LAWN TENNIS

Evening Star, Issue 20995, 8 January 1932, Page 5

LAWN TENNIS

[By Recorder.]

TOURNAMENTS AND FIXTURES. aJnuary 5,6, 7, and B.—North Island championships and handicaps, at Palmerston North. January 7,8, and tournament for ‘ New South Wales ladies’ team, at Christchurch. January 15 and 16.—Otago v. New South Wales ladies, at Logan Pari. January 21, 22, 23, and 25.—'Wellington championships and handicaps, at Wellington. „„ , January 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and JO.N.Z. championships, at Auckland. Easter Dates.—Tournaments 'Auckland, • Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin.

The visit of the New South Wales ladies’ team is arousing considerable interest, and all arrangements in connection with their match against an Otago team next Friday and Saturday, the 15th and 16th ; are well in hand. The Australian ladies’ team is Mrs M. Molesworth (ranked third in Australia), Miss V. Valkenbury (ranked sixth). Miss J. Hartigan (ranked ninth), and Miss N. Hall (Australian junior champion), with Miss N. Lloyd as non-play-ing captain and manager. The visitors arrived in Wellington _ last Monday, and they will take part in an invitation tournament in Christchurch, which is being held to-day and to-morrow. Before coming to Dunedin they will play a match against Southland at Invercargill on the 13th. and will arrive in Dunedin on the 14th. The Otago team to meet the visitors will probably be Miss Partridge. Miss Pattison, Miss Calver, Miss White, and Miss Cox—the Otago pairs for the doubles being Misses Pattison and White and Misses Partridge and Calver—Miss Cox playing in the singles only. While it is not anticipated that Otago ladies will win many of their matches, the fact that the match is to be held on hard •courts will be a decided advantage to the local players. It must also be borne in mind that at the present time the standard of play of the Dunedin ladies 'is, with the exception of Wellington, as high as anywhere in New Zealand, and for this, if no other reason, many interesting matches should ba witnessed. An exhibition match or matches by the visitors on the Saturday afternoon will also guarantee some good tennis. Unfortunately the weather conditions over the New Year holidays were such that the Otago open, tournament was not as successful as previous tournaments. The stoppages for rain caused considerable inconvenience both to the players and officials. Under these circumstances credit is due to Mr E. D. Duthie for the capable manner in which he managed to get the matches off, and the thanks of all players are due to him for the excellent work he did.

One of the most pleasing features of .the tournament was the number of promising young players seen in the various events. The boys’ championship single proved to be a popular event, and the standard l of tennis played by these boys augurs well for the future of tennis in Otago. Unfortunately the girls’ championship did not bring forth enough entries to justify the holding of this event, but nevertheless a number of very promising young girls took part in other events. Among the girls who impressed were Miss Williams, Miss Barlthrop, Miss (Wood, and Miss Somerville. By continuing play on Tuesday afternoon the finals of all- unfinished events were reached, and these will be played to-morrow at Logan Park, commencing at 1.30. The matches to be played are:—Men’s doubles: Pollock and Pearce v. M'Dougall and Black. Combined doubles: Pollock and Miss Pattison v. Black and Miss Partridge. Ladies’ doubles: Miss Pattison and Miss •Whit© v. Miss_ Partridge and Miss Fleming. Combined doubles handicap: Halstead l and Miss Barlthrop rec. 5-6 y. Dillon and Miss Puller rec. 2-6.

In view of these finals the B grade match between Taieri and Caversham, which was to have been played at Logan Park on courts 1 and 2, has been postponed till later in the season. All other B grade matches will be played as arranged in the original draw. C. Dealer will be Otago’s sole representative at the New Zealand championships, which are due to start in Auckland l on the 25th. His partner in the doubles will probably be J. A. Court.

It is with regret that we learn that Mr Keith Webling, the popular Roslyn player, has been transferred to Wellington, and will be leaving Dunedin next week. Not only will his transfer be a loss to the Roslyn Club, but also to tennis generally in Dunedin. For a number of years Mr Webling has been a live member of the Otago Association, and is at present a vice-president of that body. Mr Webling, with G. Black, now of Oamaru, and the present president of the association, constituted the original Works Committee for the laying down of the Logan Park courts, and it was largely duo to Mr Webling’s enthusiastic work on this committee that such fine courts as the association now possesses, were put down. However, Dunedin’s loss must be Wellington’s gain, and on behalf of all tennis players, the writer wishes Mr Webling all success in his new sphere. E. G, Boddy was the only Otago player to figure in any of the finals of the South Island championships, which were played at Timaru at New Year. Partnered with B. Loughnan, they were defeated in three straight sets by Renton and Souter, who also defeated Robertson and Sumpter in the semi-final. ,W. G. Robertson won the singles, defeating Renton in the final, while Miss Wake won the ladies’ singles, defeating Miss Gibson, 6-2, 4-6, 8-6. ■ An interesting ladder match for second place on the ladies’ ladder was played last week when Miss Calver defeated Miss Partridge, 8-6, 3-6, 8-6. Miss Calver led 5-2 in the first set, but Miss Partridge took the next four games, only to lose the set at 8-6. In the final set Miss Partridge gained a 5-4 lead, but could not hold her advantage, going down 8-6. Miss Partridge, however, has since had her revenge when she defeated Miss Calver in the New Year tournament.

' Only one major title changed hands in the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association’s annual provincial championships. C. Angas/won the men’s singles fol the fourth successive time in a splendid match with I. A. Seay. He showed some of his best form in this game, hitting his drives cleanly and accurately, and with much of the crispness that characterised his play two years ago, when he won the New Zealand championship. Certainly he had to give of his best for Seay, if not right at the top of his form, was producing tennis of a high order, < bringing off some brilliant forehand Irives, volleying and smashing beautifully, and_ covering the court in a way of which few players are capable. Angas’s defence, however, was equal to the strenuous demands made upon it, and he gave away few chances when once ho had established himself at the net. The men’s doubles final developed after the first set into a good struggle between two pairs widely divergent in

styles and tactics. Angas and Dymond retained their title, but they were hard pressed by T. Rhodos-Williams and J. H. Sheppard r who, after winning the first set to love, appeared to have a commanding lead in the third. Miss Wake retained her singles title after a hard three-set contest with Miss M. Andrew, thus avenging her defeat at the hands of this player in the final of the 1929 championships. It was a brilliant exhibition of driving on the part of both players, but Miss Wake won by reason of the slightly greater accuracy of her shots. The ladies’ double was won by Miss Wake and Miss Wake, who defeated Mrs V. C. Browne and Miss L. Berghan in the final. Miss L, Berghan, who is still only a schoolgirl, gave a display equal to either of the winning pair, and deserved success.

The only title to change hands was the mixed doubles championship, Miss Andrew and Seay defeating the holders, Miss Wake and Sheppard, after a close three-set match. Miss Wake and Sheppard had a lead of 4-5 in the first set, but lost the set. 8-6. _ They equalised in the second after gaining a 5-3 lead. From 1-4 Miss Wake and Sheppard fought up to level terms again in the third set, and Miss Wake twice caught Seay out of position to take the lead at 5-4. Sheppard had a match point on his service at 7-G, but Miss Wake’s smash was inches out, and Seay and his partner eventually took thn set and match at 9-7.