CHAMPIONS AT PLAY

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 114, 10 November 1934, Page 13

CHAMPIONS AT PLAY

EXHIBITION TENNIS

THE BRITISH VISITORS

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, November 9.

Approximately 2000 people assembled at-Wilding Park today to see the visiting English lawn tennis team ' engage in matches against one another and with leading Canterbury players. A largo proportion of the crowd came mainly to see Miss D. E. Bound, the first-rairked woman player in' the world, for while F. J. Perry, another member of the team, .occupies a similar position in men's .tennis, he has already played in Christchureh. None could have been disappointed in Miss Bound, for she played tennis of a standard that has never before been produced by a woman player in the South Island. 'Results, of -the matches.were as follows:— . •, '.. . F. J. Perry (England), beat C. Angas (Canterbury), 7-9, 6-1, 6-0. G. -P." Hughes :(Erigland), beat T. Rhodes Williams (Canterbury), 6-1, 6-3. . Miss D. E. Kound (England), beat Miss, N. ,M- Lylo (England),, .4:6, 6-4, jg. 2; .i^; •.-..•.-.-,.'•,. .- ■- -./ .■>.■■-■,-.. :.. ■ I 1; J. Perry (England),.and H. A. Barnett (Canterbury), beat G. P. Hughes (England), and H. Dymond (Canterbury), 6-1, 1-6, 6-2. ■ Miss E. M. Dearman and G. P. Hughes (England), beat Miss D. E. ; Round (England) and T. Rhodes Williams (Canterbury); 6-3/10-8.;, : A SINGLES "WORK-OUT." G. P. Hughes, captain of the visiting team, early in the day expressed a wish to have a "work-out" in singles, and he was'accordingly matched against a leading local playery T. Rhodes Williams. In. addition to this 'match arid a. brilliant singles'between'Miss Round and Miss Lyle—a match that produced the finest women's tennis ever seen in Christchurch-—spectators saw Perry lose a set to C/Arigas in a cqntest in: which the local man made the- Englishman' produce some'really good if ' not his best tennis in order to1 win. There was also much brilliant play in the' doubles, in which Perry and Hughes were partnered,, respectively by H. 'A. Barnett and H. Dymond, Canterbury representative players, and' in the mixed doubles between Miss E. M. Dearman and Hughes and Miss' Round and Rhodes Williams. The speed and accuracy which Miss Round and Miss Lyle maintained 'throughout' their match was a revelation. Miss Round may not have been at her best, particularly in the first set, which Miss-Lyle won 6-4, but she exhibited a repertoire of hard-hit strokes and a fleetness of foot on the court that might:have been-the envy of many,men. All- her strokes are produced with; a rhythm and" grace that are the hall-mark of a champion. When necessary, too, they are played tb' a rising ball-^-tactics that' when successfully carried out give their User the advantage of 'that extra fraction of a second that makes the difference between'taking advantage of an; opening and missing if.' ■"■■-■ ,;' ;>'''\ ■.;': '.■';■"/" .■"""': ■ .;",.; perfect footwork. ''..:",',:'. \ ; Perhaps the. most important lesson that the English women players have to teach, the New Zealanders is the perfectionl of their footyrork. Miss Lyle, even more than Miss -Round, demonstrated that footwork is half the game. Tall and heavily built, Miss Lyle nevertheless, covers', the court, with great speed of.rfoot, and she. is always in position for her, shots.-- The manner ; in which each woman returned shots from deep into the backhand;'corner was remarkable. ■ Miss . .Lyle, displayed: a beautiful forehand drive which, directed into Miss Round's backhand:corn,er, was a constant menace throughout -the match. Miss, Round ( showedi by her splendid driving and volleying that she is a worthy Wimbledon champion. Miss Lyle fully demonstrated that hopes placed in her by the English tennis authorities are not misplaced, i 1 Perry "was, tho same dashing, debonair player who captuied the imagination of New Zealand spectators last year. /He gives the impression of boundless energy and physical resource, and it comes ab no surprise to see him make an acrobatic leap at,a ball far out of the court and send back a scorch ing shot that his opponent has no hqpe of reaching. Perry made nipro. mistakes today than ho could allow himself'to make in championship play, and he attempted many shots that would not Tiave boon justified in a more serious match. Every now and again, however, he produced a forehand drive or smash "of almost blinding ' speed,. and Angas, his opponent, was foitunate if a shor.t ball to Perry's foiehand escaped purlißhment.| ANOAS'S GOOD FORM. Angas played'in the first set as well as he has .ever- done in Christchurch, and although he won only one more gamo in the* second and third sots, he chased Perry's coiner-finding ' r shots heroically, and the 1 champion p"aid him th,e compliment of maintaining an unrelenting attack' for the remainder of tho contest. *<■ , Rhodes William's played scarcely well enough against Hughes to make -the Englishman reveal his wide repertoire of cut and sliced ground strokes and volleys. Tho Canterbury man was well below his best form, and was quite unable to cope with Hughcs's varied spin. The Englishman had a wonderful variety of scrvico^ —cannon-ball, American twist and reverse twist—and it proved a 1 p'otcnt, weapon in the doubles matches. Liko Perry, Hughes is extremely quick about the court. '

Miss Dearman made her only appearance of the day in the mixed doubles. She showed herself to bo the possessor of a very complete "stroke equipment, but her shots ,did not carry the speM of Miss Round's, and she had not Jhe samo facility for finding openings; in"; the opposite court. Hughes could never take liberties in intercepting the driv:: ing exchanges between tho two women.: Rhodes Williams played much better: than in the singles, and had some fine; volleying exchanges with Hughes. Miss Round supported her fine driving with splendid volleying and smashing.

Playing with Perry in the men's! doubles match, Barnett showed" his very: bost form. Ho took advantage of every opening that .Perry's thrustful ground strokes and volleys engineered for him, and he was little'less active than Perry himself in covering the court. Dymond was seen to less advantage, and was obviously a little over-awed by the occasion, but he held his end up in a .match against an obviously stronger pair.

Members of the English tennis team, G. P. Hughes (captain), F. J. Perry, Misses* D. Round, E. M. Dearmnn, and Jf. •M. Lylo,- have confirmed tlie programme of exhibition matches for Miraruar on Monday and Tuesday. A fifth match on Monday will be R. Ferkins and Miss N. M. Lyle v. C. Angas and Miss E. M. Dearman. On Tuesday the match Mis^ D. Nicholls v. Miss N. M. Lylo. will be played only if tinje permits. As play will commence fit 1.30 p.m., it. is expected that there will be no difficulty in completing the five matches each day.