TENNIS

Grey River Argus, 30 June 1932, Page 2

TENNIS

WIMBLEDON RESULTS Crawford’s Success JAP. BEATS CHAMPION. (Aus, & N.Z. Cable Assn). LONDON, June 28. At Wimbledon, the weather wa s line and warm when the Americans ’Shields, Vines and Wood, the Englishmen, Perry and Austin, the Spaa iard Maier, the Japanese, Satuh, and the Australian Crawford, battled for the right to enter the semi-finals. The centre courts were packed there not even being standing room. Results :— Men’s Singles.—Crawfora defeated ; Perry 7/5, 8/6, 2/6, 8/6. I -Satoh beat Wood 7/5, 7/5, 2/6, 6/4. I Vines beat Maier 6/2, 6/3, 6/2. 1 Austin beat Shields 6/1, 9/7 5/7 6/1. Satoh took the initiative and sinprisingly eliminated the title-holder Wood, who repeatedly missed easy strokes. Austin eliminating Shields consistently produced flowing drives. Tie did nbt allow the American to tr.V the. initiative, and gained revenge for last year’s defeat. Crawford drove beautifully and ai so used incisive backhand. The Australian was slightly superior in find ing the corners. Perry attacked in the third set, which he won in fifteen minutes, but after brilliant driving changes in the fourth set Crawford was victorious. From the consolation singles tn the quarter-final of the champion ship, the Australians won all along the line to-day. Crawford’s victory naturally created a tremendous impr.-s sion, for critics say that Perry, whn disputes with Austin, the title of Eng land’s best player, was at the top of his form. Nevertheless. Crawfnrd called the pace almost throughout, t v an exhibition of supurb driving, an 1 uncanny placements and a remarkai 'c sense of anticipation. At no time w:i the result a foregone conclusion f< Perry seems to possess all the strokeHe made many remarkable reeoverlePerry was more severe over-head thu’ Crawford, the depth, angle and spec of whose drives hept him from th«net, but he fought a great uphill fight especially saving four match point Crawford’s artistic display had relatively few lapses. Mercifully, he was a different Crawford to yesterday. |lt may be doubted if ever he has given such a sustained exhibition o' ' strong accurate driving| Tf , Perry made any tactical error, it was the frequent concentration on the Australian‘s back-hand which never func tioned more reliably and aggressively. A decisive factor was Crawford’s ability on the whole to go a little nearer corners and baselines with drives, for Perry gave aS good as he received, with all but the Australian’s very best I strokes.

! A similar exhibition against Vines on Thursday might place Crawford in the final, but the question is whether his finesse will neutralise the ferocity of the American’s strokes. Flushed with the singles victorv. Crawford remained at the peak of form in the mixed doubles in which h unexpectedly eliminated Allison and Miss Jacobs in straight sets, racing away with the first. Great credit was due to Mrs Crawford for standing up heroically to Allison’s powerful sor vice. Indeed she played admirable throughout Allison’s form was patchy. Miss Jacobs missed many sitters, but I the Australians’ tactics played an irn-. I portant part, for when Mrs Crawford was serving to Allison, Crawford adont|ed the tandem formation, to preven* I him from attacking his wife’s weak back-hand. Crawford was brilliant al! round. His wife’s passing shots often left the Americans standing.