LAWN TENNIS

Evening Star, Issue 18925, 27 April 1925, Page 10

LAWN TENNIS

[By Recorder.] The final of tlie men's championship singles was played at the Bay courts on Saturday afternoon (April 18) in rather unpleasant weather _ Guy (Moana) was opposed to Clark (Kaituna), and after a match which went the full live sets, in which fortune favored _ first one player and then the other, victory went to the younger mail by a narrow margin. In the last two years Guy has won the singles, doubles, and combined championships of Otago, thus demonstrating that he is a very fine all-round player. An outstanding player may often achieve the feat of winning all three events, but for a player not much above several others in Otago to do so it is necessary that he be weak in no departments of tlie game, and it is to this lack of any weakness that Guy owes his success. I consider that this player would do still better if lie speeded up Ids sendee and smash, and if in doubles he got closer to the net. Unfortunately he volleys quite well from several yards buck, and consequently does not see the reason for getting closer; but if he gave the “close-up” position a trial I am sure he would discard Ids present volleying position. His game on .Saturday was, however, not a volleying one; in fact, he Inst more than ho won with this stroke. Both he and Clark are good at the. net, yet neither made a success of that position iia the final, for both were too good at passing shots and lobs to make a net game profitable. The game was not marked by hard hitting, though (.'lark hit harder than Guy; hut it was nevertheless of a high standard, both going for length' and position. Guy kept ids backhand shots very low, an;] played a lot to Clark's backhand, which, though not weak, lacked the sting of ins forehand. Clark, however, made many winners from this position, and forced his opponent to keep to the back line, except on very good length shots. The Kaituna. man made more use of his service than Guy, but did not get many points outright in this way. He also smashed harder, but found ids opponent getting back many seemingly impossible shots. At two sets all it was still anybody’s game, but Guy, playing very consistently, got an early lead, and ran out 6-5 in the fifth set, thus winning the singles title for the first lime. The Otago University team which won tlie Tennis Cup at tlie interuniversity tournament owed much of its success to Smyth and Miss Ballanfyne, who, however, were ably barked up by Fulton and Miss Homans in the doubles. Smyth went out first round in the singles against'Turner, of Auckland, after winning the first set fairly easily. Tlie Auckland man then steadied down, and returned Smyth's hardest. drives with a medium-paced good length allot, and finally wore Ins opponent down. Smyth, who was playing by no means badly, tried rushing tiie net, but was passed or beaten time and again by an accurate forehand drive. Tlie Auckland mii, "'ho was playing the game of his life, thoroughly deserved his win. In the men's doubles .Smyth and Fulton had a comfortable! win in the first round against the Wellington second pair, though they were taken to 7-5 in the second set, mainly by accurate lobbing. In (he second round they were opposed to .Robinson and l.oughnaii, Canterbury’s first pair. The Dingo players started off well, and took the first set to love, hut the Canterbury pair Hum improved, and Fulton 'fell off for a lime, so that Canterbury led 3-1. Ilie Christ church men rnntinned to give Fulton most of the play, hut he picked up well, and Otago ran out 6-5. The final was a most spectacular double, probably one of the best ever seen on the University courts. Smyth and Fulton wore opposed to Hunter and Fish, both of whom had great drives, but volleyed only fairly well. Neither of the Canterbury players came in on their services, and this gave the Otago players a chance to return deep and get up' to the net, where they usually had to volley a. fast drive. This .suited the local players, who brought off some very line angle volleying, Fulton especially earning applause' For many volleys off drives hit from fairly .'lose in. The Otago pair combined well, Smyth taking- practically all the smashes, and Fulton much of the'low stuff. Hunter was the better of the opposing pair, and drove well on both forehand and hackhand, besides having a very efficient service; but his volleying was not up to the rest of his game. The Otago pair won because they had a better knowledge of the doubles game. Another victory for Otago proved to he the ladies’ doubles, in which Miss-'s Ballar.tyne and Romans defeated both Canterbury pairs. In the semi-final they were opposed to the blisses Partridge, who_ make a fine doubles combination, shining especially at net play. Canterbury look the first set at 6-5,' but Otago then alt nitd tilings by annexing the next two. Thd> clever net play of the Canterbury ladies was largely nullified by very accurate lobbing, mixed with cross-court drives when the blisses Partridge were hanging 'bade waiting for lobs. .Miss Bab lantyno brought off several fine sideline, (hives, but was careful not to overdo this shot, and when in doubt she lobbed.

The final was played against Misses Snwdcii and .Saunders, last year’s holders of the ladies’ doubles. Miss Howden plays well at the net, while her partner, who has a fine lengthy drive, is very steady from the backline. The Otago ladies ail the time kept the hall away from Miss Sowden when at net, or gave her difficult ones, forcing her to return weak shots. Canterbury again took the first set and Otago the next two. The second set was very close. Otago winning at, 8-6, mainly by judicious lobbing, followed by a smash off tho lobbed return. In the third set Kith Otago ladies bit out freely. Miss Donums’,s forehand drive, in particular working well. Canterbury fought for the first three games, but then appeared to go to pieces under the strain, Miss Sowden in particular becoming very erratic at the net. Otago continued to press, and took tho set to love, amid the applause of their supporters. This is the first occasion in the twenty years or more since the tournament started that Otago has won the Indies’ doubles. The combined donibles also went to Otago, Smyth and Miss Ballanlync winning this event fairly easily. Their hardest game was in the semi final against Loughnan and Miss Saunders, of Canterbury. Otago led at 6-1 and 5-2, but lost the next three games in a row. At 6-5 Loughnan missed two easy' smashes, and Otago won at 7-5. Tn the final the, Otago pair were much too good for Young and Miss Tracy, of Wellington, and won at 63, 6-1. This was practically the only match in which Smyth was driving really well. He hit out freely, and many times left his opponents standing. Miss Ballantync played really well in the whole tournament, mixing hard drives with accurate, lobbing, and keeping her opponents guessing all tho time. Her defeat in the final of the singles was really due to her many hard games in earlier rounds in all three, events, and she would probably defeat Miss Miller (Auckland) if both were fresh. The. following are the results of the tournament Men’s Singles. —E. Robinson (Canterbury). Ladies’ Singles.—Miss Miller (Auckland). Men’s Doubles.—E. B. Smyth and J. R. H- Fulton (OtacoJ,

Ladies' Doubles.--Misses E. Ballantynp and I. Romans (Otago). Mixed Doubles.—Smyth and Miss Bal lantyne (Otago). I have had two knotty points sent in for settlement, and will let players think over them for themselves, while I shall discuss them next week (a) A player returns a ball at a big angle across the net into court, and, after bouncing, it gets blown round the corner of the net hack into the striker’s court. Can the opposing player rdn round the net to hit it? (b) A lob is bit into the wind, and after crossing the net is blown back without being hit'and lands in the striker's court. Who wins the point?