BRILLIANT PLAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 3, 5 January 1937, Page 14

BRILLIANT PLAY

NATIONAL TENNIS COOMBE BEATS ANGAS BEDFORD ALSO IN FINAL (By Telegraph.) v (From "The Post's" Special Reporter.) TIMARU, January 4. The sensation of the national tennis championships was provided today when Dennis Coombe (Wellington), playing magnificently, defeated C. Angas (Canterbury), first ranked player in New Zealand, seven times Canterbury champion, former New Zealand doubles champion, twice New Zealand singles champion, in the semifinal of the men's singles, 64, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. In the other semi-final tyoel Bedford (Wellington) beat Norman Sturt (Auckland), third ranked player in New Zealand and North Island champion, 6-8, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. Eric Roussell (Wellington) and Miss I. Poole (Canterbury) beat Penfold and Miss Wake in the quarter-final of - the mixed doubles in straight sets. Miss Dulcie Nicholls (Wellington) secured an excellent victory in one of the semi-finals of the women's singles over Miss Bishop (Canterbury), and Miss Beverley (Waikato) beat Miss T. Poole (Canterbury) in the other semifinal. , The weather was warm and the sky overcast for the continuation of play this morning. ■ Overnight mist had made the surface of the courts a trifle slippery. COOMBE IN TOP FORM. Coombe played easily the finest tennis of his career, cross-court driving within inches of the lines and smashing and volleying brilliantly. In the early stages passing shots right on the line by Angas kept Coombe back and lost him the second set, but the Wellington man's extraordinary speed and placements put Angas on the defensive and enabled Coombe to sweep the ball from the net into the corners. Both players opened cautiously and a hard baseline driving duel ensued. Coombe's service was- severe and his lobs accurate. Both made use of sliced drives, the heavy ball bouncing low. Honours were easy to three-all, Angas's passing drives being right on the lines. Coombe improved his length, driving to within a foot of the baseline, and ■with excellent smashing he took the £€t 6*4 ' ' The second set opened with a backhand barrage at long range and hard rallies, Angas varying his length well and playing good drop shots. Coombe dare not come to the net and was chasing the sidelines with drives and missing, with the result that he lost the set, 6-4. Coombe was brilliant, with his backhand. Sharply-angled drives on the service line, with plenty of topspin, gave him confidence and he "went mad," smashing and volleying within inches of the sidelines and finishing with a love game to win the set, 6-1. In the fourth set Angas fought very hard, coming to the net on hard drives to volley to the corners, but Coombe's terrific attack again put him on the defensive. C6ombe smashed • through to victory, 6-3. BEDFORD BEATS STURT. The first set between Bedford and Sturt was a contest in dropshots and lobs. Bedford was either winning with a brilliant angled placement or outing. Sturt's passing drives down the line were excellent. Bedford was retrieving little, and" he lapsed into errors after a 4-2 lead and lost the set 6-8. In the second set Bedford was getting a beautiful length and he led 4-0. With cautious play he took the set, 9-1. The Wellington man forced the pace in the third set. Sturt's drives and dropshots were excellent, but Bedford was superior from the net and took the set, 64. In the final set Bedford steadied. Sturt made fine placements, but Bedford, stroking well, tok the set and match, 64. Miss Dulcie Nicholls made many errors in the opening of her "semifinal against Miss Bishop (Canterbury), who ran up & 3-1 lead. Miss Nicholls had little confidence and had to fight hard to take the set, 8-6. In the second set Miss Nicholls was more confident and drove magnificently. She varied the length of her dropshots out of Miss Bishop's reach and swept her opponent off the court,' 6-1. Miss N. Beverley, playing a speedy, hard-hitting game, overshadowed Miss T. Poole in the other semi-final, coming to the net whenever possible, and volleying and smashing very effec- . Very mediocre tennis vas seen in the quarter-final of the men's doubles won by Coombe and Charters (Wellington) from Bedford and Dyer (Wellington), 6-3, 6-1, 6-3. Bedford and Dyer were both erratic and missed easy shots. The former lacked concentration, possibly as a result of his earlier single with Sturt, and Coombe wag showing the effect of his hard singles victory over Angas. Coombe's smashes lacked pace, but Charters worked very hard and retrieved difficult shots. There were some good rallies. . Better exhibitions were given in the semi-finals of the men's and women's doubles later in the afternoon, although the effect of the strenuous singles matches in the morning was very evident- X Ferkins and Roussell (Wellington) defeated Cant and Barnett (Canterbury), 6-7, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5, by superior lobbing and smashing and good com- ' bination. SUPERIOR TACTICS. Coombe and Charters were beaten by Angas and Seay (Canterbury) in a match which produced many spectacular rallies. Angas and Seay were steadier and proved crafty tacticians. Coombe and Miss Nicholls beat Dymond and Miss Bishop in the quarterfinal of the mixed doubles in straight sets. Gunn and Miss M. Beverley made a great rally from being down 1-4 to take the deciding set from Seay and Miss T. Poole - in the other quarter-final. In the semi-final of the women's doubles Misses Bishop and Wake beat Misses M. and N. Beverley, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, and Misses T. and I. Poole, beat Mrs. Beatson and Miss Gould in straight sets. ... . The first eight games of the mens doubles, Ferkins and Roussell versus Cant and Barnett, went with service. The pairs were evenly matched, Cani. volleying exceptionally well and Ferkins being very reliable with his lobs and volleys. Roussell played many beautiful shots, although he was overhitting some. At 4-all the Canterbury players lost service and set followed against them, 6-4. Ferkins and KousselL with excellent combination and cross-court volleys, led 5-1 and 30-love in the second set, but relaxed, their smashing being not severe enough. Barnett, with excellent spin, drives and reliable returns and smashes, and Cant with fine angled volleys, made a great attack \and swept Ferkins and Roussell before them to take the set, 8-6. The third set was. also a hard fight,, the Wellington pair taking theleadfrom 3-all by good volleying to win the set 64. In the fourth set Ferkins and "Rousseil led 5-1, and although Jorced into errors, they came with a inal flourish and took the set, 7-5. SPECTATORS DELIGHTED. Angas and Seay versus Coombe and Charters delighted the spectators. Charters played many good volleys but netted many easy ones. Coombe was tired but he smashed and volleyed well. The score is no indication of the lengtn of the match. There were many long rallies and deuce games but Angas and SeaV were makers at tactical play an s severed times played Coombe and Charters out of position. . Coombe and Miss Nicholls, in the first set against Dymond and Miss Bishop made many errors. Neither was driving accurately and both were netting volleys. Dymond and Miss Bishop, placing well, took them to 7-a in the second set. . The other quarter-final of the mixed doubles was notable for the extraordinary recovery made by Gunn in the final set. He broke many doubles rules all over the court, intercepting everything possible at-the net and took

two love games from Seay and Miss T. Poole. From set-all and 4-1 down he and Miss M. Beverley took the deciding set and match. Miss Beverley netted frequently although she made many good returns. , , , . Miss N. Beverley played strongly throughout the semi-final of . the women's doubles against Misses Bishop and Wake but her sister, Miss M. Beverley, was unwilling to attack from the net and was left standing by shots played to her feet. The Beverleys opened confidently and took a 4-0 lead \in the first set but they had to fight to win the set 6-3. Miss Bishop was outstanding in the next two sets and both she and Miss Wake volleyed %V In' the other semi-final against Mrs. Beatson and Miss Gould, the P sisters were superior in courtcraft ana ran ahead to take the first set 6-1. The second set was very even and there were many fine rallies, but the superior combination of the Poole sisters and their speed about the court gave them the victory at 7-5. Miss I. Poole made many fine recoveries. Wellington is represented in tne finals of the men's and the women s singles and the mens doubles, and in the semi-final of the mixed doubles. Results MEN'S SINGLES. Semi-finals.—D. C. Coombe lieat TC. Angas, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3; N, F. Bedford beat >. G. Sturt, 6-8, 6-1, 6--1, 6-4. WOMEN'S SINGLES. Semi-finals. —Miss D. M. Nicholls beat Miss X. G. Bishop, S-6, 6-1; Miss X. Beverley beat Miss T. Poole, 6-2, 6-3. MEN'S DOUBLES. Third Round.—A. E. Cant and H. A. Barnett beat;H. Dymond and W. E. Benton. 5-i , 6-3, 6-2; D. C. Coombe and J. Charters beat N. Bedford and K. Dyer. 6-3, 6-1, 6-3. Semi-finals.—C. Angas and I. A. Seay beat D. C. Coombe and Ji C. Charters, 6--, 6-i, 6-», E. A. Roussell and R. McL. Ferkins beat A. R. Cant and H. A. Barnett, 6-4, 6-S, 6-4, 6-3. WOMEN'S DOUBLES. Semi-finals. —Misses I. and T. Poole beat Mrs. C. If. Beatson and Miss B. Gould, 6-2. 6-4: Misses N. Bishop and M. Wake best Misses N. and M. Beverlej', 3-6, 6-3. 6-1. MIXED DOUBLES. Second Round.—J. W. Gunn and Miss M. Beverley beat W. E. Benton and Miss D. Smythe, Br6, 8-6. . T Quarter-finals.—E. A. Roussell and Miss I. Poole beat C. Penfold and Miss M. Wake. 6-3. 6-2; A. R. Cant and Miss B. Gould beat C. B. Beatson and Mrs. Beatson, 6-3 6-4: D. Coombe and Miss Mcholte beat H Dymond and Miss Bishop, 7-o; J. Gunn and Miss 31. Beverley beat I. Seay and Miss T. Poole, 7-9, 6-3, 6-4. NEW ZEALAND PLATE—MEN. Third Round.—K. Dyer beat G. Pearee, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4* l N« Edwards beat C. Beatson, 7-o, Quarter-finals. —R. G. Pattlnson beat T. Rhodes-Williams, 6-1, 6-3; N. Edwards beat D. Llvlnestone 6-1. 5-T, 6-3; J. Roach beat C. Penfold, 6-3, 6-2; E.'Dyer beat E. A. Pearce. 1 Semi-finals.—X. Edwards beat J. Roach, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. • NEW ZEALAND PLATE—WOMEN. First Round.—Miss N. Fleming beat Mrs. A. Latham, by default. _ lrt • Second Round.—Mrs. Beatson beat Miss Flem-'"semi-flnais.—Miss B. Gould beat Miss J. Eaton, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2; Miss I. Poole beat Mrs. C. B. Beatson, 6-4, 6-3.