TENNIS.
N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIPS. OLLIVIER TOO GOOD FOR FRANCE (BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 1. The New Zealand tennis championships wc-re concluded in much cooler weather on Thursday before very large attendances. .The weather held fine till the last set, which was played in fairly sharp showers, and the presentation of the trophies took place inside the clubhouse. ■ The men’s singles was won by Ollivier, the title-holder, in very decisive fashion after losing the first set against the wonderful speed and length of his younger opponent, D. G. France. Ollivier, however, kept France moving aud was able to force him into a greater number of errors owing to superior courteraft. The game was remarkably fast, and the general opinion was that France played the best tennis of the tournament apart from Ollivier, but could not sustain the marvellous speed with which he won the first set.
Miss May Speirs played like a champion from the first rally with Mrs. Scott (nee Miss McLaren), whom she beat decisively in the final on the same court two years ago. This year Miss Speirs drove with astonishing speed and length, and although, her opponent played a dogged game, she had to succumb to a natural player who was better equipped m service, driving, overhead work, and volleying. Auckland and Wellington critics conceded that Miss Speirs last year at Auckland quite failed to reproduce her true form when she lost the title in the early rounds. Miss Speirs was also the deciding factor in winning the combined doubles with France against Miss Marion Macfarlane and Hill despite the fact that they had just played their singles finals. The Canterbury players dominated the game, and their win gave Miss Speirs a triple title, equalling the record held previously by Misses Nunneley and Curtis.
The men’s doubles final was .remarkable for the determined fight of Peacock and Wilson after losing the first two sets against Ollivier and Seay, and the result was really due to the bad slump by Ollivier, who dropped many service games and made many errors. Nevertheless, Peacock’s emergence a* winner of the event, which he first won in 1900, was extremely popular, and a great deal of sympathy was also felt by the crowd of Wilson’s pluck in playing with a damaged eye. Play in the championships was admittedly on as high a level as in former years, and the tournament was favour ed with perfect weather every day. In the men’s final crisp driving rallies saw Ollivier forced back on the backhand, and the game went to OIL vicr on France’s errors of driving, jn which lie was feeling for .length. Nets and outs lost Prance his first service game in the third game. Ollivier was advantage three times, but France opened his shoulders for - a perfect smash on the baseline. France had now jumped into perfect length. A weak half volley at 40—15 and two netted drives carried him to advantage out, but he smashed in a savage forehand drive and recovered the lost ground, only to lose it on a brilliant crosscourt passing shot, in Ollivier’s best stvlc. Ollivier led 3—l.
Franco had decided on the right road to victory, and it was a question whether he could preserve his accuracy against Ollivier’s uiuanny placements. France stood well in ou the drives and hit them confidently for clean aces, reducing Ollivier’s 3—l lead to 3—2. His American backhand with plenty of punch behind it brought him one of two aces, that Ollivicr did not . worry to go after. In the next game he levelled with a concentrated attack on Ollivicr A backhand. He forced into the lead off Ollivier’s service with the same tactics. There was no short stuff and both men jumped right into their stride from the word “go.” France seemed a little bit weak in service, and when he tried a careful drive he netted, and Ollivier led 5—4 after France had had the advantage once. France drew level with a love game on sweeping corner drives and led (i—s, winning the set at 7—5.
In the second set Ollivier led 4—2, Franco losing ground whenever he came to the net. In the seventh game Ollivior took the net and volleyed a terrific drive, which France recovered for a pretty placement, which left Ollivier standing. Fierce driving exchanges favoured France, who drew level in the eighth on a love game. Ollivier led at s—l. France rocked in two cannon ball services for a clean ace, but two nets and a double fault gave Ollivier set point, which he lost on a lob, which was carried out by the wind. He got another set point with a net cord along the side line, and France drove the next out, giving the set to Ollivier 6—4.
Ollivier, in the next set, was feeling his way for possible weaknesses. He tried France’s backhand and ran him around very hard in the fourth game. This game seemed to shake France a bit, but hi; came up smiling and turned the speed on again. Ollivier continued to run him about and led 5—2, mainly by a concentrated attack in service and the rally on Franco’s backhand. These tactics, however, were not adopted on account of any particular weakness in that quarter so. much as to avoid the deadly accuracy of the forehand attack. Ollivicr took the set (i—2, and he went on to take the net five games ou end, leading five-love. France got the next, but Ollivier took the match with a love game. Hearty cheers were given for both men. Details were as follows: MIXED DOUBLES. Semi-finals.—Miss Speirs and France beat Miss Balantyne and Smyth 7—5,
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Bibliographic details
Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 2 January 1926, Page 8
Word Count
947TENNIS. Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 2 January 1926, Page 8
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