LAWN TENNIS

Evening Star, Issue 23745, 28 November 1940, Page 12

LAWN TENNIS

[By Recorder.]

Association Gaines. In dull but fine weather all matches set down for last Saturday were completed. The A grade match between University and St. Kilda resulted in a win for the former by 12 sets to 4. Varsity won all the men’s singles and doubles, but nevertheless play was well contested. For instance, Kaye and Alexander played better than the scores indicated. Kayo was all out against Smith, at times playing many fine passing shots, but the latter was in rare form, and his fast, sizzling drives, backhand and forehand, deep to the corners, were gems. Childs was more aggressive than usual, and his sharp angle volleys were repeatedly placed just within the sidelines. Baird has not yet got back to the Smith-Childs class, but in third position he is invaluable to his side, and always gets home, if only by a narrow margin. Liddell is a strong fourth player, with a hard, fast serve, and corresponding smash. Miss Manson played a good solid game to beat Miss J. Thomson, Miss Brown followed with a win for Varsity. Miss Thomson, ,of St. Kilda, had a hard struggle to beat Miss Spademan, and Mrs Slater lost to Miss Burnard. In the doubles Misses J. Thomson and Brown won comfortably, but Miss Thomson and Mrs Slater evened for the losers after a very close game Baird and Childs accounted for Kaye and Alexander in a good, spectacular game, 9-6. Liddell and Smith went near to losing against Sadd and Slater, who lost only by the odd game. Only one of the mixed doubles was won by St. Kilda, when Kaye and Miss Manson combined better than Baird and Miss Thomson to win 7-5. The second and fourth mixed were decided on the odd game. A. further round of A grade matches will be played on Saturday, when the St, Clair* Kaituna encounter will have an important bearing on the senior competition. Should St. Clair lose this will probably put it in a similar position to Roslyn, University, and Kaituna, all with one loss each. A close and interesting event was witnessed at Logan Park in the intermediate grade, when Tainui gained a narrow victory over University by three games only, the sets being 8 all. M'Gregor was the only Tainui player to succeed in all his games, and for the losers Ailkcn and Miss Elliott won all their matches.

Roslyn had no serious opposition from Opoho, winning IX sets to 5. Balmacewen defeated St. Peter’s 124, and Mornington had a more even battle with St. Clair, which lost 10-6.

In the 81. grade Waimana won comfortably from St. Clair. Collins, Clements, Miss Blackwood, and Miss Dungey, for the former team, all played winning games. Roslyn accounted for St. Kilda by a big margin. For the winners Bolting, Paul, Boys, and Miss Jones all came through their games without a loss. At Taieri, Kaituna lost to the, home team by 9 sets to 6.

Another dose game resulted in the BIX. grade, when Nga Maara beat St. Patrick’s -on the count up of games, after sets had finished 8 all. Knox Church defeated Tainui 124, Eckhoff, Murray, and Miss Thompson prevailing in all their events. S. M’Donald, who is quite a youngster, played his forehand shots with a good follow through, and it is pleasing to see a young player going for his shots in the right maimer. Cavcrshain lost to University, 9-7. Harsley, for the latter, and Hendry, for the losers, won all tlioir games. In the women’s U grade Morningtmi overwhelmed Waimana. Miss Graham and Miss Fraser lost their singles (o Miss Dodd and Miss J. Weir respectively, but turned the tables on them in the first double. Miss M’Kinnon and Miss H. Weir were both in winning form. Cosy Dell and Balmacewen both registered similar wins by fair margins. Primary Schools Tourney, The State primary schools tennis tournament will commence on Saturday morning and be continued on December 7. The association is providing four dozen used balls, but as these will be insufficient clubs have been asked to provide as many as possible, and to leave them at the Otago Sports Depot for collection.