TABLE TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 145, 20 June 1936, Page 25

TABLE TENNIS

(By "Net.") FORM IN FIRST ROUND. The first round results of the Wellington Tabic Tennis Association's in-ter-club competition have completely justified the action of the management committee in permitting the entry of four new teams into the senior ranks. The four promoted teams were Economic, Shell (Wellington), Audit, ancl Kilbirnie. The new personnel of the Economic team, on past performances " possibly the strongest quartet in the i competition, left the committee no oplion but to grant this club's application for elevation into the higher grade, while the measure of success ; achieved by the remaining three promoted teams in their initial engagements shows their promotion to have been well warranted. Shell (Wellington), by its defeat of Economic, formerly regarded as potential championship winners, caused the major upset of the round. Although the Economic team was without the services of Roberts, Shell's win was nevertheless a well-merited one and it was clearly the better team. Hughes, Jeffery, and Wixen each won three of their four singles, and it is plain that/ Shell will be a power to be reckoned with in future engagements. Howe, with three wins, recorded the best performance in the singles for Economic. Burke and Dennis, both essentially attacking players, were too inaccurate. Walters, who was filling the .vacancy cause'd by the absence of Roberts, found the opposition too strong, except in the doubjes, jn which he and Burke paired well and won both their matches. Kilbirnie also made an auspicious entry into the A grade, being narrowly defeated by eleven games to nine by last year's runners-up, Customs. Pyle (Customs) was too experienced for the Kilbirnie players and won all his singles. Osbaldiston (Customs) has changed over to the tennis style. ; He won two singles and if he perse- ■ veres with his new method he will ] probably improve rapidly as he has 1 little to learn on the tactical side of ] the game. Tricker played in his usual j attractive manner and is a handy team j man. Spackman (Customs) is a new- j comer to the A grade. He uses a heavy under-spin and will improve j further with good match play. i Milsom (Kilbirnie) played very con- a fidently in winning three singles. He r has a good match temperament. Cooper (Kilbirnie) also won three jsingles. He relied mainly on his de- a fcnce, which was very sound. t Audit, another promoted team, met v Onslow, one of the stronger teams jj during the past two seasons. After a neck-and-neck struggle all the way, c

Onslow finally prevailed by 11 games r " to 9. G. Bell (Onslow), the Wellingst ton champion, was the only player to ie win all his games. His backhand LC drive, though accurate, did not appear '■y to have as much pace as usual, but his side-spinning returns gained him >r many points and he executed some beautifully judged drop-shots l'rom his forehand. ,r Longmorc was the next most Sues' cessful player for Onslow, but his drives ing was none too accurate. He was h content in the main to adopt a defensive role, and his anticipation eng abled him to make many fine re:r coveries from the awkward positions e into which this style of play occasione ally led him. Scrimshaw (Onslow) has not as yet s regained the form which made him one of the best players in Wellingi- ton two seasons ago. His powerful s. forehand cross-court drive was oct casionally in evidence, but his genei ral play lacked the soundness upon 3 which any style of game, attacking or defensive, must inevitably be built. B. Smith (Onslow) has a tricky and well-varied service, but his top-spin drive is not reliable enough for him ' to take full advantage of the open- ' ing he frequently thus gains. E. TindiU (Audit) made a reappear- - ance in the A grade after an interval > of a year, and did very well in the circumstances in recording three wins in the singles. His chopped returns were traps for the unwary. An unusual and disconcerting shot which he employed with considerable success was a half-volleyed top-spin flick from the backhand. Tindill's only loss was to G. Bell, but the margin was a wide one. Bell exploited the drop-shot to perfection in this match. J. Nevitt (Audit) also won three singles. At one stage he appeared likely to cause G. Bell trouble. By concentrating on the latter's forehand he made a fine recovery, but lapsed into errors again at the finish which cost him the match. The best game of the evening was that between W. Barker and G. Bell. The latter made a tactical error in employing, against Barker, for the greater part of the game the same side-spinning shot which had caused the ball to break sharply on to the backhands Of. TindiU, Nevitt, and McGuire. Barker is a left-handed player

■ and he therefore received most of the shots on his forehand. As he stands back a foot or so more than most players he was not misled by the break and chopped carefully until an opening presented itself for one of his drives, which were rarely returned. With the score at 29-all, however, he missed a comparatively easy chance for a kill and finally lost 29-31. Barker ■also played; well in. his other singles B. Smith, and losing by only three matches, beating both Scrimshaw and points to Longmore. INVITATION TOURNAMENT Tho invitation tournament of the Wellington Table Tennfs Association was concluded on Thursday night with tho following results OPEN GRADE. Men's Singles. First Round.—Hughes beat Croskery 31-1.?, Rowe beat N. Giles 31-19, Dennia beat Browno 31-15, Longmore beat Milsom 31-23, Manzoni boat Congreve 31-23, G. Corbett beat James 32-30, Walker beat McGuiro 31-23, McFaxlane beat Nevitt 31-21, Clark boat Jt. Giles 31-20, Roberts beat Caton 31-24, Bouiface beat Arthur 31-14, Searle boat Barker 31-26. Second Round.—Bell beat Curry 31-18, Tricker beat L. Corbett 31-20, Hughes beat Rowc 31-IS, Longmoro beat Dennis 31-20, Manzoni beat G. Corbett 31-13. Howe beat Cooper 31-27, I'y/ic beat Gosling 31-27, Hayvlce beat Roche 31-1-1, Kennedy beat Mouatt 35-33, Hoopor beat B. Smith 31-23, P.vie beat Walker 31-27, MeFarlane boat Clark 37-3.1, Boniface beat Roberts 31-24, Searlo beat Faulkner 31-26. Third Round. —Bell boat Tricker 31-23, Longmore beat Hughes 31-24, Hone beat Manzoni 31-21, Hayvlce beat Pyno 31-18, Kennedy heat Hooper 31-20, Pyle heat MeFarlane 31-2.1, Boniface beat Searle 31-21, Burko beat Spackman 31-12. Fourth Round.—Bell beat Longmore 32-30. Hayvico beat Howo 31-27, Pyie beat Kennedy I 32-30, Boniface beat Burke 31-2(5. Semi-final.—Bell beat Hayvico 31-iS, r.vle beat Bonlfaco 31-18. Final.—Bell (Onslow) beat Pyle (Customs), 21-10, 21-11. ; Womon's Singles. First Round.—Miss Lodge beat Miss Small 31-10, Miss Williams beat Miss MeFarlane 1 31-22, Miss Tustln beat Miss Connor 31-22, i Miss Walsh beat Jllss Mollis 31-27. : Second Round.—Mrs. Brennan beat Miss . Lodge 31-10, Miss Williams beat Mlsa Mac- , gregor 31-20, Miss Tustin beat Miss Walsh 31-20, Miss Sturrock beat Miss Case 31-26. Scml-llnal.—.Mrs. Brennan beat Miss Wil- < Hams 31-20, Miss Tustin beat Miss Sturrock ■ 31-25. Final.—Miss Tustin (Taita) beat Mrs. Bren- 1 nan (l'etoue Catholic) 31-21. | Men's Doubles. First Round. —Gosling and Searlo beat Mr.- ! Cairo and Nevitt 31-21. Roberts and Burke beat ( James and Croskery 31-21, Mouatt and Caton beat Corbett and Corbett 31-22, Boniface and ] Congreve beat W. Giles and Manzoni 31-21, ] Tricker and Spackman beat Milsora and Faulkner 31-22. i Second Round. —Bell and Fyle beat Brown : and If. Smith 31-15, Arthur and Walker beat Marker ami Clark 31-27, Kennedy and Hayvlce beat. I!. Giles and Cooper 31-10, Gosling and ( Searle beat Rowo and Carter 31-21, Roberta and . fturki' beat Mouatt and Caton 31-10, Boniface i and Congreve beat Tricker and Spackman 31-20. Dennis and Howe beat Hughes arid Longmore ■, 3i 20. Third Rnuml. - Bell and Pyle ben! Arthur and , Walker 31 2H. 11-.-nnedv ntort llayvVe heat ll'i'ijti'C ami MeFarlane 31-21. Roberts and Burke A beat atk! Sewl« Jioniiaeo and j