LAWN TENNIS

Evening Star, Issue 22535, 31 December 1936, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS

[By Rkcobdkb.]

Fixtures, December 30 to January s.—New Zealand championships, at Timaru. January 1 to January s.—Wanganui Association, at Wanganui. January 6 to January 9.—Manawatu Association, at Palmerston North., January 14 to January 16.—Waitaki i Sub-association. . January 20 to January 23.—Wellingr ton Association, at Wellington. January 23 to January 30.—Auckland Association, at Auckland. Easter Tournaments. Otago Association. Tuapeka Sub-association. Canterbury Association. Wellington Association. Auckland Association. South Canterbury Association. North Otago Championships. . Good weather favoured the North Otago Association for the first two days of its tournament, and all events were decided,* with the exception of' the mixed, doubles championship.- H. J.' Pollock, of the Otago dull, figured prominently in both the men’s singles and doubles championships. Pollock’s best victory was gained in the- semifinal of the singles, when he defeated Syd. M'Dougall after a long ; three-set struggle. Pollock put up, a good performance against Feathers in the final, but was unlucky to strike the Oamaru man playing right at the top of his form. Feathers usually has lapses of poor play, but against Pollock he made few errors, and attacked throughout, volleying and smashing hard and accurately. In the men’s doubles final Pollock and M'Kinnon, of Kurow, fully extended Feathers and M'Dougall. The latter played very steady tennis, and his return of service was always well placed, while Feathers smashed brilliantly at times.

Canterbury Championships. This year’s Canterbury championships were a New Zealand championship tourney in miniature, for a few of the Dominion’s leading players who will be playing at Timaru. E. A. Pearce was the only competitor from Otago taking part in the tournament, and he was defeated by C. Angas, 6-3. 6-0, in the third round. Pearce, however, did better in the men’s doubles, when, partnered by his brother George, be reached the quarter-finals. On the first day the Pearce brotbes provided the best match when they defeated Patterson and Penfold in a good three-set match. Playing enterprising tennis, the Pearce brothers crowded the net at every opportunity, and smashed with great power. The Canterbury youngsters, however, picked up the hardest shots and sternly contested every game of the long first and second sets. The Pearce brothers were well on top in the third. In the quarter-finals the Pearce brothers were defeated by Charters and Coombe, who, on their impressive showing, are expected to provide the stiffest opposition fop the defending champions, Angas and Dymond. G. A. Pearce did not survive his first-round match against Sturt, of Auckland. Pearce won a few games with his fast service, but neither his ground strokes nor his volleying was sufficiently accurate to trouble Sturt. J. T. Mayson, one of the most promising of Auckland’s several young players of ability, caused the biggest upset by defeating two New Zealand ranked players in one day, to reach the semifinals of the singles. In successive rounds he beat Norman Sturt and A. D. Brown, both from Auckland, most impressively. Mayson played in his first open championship two years ago, when he impressed by taking a set from Don France. His promise has not been fully appreciated outside his own province, however, for when a team of juniors was sent to Australia by the New Zealand Association last year the Auckland Association had to make its own arrangements to add Mayson to the team. Small and slight |of_ build, he hits hard and accurately with easilyproduced strokes, and although his backhand is not the equal _ of his drive on the other wing, he has no real weakness. His volleying and smashing are deft and effective, and unlike most young players, he seldom makes_ errors of footwork. In his match against Sturt, New Zealand’s fourth ranked player, Mayson was left to take the initiative, and this he did without faltering. Once Mayson gained the ascendancy he held to his _ advantage most determinedly. Against Brown he showed a keen appreciation of the importance of attacking at the right time. It was a pretty match for the gallery. The two young players exchanged drives of fine length and direction in long rallies, which generally were ended by one or the other coming to the net for the kill after a particularly good forcing slm bad paved the way. In the third

set Mayson came from behind with a fine burst of attacking tennis to clinch the match. He hit perfect forehand drives into Brown’s backhand corner, his ability to take the ball on the rise giving him all the time necessary to get into the commanding position at the net. Angas _ reached the final by good victories over Charters in the quarter-finals and D. Coombe in the semifinals. Angas gained both these victories in straight sets, and in the quarter-final match there were some great volleying duels as tho two men disputed the commanding position on the court. One of the surprises of the third round was the defeat of H. Dymond by J. W. Gunn, a young Aucklander. Gunn, however, went down in straight sets to Coombe in the quarter-finals. Miss Nicholls, New Zealand’s outstanding player, is expected to win the ladies’ singles, and although she has not yet reached the peak of her form, she played solid tennis to reach the semifinals. The other ladies in the semifinal are Miss T. Poole, the defending champion, Miss I. Poole, and Miss M. Beverley, of Waikato, Perry’s First Match. Fred Perry will have his first professional match on January 6, wuen ha will meet Ellsworth Vines in a special match at Madison Square i Garden, New York. Afterwards, he will go on tour with Vines over the United States and Canada, the trip lasting until May. Gates for the first match at New York are expected to amount to 50,000 dollars,' and Perry’s receipts from the tour may total from 75,000 to 100,000 dollars. He will be touring under a combine managed by Francis T. Hunter, whom E. D. Andrews defeated in a sensational match at Wimbledon some years ago, and Howard Vosell, also a fine player of other days. Perry is building a home at Hollywood, He is, he told the New York ‘ Times,’ tired of living from a suitcase the year round. Helen Vinson, his wife, is also affected by the English climate, and Perry likes America. So, with a 60,000-dollar guarantee in his pocket for turning professional, he can scarcely be blamed for charging his status and earning cash to set him up for years when his forehand will not be so paralysing as it is now.

SOUTHLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS TWO TITLES TO OTAGO PLAYERS (Contributed.) The Southland Christmas tennis tournament was concluded on Monday in excellent weather. The women’s singles championship final was won by Mrs Rawlinson in straight sets, and Bryan and Rawlinson took the men’s doubles from the holders, Deaker and Baird, after four hard-fought sets. In the morning the semi-finals of the men’s singles were played, and A. J. Deaker defeated 0. J. Rawlinson, 6-3, 6-2. Play went from 2-all to 3-all in the first set, till Deaker led at 4-3. At this stage there was a sustained fight for the eighth game, and after Deaker saved the third vantage against him with a net-cord volley he took the game to lead 5-3, and broke through Rawlinson’s service for the set. _ Deaker was driving very aggressively in the second set, and after leading at 4-2_ ran out without further loss. Rawlinson attacked frequently at the net, but his volleys seldom went for winners, and Deaker replied with passing shots down the side lines. In' the other semi-final A. T. Baird, of Invercargill, won comfortably from D. S. M'Leod, of Gore, at 6-0. 6-2. M'Leod is playing below his usual form this year, and by keeping;, the ball in play with steady driving Baird had no difficulty in winning, though M'Leod was resisting more stoutly at the finish. The women’s singles final was won by Mrs Rawlinson from Miss K. Cutt at 6-2. 6-3. Mrs Rawlinson displayed splendid forrfi throughout the tournament and in the final, while her driving was just as fast as that of Miss Cutt, it was decidedly more reliable, and she showed much more enterprise in the forecourt, where she scored with many dashing volleys. The women’s section at the tournament was not strong this year. Early in the afternoon the men’s doubles final was played, and Bryan and Rawlinson defeated Deaker and Baird, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3. It was a fast and interesting final, with many bouts of attractive volleying and smashing. The crisis of the match came in the third set, when the sets were 1-all and Deaker and Baird led at 5-3 and 40-15. Bryan was serving, but he saved the situation by aceing Baird twice. In the next game there were eight deuces, and though they enjoyed the vantage three times Deaker and Baird were unable to capture the vital set. In the final set Bryan and Rawlinson adopted aggressive tactics, stormed the net frequently, and by severe volleying and smashing won

particularly good, and all his work was well. The outstanding player was K. Bryan, whose serving throughout was clean and forceful. _ ; After the doubles match A. T. Baird and A. J. Deaker set out on their best of five sets singles final. The first two sets were poorly contested, and Baird won them by steady driving and clever placing,at 6-3, 6-0. In the third set Deaker began to drive, much more severely, and there was a spirited fight for it, and Deaker won at 8-6. In the fourth set Deaker led 3-0, bat Baird improved again, and after 5-all had been called Baird took the set at 7-5 and the match. The full score in Baird’s favour read 6-3, 6-0, 6-8, 7-5. The new champion is a player in his middle twenties who is now fulfilling the promise he has given for some seasons. Baird has always been a good volleyer, but his driving has greatly improved lately, and he is now a solid player at all points. The winners of the Southland men’s singles in recent years -have been: 1931, H. K. Sumpter; 1932, C. A. K. Deaker: 1933-34, G. A. Pearce; 1935, A. J. Deaker; 1936, A. T. Baird. G. Jolly, of Dunedin, gained » creditable win in the men’s handicap singles by coming through a large field to win the final. Jolly was one of the back-markers on an owe 30 2-6 mark. In the semi-final he had a dose encounter with Whitaker, and got through only at 9-8, while in the final he met a good handicap player in I. Shand, who also was on a back mark. Jolly won at 9-5 in an interesting inatch. B.’ Nixon,-an "Otago’University student, won the B grade handicap single*. Nixon is a promising young player with a strong service and good but eratic ground shots. 6. Jolly had a further success in winning the mixed doubles with an Invercargill player, Miss B. Hoyles. There is no mixed doubles champion- J ship at the tournament, only a handicap event Thus with. Mrs Bawlinson taking the women’s singles and sharing the women’s > doubles title with Mrs Salisbury, with Bryan and Bawlinson winning the men’s doubles championship and J oily and Nixon winning singles handicaps, the small group of Otago players were prominent performers, and did much to give interest to the tournament.