LAWN TENNIS

Evening Star, Issue 21619, 15 January 1934, Page 11

LAWN TENNIS

WOMEN'S TEST MATCH AUSTRALIA BEATS NEW ZEALAND [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, January 14. Winning nine matches and losing three, the Australian women’s team beat New Zealand in the test match which was concluded at Miramar yesterday. On Friday the Australians won five of the six matches played, and on the second day they won four, losing a singles and a doubles. The winning New Zealanders were the foui’th player, Miss T, Poole, who beat Aljss N. Lloyd in a close match, and Aliss Alarjorie Macfarlane, who, with Aliss Poole, beat Miss Lloyd and Aliss U, Valkenburg, 8-6, in'the third set. None of the other .members- of the dominion team succeeded in winning a. set. The wind was again fairly strong, hut it came more in gusts than on Friday, and did not appear to affect the sustained brilliance of the Australians’ play or the more spasmodic efforts of the New Zealanders, Detailed results : Aliss L. Bickerton (Australian) beat Mrs H. AI. Dykes, 6-2, 6-3. . Aliss N. Hall (Australia) beat Aliss Alarjorine Alacfarlane, 6-1, 6-3. / - Aliss U. Valkenburg (Australia) beat Miss D. Nieholls, 6-4, 6-1. -Miss N.: Lloyd (Australia) lost to Aliss T. Poole, 5-7, 5-7, Alisses Bickerton and Hall beat. Mrs Dykes and Miss Nieholls, 6-2; 6-3., Alisses Valkenburg and Lloyd lost to Misses Macfarlane and Poole, 3-6, 6-3, 6.-8. ~

NOTES OK; THE PLAY

Once again Miss Biekerton, the first player in the Australian team, revealed all the brilliance of an unusually complete repertoire of strokes. She showed no apparent weakness, and Mrs Dykes, although in the first few games-;she played really well, could make little headway against such strength; Mrs Dykes’s best scoring shot wag a'deep forehand drive to Miss Bickertmi’s backhand corner, followed by an advance to the net to cut off the return.;- When these tactics could be employed she usually won the point, but as her length began to suffer under Miss Bickerton’s constant attack; the opportunity seldom came. : " , ’■ ( ; . There was plenty of‘Solid driving in the' match between the. second..players, Miss Hall and Miss' Macfaflane.' Miss Hall elected to play the New: Zealander at her own game, principally from the ■ hackling, and beat her at it handsomely. The score, however, with so few games to Miss Macfarlatie, hardly gives an adequate impression op the play. Most of the rallies were .very. long, with hard hitting all the way, and it was only after the ball had gone numerous times backwards and forwards over the net that Miss Hall’s positional play achieved ■ Miss Nicliolls played’better than she did on Friday, and the bard, foroliland drive which on Her day. fhe can, produce at will was going ip/occasionally.. Yet the best she could give on.'Saturday':was not good enough to prevent. Miss •Valkenburg from winning in straight sets. Miss Nicholls made a good fight in the first . set and . dominated play more often than hot. ■ ! ■ • Miss Lloyd;-playing'in place of ;Miss Dingle, the fourth member of the Australian team, gave Miss Poole a good run before succumbing to Ivor in two advantage sets, Miss Poole played a cleverer game than she did on Iriday and mixed her shots more. ■ She made an undue number of errors; however, and-Miss Llovd reached a load of 3-1 in the first set before she recovered from her spell of netting. Then Miss Poole got her forehand drive'going, and.this enabled her to win a well-contested match.