LAWN TENNIS

Evening Star, Issue 20421, 28 February 1930, Page 16

LAWN TENNIS

[By Rbcowdke.] FIXTURES. March I.—Otago v. Southland, at Andersbn’s Bay courts, Dunedin. March 7 and S.—New Zealand v. Australia test match, at Christchurch. March 11 lint 12.—South Island v. Australia, at Logan Park courts, Dunedin. March 13.—Yankee tournament for M'Millan Cup, at Anderson’s Bay. March 22.—Finals Cleghorn Cup and Indies’ champion of champions competition. . , March 29.—Otago v. South Otago, at Dunedin. The annual interprovincml match between Otago and Southland, to be played at Anderson’s Bay courts tomorrow, should provide an attractive exhibition of fawn tennis. The game has reached a fairly high standard in In vcrcargill, and the visitors should fully extend the local players. The Otago team remains the same as that which played Canterbury last Saturday. . 'i he association has declared Roslyn the winners of the first section of the B' grade competition, and consequently no. further matches m this section will b® played. All C grade matches as put down for Saturday will be played, with the: exception , of Balmacewon-’Varsity (first section) and Port Chalmers-Con-cord (second section). These two matches will be played the following Saturday.

The date of the M’Millan Cup Yankee tournament has been altered to Saturday, March 15, and entries for this popular tournament close with Mr E. $. Wilson on Monday, March 10, Entry. fee is 2s 6d ■ for men; ladies u basket. v Boddy recently challenged and defeated M'Dougnll for third place on the provincial ladder. The match resulted in, a win for Boddy by 4-6.'6-4, i-5. Boddy is taking his tennis more seriously, and is playing as consistently as he did when he held his own against the best 'players in Christchurch last season. ■ '

In the match against South Canter-' bury, played at Tinmru last Monday, the Otago team' defeated South Canterbury by . the narrow margin of 13 matches 28 sets to ,11 matches 26 sets The honours of the day went to the Otago men, who won all the men’s events with tho exception of the first men’s double. Miss Scott was the only Otago lady to win her singles.- For Otago Guy and Jertsen won all their events, while Miss Gibson and Mrs Long were the only Timaru players to win all their matches.

'That the standard of play in. Canterburyis ■ very much higher than in Otago was revealed last Saturday, when a Canterbury team, which did not include five of tho province’s best players, four of whom were in Wellington playing for the Wilding Shield, defeated Otago by 20 matches to 4. The weather whs fine, but a keen wind proved a little troublesome to the players.

Otago won two women’s singles, one mens doubles, and ono combined doubles. In each case the games ran to three sets. Canterbury won a number of matches with the greatest o. ease, but some were strenuously con tested, and provided some good tennis Tho Canterbury papers state that .if the Otago players Miss E. Partridge. Miss M. Pattison, and S. G. M‘Dongall impressed most.

J Sheppard, Canterbury's first string, defeated W. Bray. 6-3. 7-5. Both players took tho net and from tins position -the Canterbury man scored well. Bray played tenaciously, and showed ability to return difficult shots. Driving a good length hall and placing fhis shots well, P. Greenwood defeated S. M'Dougall. 6-4, 6-1 The tennis was fairly even in the first set. some of the games providing good rallies, interspersed with net play, bub in the second set the Otago man erred frequently. Playing a more varied and more accurate game than her opponent. Miss defeated Mrs B. Mills, h-I, 4-6, 6-4. The match was long drawn out, and both players tired perceptibly after tho second set. , Mrs Miles drove very steadily in the secone! set, but in the final ono sho made mistakes at critical times. ~M i« ..Partridge' and Guy defeated Jjr s Mdes.and Tioughnan, 0-2, 4-6, 6-3, Miss Partridge put in some good work at tho net, and drove well. Easily the best combined match was that between MDougall and Miss Pattison and Sheppard and Miss Wake. The Canterbury pair won, 6-1, 6-3, but tho scores arc hardly n true indication of the play. Sheppard was in excellent form, his volleying and smashing being very crisp and accurate. Miss Wake drove well, and at times was very good at the net. Miss Pattison drove a fast, low ball, and volleyed excellently. M'Dougall also'shone in the last-mentioned department of tho game; and frequditly scored with fine passing shots down the side line. Bright exchanges of volleying were 113 th® doubles match between M‘Donga II and Bray , and Loughnan and Sheppard, The Canterbury pair were superior at the net, both playing well. M Dougall was in good form, Ins volleying being particularly attractive. By defeating Mutins and OrbelJ. "■4« 4-0, _6-4,-Pollock and Jensen registered Otago s only win in the men’s events. Pollock ■ played vorv steadily whde Jensen volleyed and smashed with confidence./

■ A-nthcjny -Wilding Memorial Shield challenge match between Canterbury (challengers) and Wellington ( holders) was concluded on the Wellington Association’s courts at Miramar last Saturday, Wellington, ’with a lead ot four rubbers to two on the first day, easily retained their hold on the shield by winning the six rubbers played, Tho outstanding feature was D. G. Frame’s brilliant win over C. Angas, who defeated France in tho final of. the New Zealand championships earlier in the month.

. The Australian team, which is the first all-AustraJian team to f visit New Zealand, won its first fnatch against Auckland by eight matches to four, honours in singles being equal. - None of the doubles was won by Auckland. The play is' described 'as the most startling tennis seen in Auckland since the Davis Cup was played there in 1920. Of the eight players F. Kahns was \by far the most outstanding, and he played tennis of a quality rarelv seen in this country. Kalns, the New South Wales player, is a treat to watch in action, fie has held his own against the best in Australia, and now that ho has had a chance to have more practice than he used to have New Zealanders are fortunate in having the opportunity of seeing such a player in action. Another of the Australians who impressed was C. Sproule. who. at the peak of his form, is considered bv many to be as good as Crawford and Hopman, Australia's Davis- Cup players. All arrangements for the Australians’ match against the South Island, to be played at Logan Park courts on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 11 and 12, are well in hand. . A. temporary grand stand to accommodate approximately 000 people is.'being erected, and seating accommodation for up to 1,000 spectators will be available. Arrangements aro

being made for resolving seats, and it only remains for every tennis player and Supporter to make an effort to see this match. Players aro assured that there has never been in Dunedin such an opportunity to witness tennis of the class that will be seen in this match.