TENNIS TITLES

Evening Star, Issue 21317, 23 January 1933, Page 4

TENNIS TITLES

NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIPS SATURDAY'S PLAY ANDREWS BEATS AHGAS [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, January 21. In fine weather, but with a disconcerting cross-court wind from the northwest, the New Zealand lawn tennis championships were continued so that the finals were reached in the adult events, and the finals were played in some of the junior events. The tourney will be concluded on Monday. Wellington also retained the Nunneley Casket as the result of winning a set to-day from Canterbury in a doubles match.

To-day’s championship was noted for the defeat of C. Angas, holder of the men’s singles title, and N. R. C. Wilson and A. C. Stedmau, the holders of the men’s doubles title. Very much fitter physically and in far better form than for the Wellington championships, when he lost the final to C. E. Malfroy, E. D, Andrews to-day beat C. Angas, the holder of the dominion title, in the semi-final. Andrews won because, with greater use of the court and fine concealment of direction, he preserved a much better length than Angas, who was seldom much past the service line. Also, Andrews was more deadly overhead and accuracy itself on the low volley. There was nothing spectacular about the match. Both stroked carefully, but Andrews’s sliced backhand with the ball curling quickly away was going perfectly down the side lines and cross court. Whenever Angas went to the net on the short stuff, which was frequently, he was inevitably passed. Each lobbed well to drive the other from the net, but Andrews was more severe in smashing and also more successful in holding the net position when he had forced Angas from it. Angas was never really aggressive, while Andrews would suddenly turn defence into aggression, in which he speeded up strokes without loss of accuracy, taking the net at the right time.

Crowding the net on nearly every stroke, Malfroy just swamped Barnett, who was unable to put up any semblance of a fight. The superiority of Malfroy was clearly reflected in the score.

Miss Dulcie Nicholls was altogether too strong for Miss Doris Howe, who did not play nearly so well as against Miss Wake. Miss Nicholls was superior in all departments, her forehand drive across the court to the forehand corner leaving Miss Howe helpless. Miss Howe’s cut forehand drive lacked sting. Against Mrs H. M. Dykes, Miss Marjorie Macfarlane played a hard-hitting game from the base line, placing with great accuracy. Mrs Dykes essayed the same tactics, but with not nearly the same accuraney. Indeed, her stroking was by far the worst she had shown m the tournament. Mrs Dykes only occasionally went to the net,_ from where her performance was a mixture of brilliant volleys and easy errors. She won a few points by concentrating on forehand drives to Miss Macfarlaue’s backhand, but unless forced out of position Miss Macfarlane was able, to. make deep returns on the other balls. In short, Miss_ Macfarlane was content to keep on hitting deep from corner to corner on both winds until Mrs Dykes made a mistake. TITLE HOLDERS BEATEN. fn a brilliant five-set doubles match the title-holders, Stedman and Wilson, were beaten by the France brothers, who now enter the final for the third year in succession. The losers had five Set points. In the first two sets Wilson was deadly in his service and smashing, but he was very uncertain in the return of the service. Stedman served well, and in the next two sets whs the stalwart of his side, his smashing being deadly. The real hero of the match was Len Fi'ance, whoso volleying, placements, and lobbing were spectacular to a degree. Most of the attack was centred on him. He was wonderful when the position seemed most hopeless. The nerve of the France brothers was stronger in the fifth set, Wilson and Stedman missing smashes and volleys when right on top of the net. In one vital game Wilson smashed out three times from winning positions. His backhand ground strokes were finding the net badly. The France brothers played with the greatest determination and concentration, allowing no bad stroke to disturb them for the next.

The doubles between Andrews and Lowry and Seay and Malfroy, which was won by the latter, was not taken seriously either by the prinicpals or by the spectators. In the intermediate singles final Noel Bedford outplayed W. G. Robertson in a driving game in the first set. Robertson resorted to chopping in the second set, and put Bedford off his game. Tell final set was won by Robertson.