THE CHRISTMAS MEETING

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 155, 29 December 1934, Page 20

THE CHRISTMAS MEETING

LOCAL MEN'S J?

The pt'climinary rounds of the Wellington Christmas tourney have only, revealed the fact that the, form . of loual players has never been more even I than it is at present. The major surprise of the meeting was the defeat of R. McL. Forkins by I>. C. Cooinbe and the fact that C'oombe also won two j of the first tliree sets revealed that he | was quicker ;it starting than his rival. In this match Coombe disclosed finel command oi' shots and did some telling work at the net. He was rarely on | the defensive after the second set and | overcame Forking at his very best 'in the fourth set so that'it was- awin of, sheer jnerit on the day and an attrac-, tive match to watch into the bargain.' Tho fact .that this is the second time; this season on which Coombe has de-1 featcd Forking makes it clear that his i stylo of play is not to the liking of j Wellington's second singles player of last yearn Wilding Shield matches. In equally telling manner N. F. Bedford disposed of J. C. Chattels for the loss of one set. Charters is still making too many errors off the ground and his gamy is never seen to advantage against a player who can maintain good length and also play short ones against

the ex-Not th Island champion when he is at the net. Bedford's strokes were 100 sound and severe for Charters and lie could make no impression on the rising youngster. Bedford played with1 great confidence ana showed that he | has profited enormously by {he lanking matches of recent weeks. The third player to imprc-s was E. k. Rouhsell who met K. Dyor, ,a sdvcic Litter .iihl a player who h:is - moved | ahead quite a. long distance in the last

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| two seasons. Dyer's left-handedness land his strong, drives tit unusual angles | did not bccin to trouble Rousbcll whose, ! mastery of the shot down the line ihelpedhim materially in gaining the I vet position when he wished it. It ; was a convincing addition to the series lof successes which Roussell has met i with .since his early reverses. Among tho ladies Miss I). Kiubolla revealed from which is equal to anyI thing she has ever demonstrated and which apparently must give her a fine- ' chuncu of winning the New Zealand championship this year. She accounted for Miss M. Howe without ever being ' fully extended, the strength and direci tion of her shots giving her many easy j points, and she seems likely to win. the singles without dropping any sets and I with the loss of only a handful of I games. \ Miss D. Howe, Miss Nicholls's great--1 est rival, demonstrated how. short of . | practice her famous cousin, Mrs. R. P. i Adams, is at present. Mrs. Adams, 1 whose activity used to be great, was | slow; about the court, ragged in her I game, and unable to get going.' She sonined to lack confidence in her shots I and clearly had not enjoyed enough match play prior to the meeting. The entry was very moderate and tempts the observation that the Wellington Association, in view of the fact that tho fields at this time of the ' year are never large, might well revert to the three-set system. This' would avoid the necessity of stringing out a tournament of this description to five days. Even as it is, the events might possibly b.s finalised in four days and it is a pity to add an extra day to a meeting when players do not feel it necessary that they should attend and might be employing the time to advantage elsewhere. A more compact meeting would also probably have the quaint result of attracting more entries and thus necessitating harder work or ft longer playing period.