WELLINGTON TOURNEY

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 154, 27 December 1935, Page 9

WELLINGTON TOURNEY

SEMI-FINAL' GAMES

The Wellington tennis championships and handicaps wore continued at Miramar Grounds today in brilliant weather. E. A. Roussell, the present Wellington No. 1, started of! quietly against D. G. France in the semi-final of the men's singles. The fact that the match was a five-set one no doubt caused both men. to go a little more easily, but Roussell was also making a base-line game of it, 'giving France softly played stuff and earning rich returns from France's errors at the end of a series of exchanges. Roussell got a service break, scoring 3-1, and after that ran away with the next three games. He was obviously resisting his natural tendency to take the net, and early in the second set he began to • advance to the barrier more, a fact which caused France to tighten up his game and score with some fine shots. Nevertheless aftet a hard fight Roussell moved ahead 4-1, and France, though steadily improving, was meeting with variable success in his own net play. At this stage France, had lost'four successive service games, but now Roussell reverted to his habitual volleying tactics and was completely outmanoeuvred by his opponent, who scored a series of quick games to take the set 6-4, on accurate volleying which Roussell could riot deal with. The third set began with a series of lost service games. It.was now a close match,. with France much better and showing to advantage at the net, .where Roussell was not nearly so effective. France was ahead 4-2 when he won Roussell's service, and was scoring repeatedly off the weak returns which he brought with finer placings. He held his own service after Roussell had battled up to deuce from love, 4-0, and was 5-2, but lost the eighth game after holding three set points, and never looked like winning the next game. Roussell after this escape now. had to hold service with the wind behind him, to be 5 all, but had lost touch, was never in an attacking position, and lost the set 4-6. ••■■.'. In the final set Roussell was quicker into his stride, and led 2-0, but France evened the score in the next four games. Roussell, playing more steadily and often brilliantly at the net, was 4-3 and 40-15,, and thus looked as if he might have a winning lead, but • was trapped by France's passing shots and could not hold his adversary, who after leading 5-4 ran out set and match, 7-5. D. C. Coombe and R. McL. Ferkins had a long and patient baseline duel in the other semi-final of the men's singles. Ferkins was the more accurate, and after early net raids settled down to play from the back court. Ferkins thus won the first set after 5-4. In the second and third sets Coombe's game sharpened up and he took both at 6-3. He was serving well and following up his advantage with severe drives. But in the fourth set he fell into a patch of errors and was down 1-4. , • -~ However, he was pushed to win the set which he finally did at 7-5. He had a 4-2 lead in the fifth set and Coombe was down 0-30 on. service but pulled up to game point. He let one of Ferkins's shots go and evidently thought it was out but the umpire ruled otherwise and,.Coombe finally lost the game and was 2-5. However he profited by fine passing shots when Ferkins tried to take the net and also by good serving—at one stage he collected three successive points on strong service balls. Ferkins continued to rush the net which proved expensive for him as Coombe drove' with brilliance at times and won three points in four by passing! shots.' Ahead for the first time,' 7-6, Coombe continued his form long enough to win after holding three match points, two of .which Ferkins played with fine vollies. . . . Miss D. Miller, of Otago. a member of the recent New Zealand team in Australia, played with extreme steadiness against Mrs. N. St. C. Dickson, the Wellington champion of last season. Miss Miller's placing was slightly better and her speed about the court greater; otherwise there was little between them. It was a match almost exclusively from the baseline, with long rallies and Miss Miller usually doing the attacking. She was fully extended by the Wellington player's chopped forehand, but dealt with it successfully and visually found an opening in the court with which to encourage an error. This fact plus a little extra pace turned the tables in both sets, despite Mrs. Dickson's stout defence. . • . Miss J. Douthett, who had beaten two ranking players on the previous day,' faced Miss D. Nicholls in the semi-final of the women's singles, and the game began wtih great enterprise, Miss Douthett hitting fearlessly off Miss Nicholls's service and working on her backhand where possible. Miss Nicholls's chopped forehand and her superior speed gave her numbers of winners, however, and she led 3-1 and 4-2, and by meeting the hard hitting of her young opponent with equally vigorous shots took the set, 6-2. The second set was marked by an exchange of vigorous drives, and in this contest of free hitting, Miss Nicholls usually emerged the victor. Her placing was better and her speed greater, but Miss Dou,thett presented strong opposition, and often had to be played out of position before making an error. . ■ . Results were:— A GRADE. Mixed Doubles. . Second Round. D. G. France and Mrs. France beat Evans and Miss Whisker, 6-3, 6-2. Women's Singles. Semi-final.—Miss D. Nicholls beat Miss J, Douthelt, 6-2, 6-1. Miss D:-. Mille r; beat -Mrs.-N.. St. C, Dickson, G-3, 6-4. Men's Singles, Semi-final. D. G Fiance beat E. A. Roussell, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 D. C. Coombe beat R.-McL. Ferkins, 5-7, ■6-3, G-3, 5-7, 8-6. B GRADE, Men's Singles.. Second Round. Jan-nan beat Renouf, 6-3. 6-2. Tosswill bea.t Lawton, 6-0, 6-3. . Third Round. > Jarman beat Wilson, 5-6, 6-1, 6-1. Vaughan beat Langton, 6-3, 6-4. Women's Singles. Second Round. Miss Z. Castle beat Miss Mac Lean, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. Semi-final. Miss Z. Castle beat Miss M. Akel. 6-5* 5-6, 6-4. Men's Doubles. . Second Round. ■Vaughan and Winchester beat Elias' and Dickson, 6-0, 6-3.. ,' ■ Jarman and Tosswill beat Sivyerand Plank,'s-6, 6-2, 6-0. Mixed Doubles. First Round. Curtis and Mrs. Curtis beat Fernandez and Miss Phillips, 6-3, 5-6, 6-1.

Second Round. Langdon and Miss L. Akel beat Wogan and Miss Gerard, 5-6, 6-2, 6-1. Curtis and Mrs. Curtis beat Withers and Miss Edwards, 6-3, 6-3. Plank and Miss Mac Lean beat Sivyers and Miss Jack, 6-0, 6-2. HANDICAP EVENTS. Men's Singles. Third Round. D. Wiggins, w.o. Gordon (15) beat Evans (owe 3-6) 6-4, 1-6, 6-5. Men's Doubles. First Round. Plank and Sivyer (owe 6) beat Manoy and Manoy (owe 2-6), 6-5, 6-1. Second Round. .' Calcinai and Langdon (owe 2-6) beat Boniface and Painter (owe 5-6), 6-5, 6-2. ' Evans and Ridyard (scr) beat Gordon and Gordon ((owe 4-6), 6-5, 6-4. Women's' Doubles. First Round. ■ Miss Warsaw (owe 15 3-6) beat Mrs. R. McL. Ferkins (owe 2-6),.6-3, 6-3. MIXED DOUBLES. Withers and Miss Edwards (owe 1-6) ■w.o. Robb and Miss Patrick (owe 4-6) beat Boniface and Miss Berry (owe 15), 9-6. . Fernandez and Miss Phillips (3-61 beat Pointon and Miss Longmore (owe 15 2-6), 9-8. Livingstone and Miss Dale (owe 30) geat Wogan and Miss Gerard (scr), 9-4. Junior Boys' Singles. Second Round. K. Longmore beat D. Wiggins, 9-7. Semi-finals. ■ S. Painter beat E. Boniface, 9-3. F. H. Renouf beat K. Longmore, 9-7. Junior Girls' Singles. Second Round. R. Jack beat R. Barry 9-8. Semi-Finals. S. M. Dale beat R. Jack 9-4. J. Douthett beat J. Forrester 9-5.