A FUTURE FOR QUIST

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 1, 2 January 1937, Page 5

A FUTURE FOR QUIST

WINS SINGLES TITLE

Adrian Quist, the national champion, dominated the field, in retaining his singles title in the. fifty-third annual Victorian lawn tennis championship meeting played at Kooyong from December 12 to 19. In the final he overwhelmed his South Australian teammate, Don Turnbull, C-2, 6-1, 6-2. Miss Joan Hartigan reached the women's singles final for the fifth consecutive year, and gained her third victory by defeating Mrs. Westacott, 8-6, 6-2. She had previously won in 1932 and 1933. In 1934 she lost to Miss Dorothy Round, and in 1935 to Miss Thelma Coyne, who was unable to defend her title this year because of a leg infection following the sting of a blue-bottle. Quist and Turnbull succeed Crawford and Hopman as doubles champions. They had previously won in 1934, but lost the title to Crawford and Hopman last year. Mrs. H. Hopman and Miss Nancye Wynne took the women's doubles in impressive style, QUIST'S IMPROVEMENT. In retaining his singles title by defeating Leftley, Maggs, Schwartz, 6-0, 6-2, 6-3, Hopman, 6-4, 6-0, 1-6, 6-4, and Turnbull, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, Quist showed that he was a much better player than he was when he defeated Crawford in the 1935 final. He is now a far more complete player. Armed at all points, he is equally at home at the net or at the baseline and against any type of player. With his wonderful fitness, splendid footwork ,Jne makes position so perfectly for his shots that he is able to swing through his strokes with a pivot which gives power effortlessly. His poise gives him wonderful control with his ground strokes. He now adopts an admirable side-on stance to all his drives. He exudes confidence and hits with an assured firmness which gives him wonderful command of length. He sweeps on to every short return by his opponent, and gains the net position so quicKly that he makes his volleys easy. Only on a high bounding ball to his backhand does he show a weakness. In the early years of his career a defeatist attitude placec

his backhand than he can obtain under normal conditions. Because of his short backswing, he makes less errors in timing off bad bounces than a player with a long backswing does. His service power enables him to make his fast deliveries skid through, and his , spin serves to break and' kick awkwardly. Against Bromwich, he used a campaign of drop shots and lobs to break up the junior's rhythm. His drop shots were almost perfect in execution and result. He used the centre theory almost exclusively for his net advances, thereby reducing the angles which Bromwich needs for the success of his passing shots. Slicing his returns slowly down the centre of the court, Turnbull could advance to the net with per-fect-confidence. With the ball coming to him so slowly, Bromwich was at a complete disadvantage. Turnbull volleyed and smashed in masterly style. He won the first two sets, 6-2, 6-1, and went to 3-1 in the third. Bromwich then.made his effort. He tried everything he knew. His determination alone was mainly responsible for him securing three set points at 4-5. Rain stopped play at 5-all, and Turnbull went out confidently at 8-6.

Kay, who was seeded fourth, made * fine recovery to defeat Dave Thompson, after losing the first two sets. Thompson's accuracy and net attack gave him the first two sets, but Kay then took the offensive to atone for his interstate defeat by winning the last three sets with a loss of only seven games. This performance appeared to place the balance with Kay in his semi-final with Turnbull. However, he was completely outplayed after the first five games. Turnbull served wide to the lines, and stormed to the net to volley and smash brilliantly. He was steadier than Kay, from the basline, and countered., any. net attacks wtih splendid lobbing. At one stretch he won 15 successive games, and the final score was 6-3, 6-0, 6-2, Kay is at a disadvantage on wet courts, which do not suit his shots. Turnbull is versatile enough to make them help* his game.

The most encouraging performance by a Victorian was that of Jack Harper, who eliminated Neil Turvey in five sets, and then went within' two points of defeating Harry Hopman on a heavy, wet court, which seemed all in Hopman's favour. Harper led twosets to one, and 5-2 in the fifth set. He gained his leads by sheer merit. Powerful serving, splendid driving from backhand and forehand, decisive volleying and smashing, and commendable judgment in. his selection of passing shots and lobs distinguished his play. Only inexperience in the crucial games, when Hopman found his best attacking game, robbed Harper of victory. Following his interstate victories over Schwartz and Huxley, these performances give him a strong upward move. MISS HARTIGAX RECOVERS FORM. "After being badly out of touch at the opening of the meeting, Miss Hartigan hit her way to her best form. On the final day she probably played as well as at any time in her career. Her famous forehand worked to perfection, and she showed an improvement from the backhand. She did not lose a game to Miss Gwyn Stevenson in the second round, defeated Miss May Hardcastle 9-7, 3-6, 6-2, in the quarter-finals, Mrs. Hopman, 6-3, 7-5, in the semi-finals, and Mrs. Westacott, 8-6, 6-2, in a fiery final. She was too accurate in the hard-hit-ting for the Queenslander. Quist and Turnbull were the strength, of the doubles. Only in the quarter* finals, when they were taken to four sets by Tonkin and Carey, did they lose a set. They defeated Thompson and Turvey, 64, 6-4, 6-1, in the semifinal, and Schwartz and Bromwich, 8-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the final. Turnbull played particularly well in all of these matches. Harper and Brodie led Thompson and Turvey two sets to one. Hopman and Ewin went out to Clemen* ger and Kay, who, in turn, lost t<n Schwartz and Bromwich.