TENNIS TITLE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 2, 4 January 1937, Page 11

TENNIS TITLE

N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIPS ALL-WELLINGTON FINAL COOMBE & BEDFORD (By Telegraph—Press Association.) TIMARU, This Day. The weather though overcast is fine and warm for the fifth day of the national tennis championships. Light rain fell during the night but the courts are not affected as they were baked by a hot sun throughout yesterday. The games today are perhaps the most important of the tourney, for by the time play is finished most of the finalists will have been found. Saturday's pei'formances showed that most of the remaining players have found their best form and there should be brilliant exhibitions today. Coombe (Wellington) will meet Angas (Canterbury), and Bedford

(Wellington) will meet Sturt (Auckland) in the men's semi-finals this morning, and the indications are that Angas and Sturt will meet in the final. The position is slightly more open in the women's semi-finals in which Miss Nicholls will meet Miss Bishop and Miss T. Poole will play Miss N. Beverley. While the men's final will probably be a North-South one the women finalists may both come from the North. If either of the men's matches should go to five sets the day's programme is likely to be upset slightly, as all four are engaged in the men's doubles and mixed duubles. Quite a big gallery watched the semifinals in the men's singles, which were played on adjacent courts. Sturt and Bedford took some time to settle down, playing steadily in order to gain the measure of each other. Games alternated to live all and then six all, when Sturt, by a beautiful placement, took the next game. Bedford netted twine in the next game, giving Sturt the set at 8-6. On the next court, Coombe and Angas fought a long-range duel, with the former putting more power into his shots than the ex-New Zealand champion. The games were four all at one stage, but Coombe, with fin,? placements, made Angas cover a good deal of ground and finally took the set 6-4. Bedford ran to a five-one lead in the second set against Sturt, who appeared to be content to let the set go, though he made his opponent travel a good deal. Bedford took the set at 6-1. Coombe at one stage was trailing 5-1 in the second set, but did not let up, taking three games in a row. Angas took the final game and set 6-1. At the conclusion of the third set in each of the men's singles it was definite that the matches would go at least to four sets.

After dropping the second set, Coombe came back strongly and, driving with power and accuracy, had Angas at his mercy, taking the set 6-1 to lead by two sets to one.

The other match was producing equally fine tennis, with Bedford the steadier of the pair. Both fought. at long range, but occasionally .Bedford moved in to ttie net to win points by beautiful angle shots. He led 5-4 and twice had set point, only to lose it by netting an easy return. He took the game on Sturt's errors and the set at 6-4 to lead by two sets to one.

If ever two men earned the right to contest a Now Zealand final they were Coombe and Bedford, each of whom won the fourth set from Angas and Sturt respectively. Both played brilliantly and, establishing an early lead, fought to retain a hold on the match. Bedford put more force into his shots than Sturt, who failed to come up to the form which enabled him to eliminate Barnett. A most popular victory was that of Coombe over Angas. The Wellington man was right on his game, sending in a slinging service and terrific backhand passing shots, which Angas had no chance of getting to.

The women's singles semi-finals worked out as expected, Misses Nicholls and N. Beverley having easy wins over Misses Bishop and Poole respectively. The winners played fine all-court games and won in straight MEN'S SINGLES. Semi-finals. D. C. Coombe beat C. Angas, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. N. F. Bedford beat N. G. Sturt, 6-8, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. MEN'S DOUBLES. Third Round. A. R. Cant and H. A. Barnett beat H. Dymond and W. E. Renton, 5-7, 6-3, MIXED DOUBLES. Third Round. E. A. Roussell and Miss I. Poole beat C. Penfold and Miss M. Wake, 6-3, 6-2. NEW ZEALAND PLATE—MEN. Third Round. K. Dyer beat G. Pearce, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4. N. Edwards beat C. Beatson, 7-5, 6-2. Quarter-finals, xR. G. Pattinson beat T. RhodesWilliams, 6-1, 6-3. WOMEN'S SINGLES. Semi-finals. Miss D. M. Nicholls beat Miss N. G. Bishop, 8-6, 6-1. Miss N. Beverley beat Miss T. Poole, 6-2, 6-3. NEW ZEALAND PLATE.—WOMEN. Semi-final. Miss B. Gould beat Miss J. Eaton, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2.