NOTES ON THE PLAY

Evening Star, Issue 21318, 24 January 1933, Page 11

NOTES ON THE PLAY

TIME EXHIBITION BY ANDREWS A huge gallery marvelled at the accuracy of Andrews combined with his pace when playing against Maltroy in the final of the singles. lor the first nine games Malfroy never looked like winning a game. Driving to the coiners, cross court, or down the side lines, backhand and forehand, Andrews kept Malfroy away from tiio net, thus robbing his opponent of the greatest part of his strength. If Malfroy did come in Andrews lobbed deep to the backhand, compelling Malfroy to play sate, or passed him on either hand with well-concealed drives. Andrews roll and wrenched his ankle when leading dlove in the second set. This disturbed liis concentration so that Malfroy gained a slight ascendancy. Maltroy won the third set with a concentrated attack from the net which forced Andrews into errors mainly in the not. In the fourth set Andrews found himself again and reduced Malfroy to impotence with infinitely superior strokes both in speed and accuracy. Maltroy was glued to the back line, while Andrews drove with variation of length and pace much as he chose or took the net, where his low volleys were a ro\clation, so accurate were they. He was also deadly overhead, and lie was always in a position to meet the host that Malfroy could give. The game was toiight at a fast pace throughout. Malfroy handled Andrews’s last sliced backhand well, but ho could nob hit winners off it. Miss Nicholls always had the ad van tage of Miss Macfarlanc iu the lina! oi the ladies’ singles, but in being beaten Miss Macfarlane was not disgraced, blic fought a losing battle gallantly. Ihe rallies were long, but Miss Nicholls had the greater strength, which, with her depth of hitting and paccmcnts to the corners, gave her greater command ot the court, forcing Miss Macfarlane more on the defensive: but Miss Macfarlane tried for every point, and her staving off match point and win in the second set was a great achievement. Miss Nicholls had a 4-love lead in the first set, and led 5-2 with match point in the second. Miss Nicholls won numerous points with a heavy chop stroke off high bounding balls. It was a base line game throughout. The men's doubles was not a brilliant match. All four were too patchy lor that. One member of the combination would win points in a brilliant rally, and then tiie other partner would lose the next point through tailing down on an easy shot. Malfroy played in spasms, so that Seay was the steadier of the combination for four sets. Malfroy came to light in the fifth set with brilliant interceptions and smashes, which turned the tide in bis favour. L. France tried all be knew, volleying, lobbing, serving, and cutting grimly. I), France was off form, driving when

lie ought to have lobbed and lobbing when ho ought to have smashed. The Frances did their best when they took the net after driving their opponents back with deep lobs.

The final of the ladies’ doubles was a long fight, and the first set was lost by the ultimate winners of the match because Mrs Adams hovered about the service lino and netted volleys or was smashed at the feet by the opposition, who were excellent overhead, especially Mrs Melody. Mrs Dykes was netting many drives. The second and third sets were different stories. Mrs Adams went to the back line, and from there maintained persistently accurate lobbing, which rendered Mrs Melody at the net almost helpless, and left Miss Nieholls to hold the back line, and created numerous openings for Airs Dykes, who cut off the hardest drives to big openings with winning volleys or smashed decisively. Mrs Adams also served strongly. From the back of the court she scarcely maed a mistake. In the final set the losers lost accuracy and with it their confidence. The match was notable for the fact that all four players were ex-Now Zealand champions. The crowd was greatly excited doling the final of the mixed doubles, in which all tour players, particularly Mrs Dykes and Miss Macfarlanc, were brilliant. Andrews's position in mid-court was made the centre of Malfroy’s attack. Andrews was inclined to run himself out of position, going for angled volleys at the net. This against the remarkable quickness of Malfroy was fatal. Malfroy’s interceptions at the net were the main factor in the victory, but he could not have done it without Miss Macfarlane's excellent driving from the net. She handled Andrews’s fiercest drives and twist services fearlessly and with the greatest consistency. If Mrs Dykes was brilliant at times in volleying she also made many mistakes. Often the losers got mixed up in their combination.