CHAMPION BEATEN

Franklin Times, Volume XXX, Issue 12, 3 February 1941, Page 3

CHAMPION BEATEN

LAWN TENNIS SENSATION AHSS B. POTTER’S ACHIEVEMENT THEN FAILS IN THE FINAL Although Aliss Betty Potter did not win tiie Auckland Lawn Tennis Association’s women’s~singles championship as appeared possible after her defeat of Miss Margaret Beverley on Friday, she did what no New Zealand lady has been atyle to do for the last four or live seasons. She gave the spee--1 a tors the greatest thrill of the whole tournament and incidentally broke the anticipated repetition of last year’s clean sweep of all 1 the major championships by Waikato players. Miss Potter has had little first-class practice this season but evidently the large number of matches she played during the week brought her well on to her lop form and she played at times almost inspired tennis against Miss Beverley who was obviously disconcerted towards the finish when her game went to pieces. Unfortunately on Saturday Miss Potter had too much play and her form against Aliss Pam Cook in the first set was very pool. In the second she led five —two and had two set points which she was unable to clinch and eventually Miss Cook, who was playing well, got on top. II was rather an anti-climax tor Aliss Potter to he beaten by Aliss Rosemary Hodges in the final of the intermediate girls’ singles championship soon afterwards, but no doubt the prolonged struggle she had with Aliss Alarion Hodges in the morning had taken its toll.

It seems somewhat of a refection on the management of the Auckland tournament that after a week of tennis a young and promising player should fnd it necessary on the lasLday to take part in three hard singles matches, besides a combined intermediate doubles in which Miss Potter had to default. However, she is to be congratulated on her performance and tennis enthusiasts hope to see her still climbing the ladder towards national honours next season. t A BROADCASTER’S MISTAKE

In a broadcast commentary on the results of the tournament on Friday evening Air A. C. Johns, in congratulating Aliss Betty Potter of Waiuku, on her wonderful win over Aliss Alargaret Beverley, mentioned that be believed Aliss Potter started her career by winning the Franklin championship at the early age of twelve years. Air Johns was a bit astray. It was the schools’ champion of champions tourney that Betty won at twelve years and slie won the Franklin senior champion of champions at fourteen. Actually the Franklin championship eluded her until the Easter tournament of 1939 when she was seventeen. She won it again last. Easter and is the present holder of the title.