FINAL ROUNDS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 13, 17 January 1933, Page 14

FINAL ROUNDS

FOR; TENNIS TEOPHIES

WELLINGTON'S LEAD

. 'rjkt.tHe end of the first day's play in the concluding match- for the Anthony Wildings Memorial; ShieM and the Kathleen Nunheley Casket yesterday, Wellington was leading Canterbury in both events. But the leads differed materially: in the "Wilding Shield it was by the substantial margin of 5 matches to 1, and in the Nunneiey Casket it was by five games (66 to 61), matches being 4 all and sets 7 ..all.;,:. .- Wellington now seems certain to retain: the Shield, but the finish for the Casket is.almost sure to be a close one. ■■'; Detailed results were, Wellington players «jentioned first:— ■ ; WILDING SHIELD. :.'..;'' ■ -. -Singles. .- C. E. Malfroy beat H. A. Barnett, 0-2, 6-2. v •• D. G: France beat C. Angas, G-3, 64. ■• ■'N. R. C. Wilson beat T. RhndesWilliams, 4-6,- 7-5, 6-4. R. MeL. Ferkius beat W. R. Robinson. 6-1, 5-7, 6-1. : ■■.;:'•. ':' Doubles. . -Malfroy and France beat Robinson and Rhodes-Williams, 6:3, ,6-3. Wilson and Ferkiris lost to Angas and Barnett, 3-6, 5-7. ■ : . ■. ■ , NUNNELEY CASKET.1 * ■i ■ ■■■ .' .Singles. Miss D. Howe lost to Miss D. Nicholls, 4-6, 0-6., ■ Mrs. Hi M. Dykes beat Miss M. Wake, 6-1, 6-3.: ■•.-.••. Mrs. D.-G. France beat Miss E. Rudkin, .9-7, 6-0. \ . .Miss M. Whyte lost to Miss T. Poole, 8-6, 2-6. " ■■■'■■ /Doubles. Mrs. Dykes and Miss Howe beat Misses Poole and Rudkin, 6-2,3-6, 6-3. Mrs. France and Miss- Whyte lost to Misses Nich oils and Wake, 7-5, 4-6, 4-6. . THE SHIELD GAMES. C. E. Malfroy's form against the Xew •Zealand University champion and runnerup in last year's national singles, H. A. Barnett, was' the clearest evidence that ■Wellington was certain to 'retain the Wilding Shield by a decisive margin. MaUYoy knew- that Barriett's strength lies in his recoveries and in the errors of the other man,;andthei Wellington player set out to play the tightest ganie he could. He liit-to the'sidelines with deadly precision, camped-right on top of the net, and killed shot; after shot with swift, angled volleys. Barnett exhausted his resourcefulness in the effort to force errors from his opponent, but that terrific attack never ceased, the inevitable net advance came, with its "need for speedy recoveries, and sooner or later the ball was swept away, out of reach. It was an object.lesson in what a controlled and rapid attack can do against a man who merely keeps, the .ball in play. Barnett was simply overwhelmed with an avalanche of deadly shots, and any.belief that Malfroy will fall befor.e a man who depends on steadiness vanished. ' . •■•

In the other top single. D. G. France gained a very useful and merited win over C. Angas,. the present New Zealand champion, but fine as France's net work was it must be confessed that a major reason for Angas's fall, was the footfaulting which began after a few games had been played and which seemed completely to throw him off his shots. \ .' : ANGAS PUZZLED., Though penalised many, .times, Angas appeared not to know the reason for the foot-fault call, and kept his feet anchored to the ground when serving, slowing himself up arid allowing France, who was in dazzling: form, at the net, to win nine successive gariies after having been 0-3 in the first set. France was audacity itself. He ■was quick to size up the weakness of Angas, who was in very chastened mood, and So stormed the net almost continuously, -appearing to invite passing shots down wide alleys of the court and then leaping across to cut them off for winners. Angas showed signs of rallying in the second set, in which he made Mb way to 3-4/ but he was still, playing with unusual lack of vim and fell a victim to the final net offensive of France, who scored three clean aces in the last game, one after a lively duel at the net. WILSON'S SAVE. Wilson, beginning well, „ then stroking wildly and slumping to give Rhodes-Wil-liams a triple chance of a 5-2 lead in the second set and with the first set already won, managed to. scramble home in a match which was a mixture of brilliant shots, bad misses, lassitude, frenzied activity,- grim concentration, and • utter carelessness. Rhodes-Williams was driving well. He had his fine forehand under control, and when he was able, to get. to the net. behind a sufficiently good one he routed Wilson. But his net work was not very brilliant, and it was probably this lack of touch which cost him the match. Wilson had to work hard to stave off defeat, and it was not until it was imminent that he was able to gather himself for the effort which was to reverse the position. It was a meritorious recovery from a desperate position, and could not have been left later, for the, Canterbury man. was able to exchange. shot for shot with WilBon, and with a little more accuracy in volleying would have, had the easiest of }ir ins.

F.erkins also won' splendidly over Robineon after the Canterbury player had managed to recover gallantly and take the. second 6et. Robinson was unlucky in laving a shot of Ferkins given in when it was well out, for this occurred at gamepoint, giving'Ferkins a 5-1 lead; the difference between 5-1 and 4-2 is considerable. And after the first'sat Robinson played improved tennis, fan Ferkins about, revealed ability to play a steady driving game, and by breaking 'up Ferkins's hitting tactics was able to outlast him and to even the Bet score. But in the third'set the Wellington man was.attacking again and never looked like losing, for he -was fitter, and controlling the ball better. He was able to drive harder, arid Robinson could not etand up to the pace of the game.' ' THE DOUBLES. In the doubles Rhodes-Williams and Robinson were no tnatch for the sustained volleying attack of Halfroy and France, who won very" much as they liked after dropping an early lead. The Wellington men were better balanced^ surer in stroke, quickerl in decision, and faster in play, and they had"'their adversaries defending most of the time. ,It was a one-sided match in spite of. the spirited efforts of the Canterbury players. In the other doubles game ..Wilson was completely off and made two mistakes to FerkWs one, missing. kills, netting volleys, and being lamentably inaccurate in his service returns^ Ferkins fought hard, but could not win the match on his own. He was very safe, though flften forced to defensive tactics because, of the hitting of the Canterbury pair, Angas and Barnett. The visitors did not combine exceedingly well, and revealed weakness at mid-court, but the Wellington players never attacked there, while Wilson, sometimes hurried and sometimes careless, was a mere shadow of the player he used to be. THE CASKET GAMES. The chief single in the Nunneley Casket series, that between Mrs. Dykes and Miss M. Wake, proved muclr more one-sided than had been hoped. Mrs. Dykes, with superior staying power, pace, and strategy, lost only ■' four games and did not look like yielding an inch to her opponent. Miss Wake was hitting hard and with good control, but her placing was not as fine nor her generalship as good as that of the first Wellington lady. From the I beginning it was obvious that there could be only one end, and it came rapidly. In the other top single the same thing held true. No one gave Miss Howe a chance of defeating Miss Nicholls, and the ex-New Zealand champion set about the. task of beating her ex-clubmate in a workmanlike way. ;Miss:Howe:presented a steady defence, but she was never able to gain much ground against the heavy driving, chops, and volleys of Miss Nicholls, wBo ran through the second set without the loss of a game, and was obviously in excellent form. It was a sound win by. a. much superior player and one possessing tennis genius as well as great strokes. In Miss Poole, who beat Miss Whyte after a'patch of terrific hitting, Canter-

bury appears to have discovered a.player with a' brilliant, future. Miss Poole was very ' nervous' when she began, arid was in arrears after five games had been played, but once she found her feet she was as dashing a player as has been seen here for years. She met Miss Whyte when that player was a little less formidable than usual, arid converted that advantage into a well-merited win. But Miss Ppole's great vini and her extremely attractive forehand .would probably have given her a win over Miss Whyte in .any case unless that player had been at her very best. The Canterbury girl has the instincts of the volleyer, too, and at the. net vshe is hard to move and. always a danger. STICKING POWER. Mrs.! France defeated' Miss Rudkin by sheer grit, for after the visiting girl had been down 0-4 and suddenly found : the secret of the winner's gariie it looked as though Canterbury' would bo sure to snatch a victory. Miss. Rudkin has a most attractive: style, with great natural length off both sides of the racquet, and ability to get very near the sidelines. But after almost saving the first set shn failed to sustain the .pressure on Mrs. France, lost'the offensive; and fell back on playing safe: She lost the set and . failed completely in the second, in which Mrs. France was feeling the heat, but hung on courageously until match point was gained. . ; •" . In the- doubles, Mrs. France and Miss Whyte made a gallant stand against the] first Canterbury pair, Miss Nicholls and j Miss Wake..- The Wellington ladies"were. not expected to win, but they took the j first' set.,by liai-d driving and great, resource. Miss. Nicholls was forced to do much of the work; for Miss Wake tired, and the . ex-Wellingtonian covered most of the court, winning the two remaining sets by greater steadiness and strength. Wellington was very close to victory in this match, and with a little luck would have gained it. In the other match, however, the Canterbury girls might easiiy have won had- they been a little more used to big tennis. Miss Poole and Miss Rudkin were aiiseful combination, putting in strong net work, but were. not able to take advantage of the weaknesses of Mrs. Dykes and Miss Howe. Experience rather than anything elsewpn this match for Wellington.