LAWN TENNIS

Evening Star, Issue 20943, 6 November 1931, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS

[By Recorder.]

Ideal weather again favoured A and C grade players last Saturday, when the second round of matches was played. The principal A grade match was played between Kaituna and Otago, the former team gaining a good victory over last season’s champions by 9 sets to 7. In the first men’s singles Boddy started off badly and was making mistakes, especially with his forehand cut. Most of these shots were finding the net, but as the game progressed Boddy improved. In the,second set, which the Otago man won for the loss of only two games, he gave a good exhibition of smashing and volleying. In the third set Moody lost the chance of a threek o lead by missing an easy smash, and although he was handicapped with a strained muscle in the leg he played his opponent all the way, only to lose the last set and match by the odd game. After watching Boddy’s p.lay in this match the writer is more convinced than ever, that if he would develop a good forehand drive and cut ,out his forehand chop stroke he would improve His game 50 per cent. Bray demonstrated in his match against Phillipps that he is playing as well as ever. His spins and chops, especially to the backhand, had his opponent in trouble all the time.- The marathon of the,day was played between Jensen and Robertson, the former gaining the victory in the third set. Both these players gave a good' exhibition of driving and volleying, while Jensen was smashing strongly. Sherri if easily accounted for Stevens, whose ground shots are not reliable.

Miss White was playing up to her best form when she accounted for Miss Cook 9-2. The Kaituna lady was serving exceptionally well, while her driving was very accurate. Miss Kibblewhite completely outplayed Miss Hislop, who gave a very poor exhibition. Miss Fraser proved too strong for Mrs Duthie, as also did Miss Livingstone against Mrs M'Kellar. Miss Livingstone is possessed of good gfound strokes, both her forehand and backhand drives being of good length -and well placed. / Both .the men’s doubles were won' by Kaituna. Moody and Phillipps, both of whom lost their singles, managed to defeat their singles opponents, Boddy and Bray, 9-B. Otago had the lead practically from the start, but the Kaituna pair kept close to them all' the way. With the score 8 all and Boddy’s service it looked as if the Otago pair must win, but two easy smashes missed by Boddy and an excellent lob by Moody gave Kaituna a love game and the match. Moody was the outstanding player in this match, and he used a strong cross-court backhand drive very effectively, winning a number of aces with this shot. Robertson and Stevens played some excellent tennis in the first part of their match against Jensen axicl Sherriff. With 5-1 lead the Otago pair looked like gaining an easy victory, but their play went off, and the Kaituna pair took eight games in a row foxmatch. In the latter part of this match both Jensen and Sherriff were driving and smashing consistently well. Good matches were seen in both - the ladies’ doubles. In the first double between Miss Cqok and Miss Fraser and M>ss 'White and Mrs M‘Kellar Miss Cook’s good length cut drives continually had her opponents in trouble, Mrs M'Kellar especially having considerable difficulty in returning these shots on the backhand. In the second double Miss Kibblewhite gave a good exhibition of driving, as she did also in hexcombine. The best combined match was seen between Moody and Miss White axid Boddy and Miss Cook. Moody smashed and drove well,, while Miss White’s well-placed lobs and drives made numerous openings for her partner at the nst.

_ Roslyn gained a very convincing victory over Moana, winning eleven of {he fourteen matches played. A long-drawn out three-set uninteresting match was seen in the first men’s single between M‘Dougall and Guy, and it was only when M'Dougall took the initiative hi the third set that there was any difference between the two players. A better match was -seen between Duthie and Black, although the Roslyn man gained a good lead in both -sets, Duthie playing good tenuis, managed to win the match. Mrs Hill was the only Moana lady to win her single, and her defeat of Miss Bagby was a well-earned victory. Miss Sherriff won most of her points against Miss Pattison off the latter’s mistakes, but once the Roslyn lady settled down she was never extended.

In the men’s doubles,. Duthie played quite well, but lie did not get sufficient support from his partner, whoso shots lacked pace and direction. Both M'Dougall and Black played their usual solid game, and with Guy hanging on the back line they were able to force their opponents to take the defensive for most of the match.

A close and interesting match was played between St. Kilda and University, the former club winning by the small margin of eight games, rubbers being even. The St. Kilda team was without the services of Deaker, but nevertheless, it managed to win all its singles and one of the doubles. A good match was seen between Rawlinsan and Small, and it was only in the third set that the St. Kilda man gained the advantage. Aitken did well to defeat Macallan, as also did Fish against Blunden. In the latter match Fish lost the first set to love, but by reducing his errors he managed to win the next set by the odd game, and took the last set easily.

Miss Barton played well in all her matches, and in her single against Miss 'JTnwden islio made very few mistakes. Miss Moir. University, considerable improvement in her singles since her previous match, and gained a good victory over Miss Smith, 9-7. An interesting match between Roslyn 11. and Bnlmacewen resulted in a draw, sets and games being even. At times Drew played brilliant tennis against Mollison, but his errors are still too numerous. Notman gave a good exhibition in all his matches, and

varied lus game nicely, driving and volleying consistently well. vriV V'°,, °^ ler A Grade match, ii ’ ; dj°y easily accounted for St. Andrews by thirteen sets to three It is interesting to note that with only two rounds played, the followL n S l eams have not yet been defeated : A 1..- Kaituna. A II.: N.E. valley and Anderson’s Bay CL: St. Talley, Anderson’s Bav, and Cosy Dell. C 11.. St. Marv’s. Anderson’s Bay Club held its Official opening last Saturday, and consequently the matches this club was to have* played .were postponed, and will be played later in the season.

A suggested alteration to cut down the length of the A Grade matches, is that the men’s singles be reduced to the best of seventeen games, and that the men’s doubles be the best of three sets. Tliis \would mean a saving of over an hour, and would allow of the 5 matches being finished before dark. Quite , good entries have been received for the mixed doubles handicap tournament to be held at Logan Park to-morrow, ■ and given a fine day, a successful. tournament should result. Late entries will be received up till „ eleven o’clock to-morrow at the Sports Depot.

Tennis , players will he pleased -to learn that the grass courts at Logan Park are to be . ready for play next week. A small charge for each player will be made, and arrangements are to be made regarding .booking courts by members of the United Club.

The ladies’ singles ladder has now been formulated as follows:—1 Miss Pattison, 2 Miss Calver. 3 Miss Cook, 4 Miss Barton, 5 Miss Sherriif, 6 Miss Bagby, 7 Miss M‘Adam,B Mrs Dykes, 9 Mrs R. Hill, 10 Miss Read, 11 "Miss Hislop, 12: Mrs Mills, 13 Miss E. Hill. 14 Miss Rackley, 15 Mrs Cheyne, 16 Miss Logan, 17 Miss G. Smith, 18 Miss M. Jolly, 19 Miss Flett, 20 Mrs Orton, ,Miss White, Miss Cox, and Miss Fraser, were not available. Challenge matches will be the best of three sets, —two short, and final ogly, advantage. Challenges are to be made through Mr. Grimsdale, of the Sports Depot, to whom results are to be notified. LAWN TENNIS UNION. (Contributed.) ’ —A Grade.’— ' Winners of all three sets were Misses, Rosevear, Thompson, N. Benzoui, and, Hayward and Hay (Knox); Galbraith,! Jeffs, Gibson, L. Kaye, Misses Garbutt, j Meinung, .Sutherland, and Mrs Galbraith (Forbury). The result of the Wakari-Forbury match was a surprise for both teams, | Forbury winning all the sets. Judging. from past performances, Wakari’s men! certainly seemed to have had a day oft - ,' while their ladies were certainly not as v strong as last season. Forbury, however, appears to be in a good way for making a bid for the A grade shield. The. result of the First ■ ChurcbRavensbourne match was looked forward to'with interest , as it would have given a good indication of the respective positions of teams. First, however, were minus their first, second, and fourth, mpn, and thus Ravensbourne had little difficulty in winning all the twelve sets played. Miss Page and Miss Facer (first and second ladies for Rayensbomne) were each taken to 9-7 in their single by Miss Salmond and Miss Rae respectively, but Ravensbourne-had, little difficulty in winning both the ladies’ doubles. Knox defeated Kaikorai by 113 sets to 3, Knox ladies again showing them superiority by winning all their sets. Hoare was the only Kaikorai man to win his singles, defeating' M'Khmou, 6-3. —B.I. Grade.— Winners of all three sets were: Mrs,Bain, Davidson, Miller and Facer (Ravensbourne), Miss llowse and A. Kayo (Forbury), M‘Neill (St. Kilda Methodist), Misses Newman and Broad bent and N. Shanks (Holy Cross), Misses R. Asher, W. Trotter, and R. Asher (St. Leonards). A Ravensbourne again had a fairly easy, win, defeating Macanclrew Road, 12-4, but the difference in games was not so: great. Macanclrew Road did very well to get what sets they did against last - year’s B grade finalists. The closest game in this section was between Forbury and St. Kilda Methodists, Forbury winning, 9-7. Forbury won only one men’s singles, hut retrieved their position by winning three of the ladies’ l singles. Knox, which has been moved up from B 11. as Knox has entered a third team,' secured only, four seta against St. Leonards, while Holy Cross succeeded in defeating Kaikorai by tea sets to six. —B 11. Grade.— Winners of all three games were: Misses Abernethy and Wright, and 1 Baber and Artlnir (Knox), Miss Horan' and Walmsley, Whyborn and Russell’ (Kiwi), Misses, O’Gorman and Georgo and Thornicroft and Pickerill (Ravens-. bourne), T. Shanks (Holy Cross), F,. Sims (Kensington), Iriglis and Sutherland (Forbury). Kiwi had aj fairly easy win against St. Kilda Methodists, its men especially proving too good, winning all their six” games. Forbury defeated Kensington by 10-6, but the difference in games was not so marked. Ravensbourne secured anotherwin, and looks very much like carrying off the honours in this section. Knox’s new team overcame Wakari by ,11 sets to 5, and should probably succeed in defeating some of the other teams before the season closes. —Notesi — For the first and second series of , matches played all results were published. This is, as far as is known, the first■ occasion on which this has hap-.' pened since the inception of the union, club secretaries are asked ot keep this up during the season. If the results are published in the papers, there is no need to send them to the union secretary. , Knox has now entered a third feam,so eliminating the bye in the 81. section. The number of teams now stands at: —A grade, 6; 81. grade, 8; 811. grade, 8 : a total of 22, an increase of six over last year.' A suggestion has been put forward that the union should endeavour to run a men’s and a ladies’ ladder. Tho suggestion is an excellent one, as hv playing ladder matches players would gain extra experience, and the ladders moreover would he a good guide for the handicappers in tournaments. Tho main difficulty would seem to be the arranging of courts on which to play, the challenges, as most club courts are pretty well taken up by ordinary sets, team practice, and club challenges However, if no more than one challenge ' match was allocated to each of the A grade clubs per. week, this should not inconvenience club members ‘to any groat extent. The question of whether such challenges should be played, pit a club’s court to which the. challenger belonged or on those of the club cf which the challenged person was a member, would probably be best decided by drawing for courts. If tho union decides to inaugurate such ladders, it should do so without much Delay.