TENNIS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10730, 30 October 1928, Page 7

TENNIS.

BRITAIN v. SOUTH ISLAND. WIN DOll THE VISITORS. GAMES CLOSELY-FOU GU T (Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. Oct. 29. Alter two postponements, owing to rain, the British touring tennis players were able to play their match against the South Island team today. Nine matches, six singles : and three doubles, were played, and the visitors won seven and lost two, winning 14 sets and losing five. Throughout the da v there was not one dull match, and there were exhibitions of the game, not often seen in New Zealand, though the visitors* game does not differ materially from the- game as it has been developed here.

The Britishers showed evidence of the cultivation' of stylo and' the m tention to detail which distinguishes expertness from mediocrity. Although the New Zealanders wore well beaten, tho contests were sef dom one-sided and. always interesting, while they were mostly sterniy fought. H. W. Austin is the stylist of the party. Dr J', C. Gregory iis the hard hitter and E. Higgs, the third man. also keeps a good speed. Collins- is no better than several New Zealand players. Nobody in New Zealand to-day can rival Austin in the use of the correct stroke at the correct time and place. This accounted, in a large measure, foil his defeat of Ollivier in two straight sets. Gregory' met- Ollivier at his best early in the. day and the New Zealand! champion seemed not so much puzzled by Gregory’s tactics as by Austin’s. '

Glnnviile, the Canterbury piaver. fought a hard game for liis wellearned victory over Higgs, who, like Gregory, puts pace on nearly every shot but‘ who, "in thi's match , made some mistakes. . Results were:—

Singles.—H. W. Austin (Britain) beat G. .Ollivier (South Island) (5—4. (i—l; JV C. Gregory (Britain) beat O. Angus 6—2,'6—3: G. Ollivier heal ■J. C. Gregory (Britain) B—6, G—3; H. W. Austin. (Britain) bent O. Aligns 6— 3,. 6—4; D. 'FU Glanvillo heat E. Higgs (Britain) .6—2, 6—2: [.' G.' Cdljins (Britain) beat R. A. Guy, “'6—o, o—l. Doubles.-—Higgs and Collins beat. Ciilivier and Aligns 6—o, 5—7. 6—2 Gregory and Austin beat, Glanville und GiiV 6^—l, 6—4Higgs and £ol4iiis beat. Glanville and Guy 6—2 (i—2. .

In the first set' Glanville was always superior .owing to his -greater steadiffess.He flayed" Higgs’ fastservice wonderfully well, picking - it

up on the backhand for good length returns,; .which the ..English. r _player often netted. In . the second set Higgs was more attractive and it looked at '-one stage as 'if he" would strike true form, but, he either fell into errors or was forced into them. Glanville’ kept' going consistently, particularly on the backhand,' and won a notable victory. Collins ..was always: too. good'. for Guy, the Dunedin playef'. He revealed uncanny anticipation, superior courtcraffc, and hard, clean hitting alternated with heavy chops. Guy was kept on the run and continually outclassed.’ Collins impressed critics by his albround .‘brilliancy. The-New Zealand champion. Dili-, yier, fought magnificently to win a determined - contest against- Dr Gregory. OHivier’s tricky little shots frequently proved disconcerting to the visitor, tie returned Gregory’s scorching drives with ease, and then scored with rattling- placements, first into one confer and .then into the other, leading at "one time in the first' set' 6—1.; - He was hard pressed foi a period by 'Gregory’s tenacity, but he managed to retain the lend and won B—6, taking the second at 6-—3. A splendid- exhibition was provided by Austin and Ahgas. The Englishman started searching for corners, both forehand and backhand, and it was obvious that if he could it up at that speed no New . Zealand colt could see it out. He concealed his direction with beautiful sweeping topped drives, arid when Aligns lobbed lie often put away a dean winner. Aligns made some brilliant recoveries in the second set, lighting gamely, but he was mostly forced into a bag enough margin of error to make him lose the.rally. Austin s volleying was superb.