up win after win with sound tennis, and placed themselves in an almost unassailable position for to-day. : ■;■ ■ The finest performance of the day was the manner in which Mrs. Dykes pulled her single.from the limbo of lost things when- playing Miss Knight. The Auckland girl was the same fine, -careless," brilliant player one knows so well, mingling perfect shots, played with graceful ease, with hurried and feeble returns, Taut showing real judgment and great strength of purpose. Mrs. Dykes in the early games was playing a runner's part. SHe fan and endured. It was this ability to run and to make fine shots in her stride that finally pulled her through. Miss Knight was not ahead until the first set was well advanced, but once there she stayed. She played with great versatility and skill, and trailed in the second set only because of the excellence of the play of Mrs Dykes. In the final set the Aucklander was ahead 5-3, and finally at 5-4 had a match point only to be caught at her feet as she came in to the net. That one glimpse of victory faded she showed how tired she was, barely running at all for the final returns by the active Mrs. Dykes which brought her. success.

PATIENT TENNIS.

The game between Miss Marjorie Macfarlane and Hiss Howe did not reveal Miss Macfarlane as one used to know her a free driver maintaining great length and making well-timed net advances. It was a long, patient duel between players who preferred to play safe, and for a long time it looked as though Miss Howe would win. She took the first set, and though headed- off in the second she made agreat bid for the third: It was here that Miss Maefarlane's greater experience told, and after being troubled early in the set she infused. greater pace and better placement into.her game and scored a merited victory. . Miss M. Whyte also recovered well to win her single against Miss. Ramsay. The Auckland girl hits her ground shots with heavy spin, and. Miss Whyte; after learning the danger of taking the net against such a shot-maker, settled down to play Miss Eamsky's backhand and wait for errors. This gave her the.first set at 6-4 after she had been down 1?4, and earned the third set. too. The match might not

have, gone to three sets, but in ier keen.-ness-to finish off- the- second-set"'wnen she^had a chance Miss Whyte mada the: mistake of changing a."-winning game.- She played throughout with great vigour and patience. — ■

ONE-SIDED,

Mrs. Fiance simply overwhelmed Jlrg. Napier. There was the- material' for a good match, but Mrs. France was-too accurate and after a good stand at' the opening of the match the Auckland -nrl collapsed. In the second set she lost game after game at a one-sided score, ik the whole of this set she won only three points. The doubles re\-ealed some very tired players. The combination of Miss^ Knight and Macfarlane, never outstandingly good!; was not improved by the fact that both had emerged from hard matches, and after a good win in the opening set against Mrs. France and Miss Whyte the visitorß failed. The match was one of incessant pounding of the centre court by the two winners, with severe shots-.to the side lines at intervals. .The Aucklanders. were conceded the net almost from tho start, but made too many er^ rorg there, and were finally defeated by hard hitting. They had a.4-2 lead in the finalset, bufwere unable to hold it against a severe attack, in -which both Wellington girls played well, and Miss Macfarlane had to bear, the brunt of the attack. ■■.-..-■-. In the other double Mrs. Dykes and Miss Howe were far too accomplished.and steady for Miss Ramsay and Mrs. Napier. Mrs. Dykes was very deadly, at the, net* and whenever she cut in.usually marked up. an. earned point. . Miss.' Howe -wig" much too steady and clever oh the* base line/ The Auckland' pair tried hitting tactics, but these did not- pay, and'though they disputed the" second set very hotly they had obviously little chance" of taking the match.. .... .; '.■_- . . ~

In the four months, May to August last year, 29,347 passengers flew across the English Channel, an increase of 92 pep cent', over the.same period for 1931. In the first six months of" last year the French, Channel ports recorded 383,212 passengers, a decrease of 45 per cent, on the same period in 1931. - . . . ; .