LAWN TENNIS

Evening Star, Issue 21078, 15 April 1932, Page 14

LAWN TENNIS

[Br Recorder.] FIXTURES. | April 23.—Otago v. Canterbury, at Christchurch. Kaituna players suffered their second defeat this season when they lost to Roslyn by 9 matches to 7. The position of the teams in the first section of the A grade is that Kaituna, Roslyn, and Otago are equal, and will have to play off. Roslyn has drawn the bye, so that Kaituna will play Otago on Saturday, the winner to play Roslyn. Owing to the representative match against Canterbury being played on April 23, this latter match cannot be played before the end of the month, if not later, as it was hoped to bo able to play the final of the Cleghom and Walker Cups on April 30. If this programme is followed it will mean that the winner of the A grade shield will not be found before the middle of May, as the winners of section 1 have to play Anderson’s Bay in the final. M'Dougall continued to show the excellent form ho displayed at Easter, when he defeated Moody, 9-5. Moody had the better of the game in the initial stages, and led, 6-2, but he could not keep up the pace, and faded badly towards the finish. M'Dougall was putting plenty of pace into his drives, and his volleying and smashing was hard and accurate. Jensen gave one of his best displays to defeat Black, 9-5, by forcing the pace, and, going to the net, ho had his opponent on the defensive most of the time. Sherriff played consistently good tennis to defeat Chisman, 9-4. Penrose sprung a surprise when he defeated Gregory, 9-5. The Kaituna man has improved nis ground strokes considerably during the past season, and with well placed drives ho was able to take the net position and volley and smash for winners. _ At this stage Kaituna had a lead or 3 matches to 1, and their chances looked good, but the failure of the Kaituna ladies to rise to the occasion accounted for their defeat. Miss White won the first two games of her match against Miss Pattison, only to lose, 9-2, while Mrs M'Kcllar was completely outplayed by Miss Rackley. MissDuthie was the only Kaituna lady to win a match, and and she deserves credit for the excellent fight she put up against Mrs Fuller. Mrs Fuller had a 4-1 and 5-2 lead, but from this stage the Kaituna lady reduced her errors, and by steady and accurate play took the match, 9-0. Ihe match between Miss Bagiev and Miss Aitken was much more closely contested than the score indicates, every game except one going to deuce. Two good matches were seen in the men’s doubles. In the final match M'Dougall and Black’s proved too strong for the Kaituna pair, although both Moody and Penrose put up a great fight in the second set. Making few errors, and playing good tennis, Jensen and Sherriff gained a good victory over Chisman and Gree°Tbe Roslyn ladies proved too good in the doubles for their opponents, both these matches going to Roslyn. The best match of the day was seen in the mixed doubles between M Dougall and Miss Pattison and Dr Moody and Miss-White. Both the Kaituna players gave a finished display, and well deserved their victory, M Doueall played well, but his partner s mistakes w-ere too numerous. The other mixed doubles were all closely contested, and plenty of good tennis was witnessed. In the B 1 grade semi-final a closely contested match was played between Opoho and, Kaituna, the former club gaining tho victory by 9 games, sets being even. M'Dougall (Kaituna! was the only player in either team to wm all his matches, and lie gave good displays throughout. Sinclair played his usual heady game to defeat Dickinson, 9-7. Brown (Opoho) was in good form when he defeated St. George for the loss of only two games. St. George, however. showed improved form in ms men’s doubles and combined matches. Strangely enough, Anderson and St. George defeated the same players to whom they had both lost their sing es. Miss Lovelock drove and placed her shots well against Miss Jolly, and fully deserved her victory. Miss Cupples was disappointing in both her singles and combined doubles. .Her slackness in moving about the court and her failure to take advantage of . her opportunity of following good drives to tho net cost her her match against Miss Brown, and was largely responsible for the loss of the combined double match when partnered with Sinclair she lost to Robb and Miss Brown.

Opoho has to play off with Caversham to-morrow to decide the winners of the B 1 Shield.

St. Mary's reversed the decision of their previous match against Cosy Dell, and by winning by 10 sets to 6 gained a decisive victory. The writer has to congratulate the St. Mary’s Club on being the winners of B2 Shield. This is the second season this shield has been competed for, the previous holders being St. Andrew’s. The representative _ match against South Canterbury, which was to have been played in Timaru on April 22, has been abandoned owing to South Canterbury Association being unable to raise a team on that date. The Otago team to travel north will now leave Dunedin by bus at 1 o’clock next Friday, and travel through to Christchurch to play the representative match there on Saturday week. At a meeting of the association held last week the Sinclair Cup, which is presented each year by Mr J. S. Sinclair to the winner of the Otago men’s championship singles, was accepted hy the association. This cup is held by the successful player for all time, and is a trophy which will be very much valued by the recipient. The thanks of the association are due to Mr Sinclair for the gift of these very handsome cups. This year’s Australian _ Davis Cup team which played exhibition matches in Auckland last week is considered by Australian experts to be the strongest team that has left Australia for many years, stated Mr Clemenger, the manager and captain. Crawford is one of the greatest players Australia has ever produced. He is a real genius. If the team can produce the brilliant form thev have been showing recently Mr Clemenger has high hopes of bringing buck the cup. Every member of the team is keen, and they are determined to make a great effort. Discuss-

in2 individual members of bis team, Mr Olemenger said that Crawford and Hopman had recently, .shown wonderful form against the visiting Japanese players. If that form could be reproduced abroad Australia should give an.excellent account of itself in the Davis Cup matches. The team will leave, the Niagara at Honolulu, where it will have a week ashore, and it will then travel to San Francisco and Los Angeles. Several of the players are quite pardonably enthusiastic over the prospect or visiting Hollywood with Mr N. B. Freeman, general manager for the. Metro film company m Australia and New Zealand, who is also a passenger on the ship and who has promised to arrange for them some notable introductions. The .first Davis Cup match will be played, in Manila on May 13, 14, and 15 against. Cuba, and, .it successful, the Australian team will then meet the winners of the matches between the United States and Canada. After the Davis Cup matches members of the team will take part in the Wimbledon championships. Hopman has received a cable asking him to partner Mile Sigart, the Belgian champion, in the combined doubles event. Crawford and Mrs Crawford will also play together in this competition. Much is expected from Crawford on the present trip. “He is well up to world championship standard,” Mr Clemenger said, “ and is far and away the best man wo have had since Norman Brookes.”