LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 41, 18 February 1933, Page 6

LAWN TENNIS

By "Drive" THE SECOND TEST

FRANCE'S FINE VICTORY

MALFROY BRILLIANT

Though the New Zealand team wa3 soundly defeated, all members put lip a great fight, and not one of .the matches was won by the visiting team easily, says the "Auckland Star" of the second tennis Test played in the northern, city last Saturday. This was particularly.so in the doubles, when the New Zealanders rose to great heights. In the singles Malfroy played magnificently to take the middle set off the world's champion, and to rnn the first to 10:8/ The attendance -was very large. Bain and a wet court rather spoilt the latter end. of the day. If not the most thrilling mateh —-that title must be reserved for the doubles —the most interesting was that between. Vines, the world's champion, and Malfroy, the Wellingtonian, who has recently returned from.Cambridge Uni^ versity. It was briliant tennis, of a standard seldom seen in the Dominion. Malfroy's ability to return almost unreturnable shots was a feature of the game, as was also the way in which he stood up to Vines's terrific, catapult serve. In the first set Malfroy fan up a 4-1 lead to the delight of .the crowd, which did not know quite how he would measure up. Vines was,slow to start; but at that score he began to find his game. Nevertheless, it, says a great deal for the New Zealand player "that he went to the.net, and for three games stayed there to advantage. The'games drew out rtb 8-all, and then Vines launched, a whirlwind attack. The. set point he won with a terrific smash. The next set Malfroy took from the holder of the world's title, 6-3, and he deserved it.. He gave stroke for stroke, playing an all-court game with "brilliant confidence. Then, in the decidingl set, Malfroy faded, though, perhaps it was a case, too, of Vines getting on to.his game. It was the same score as the second set, but reversed. Malfroy was not good enough. That was all there was to it. ■ Fighting every inch of the way, though at times making absjrrd mistakes, Malfroy went down, and lost match point after giving volley .for sensational volley. \' Prance's Form. . Determination and. care won the game for France against Gledhill, who was magnificently but erratically brilliant. The American won the first four games, using a stroke seldom seen in Auckland, a sort of wristy underhand forehand slice. France then settled down to make the T^-nrrViTTTn 'of Tm«» takes. To the delight of the crowd, he went to the net and showed.that on the day he was the better man. In the second set Gledhill, playing in the same care-free style, went down 6-0. Though at times he produced" shots which made France look like a schoolboy, he ,was not consistent enough to defeat a man' right on his game and out to. win. France was definitely on top in the second set. It was a popular.victory. .After a patchy first set, Allison had no trouble in defeating Angas. For a beginning, neither man played well, and after the other.singles it was like water after the other proverbial: beverage. The first'set was like that, and then Allison came to light.. Angas did. not get a game in the second set. Stroking like a" master, Allison was easily superior in every' department. He produced the backhand which has" made him famous and the'volley which, has-made him feared. The game ended 8-6, 6-0. Stedman Justified. Stedman's play against van Eyn justified his selection as a New Zealand representative. Obviously conditions did not suit him, for he likes a dry court and a shoulder-high, forehand bounce. On Saturday a damp ball jose dead from a wet court. The American, realising how things stood, used a variety of cut shots, to produce which a low bounce did not matter so much. The score was 6-3, 6-1, that is, twelve games to four, but though, the American was definitely the better man—and probably would have been on any court —the game was harder fought than the score indicated. Stedman played well) and under similar court conditions has seldom played better. He was accurate and aggressive when he had a chance, but he was up against a man whose knowledge of -courtcraft was greater, whose repertoire of shots was more varied, whose summing-up of a position was more rapid, and, most important, whose game did not depend so much on the condition -of the court. Auckland was pleased to see its representative's gallant fight from which ne emerged defeated, but not disgraced. . Brilliant Doubles. More brilliant doubles play than the matches between the rival pairs has not been seen in Auckland since the Davis Cup. Time after time the magnificent volleying of all four men as the net aroused the crowd to cheering pitch. The ground shots and the volleying of the Wellington pair were the equal of the Americans, but the visitors won on their terrific overhead and their serving. It was noteworthy that the Americans could smash from anywhere on the court, while the New Zealanders had to slow up and play with care if the lob they were about to return was near the baseline. One shot the visitors used is seldom seen in Auckland: a sort of an overhead sweep wtihout any wrist movement at all, the racket and the arm being kept in the one line, instead of a cut smash It evidently saves a few steps in running back. b Perhaps the better match was the first, that in which Vines and Glednill beat Malfroy and France, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Malfroy was the better of the New Zealand pair, and on the day was as good as either of his two opponents. His volleying was beautiful, and his anticipation uncanny. He was not consistent, ly at the peak of his form, but he proved that he can be a great player. He. was particularly brilliant in the third set, when the visitors had a lead of 5-0. It was largely due to his play that the New Zealanders reached 5-3. In that time he dominated the. game, France was as steady as ■ ever, and if less brilliant than his partner made as few mistakes. Malfroy served well, and the peculiar twist he gives to the ball made the bounce awkward even for Vines. France did not serve' with the same devil, but he was at net to cover any return. It was a match of sustained brilliance. Allison's Volleys. Angas and Stedman also took a set off their opponents, van Eyn and AIUt son, the world's champion pair, before they were defeated 9-7, 6-8, 6-0, As in the other doubles, the home pair were the equals of the others for most of the play, but they couldnot last the paoe. Again there was revealed the old truth that it is just that little extra finesse which gets there. Angas was much more impressive in the doubles than in his singles. His ground; work and his volleying were great. All round, he was better than his partner, though, when Stedman was right on his game, he was outstanding. Stedman. served well, and played with good judgment, lobbing accurately. Angas has a wonderful low volley, which he picks up almost off the ground. Van Byn was like a cat for quickness. ' i