Tennis

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVI, Issue 14, 30 December 1925, Page 7

Tennis

New Zealand Championships NEARING THE FINALS. SOME OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES. Christchurch, Dec. 29. The New Zealand tennis championships were continued in fine weather before large galleries. The morning was still and sunny, but a cool easterly blew in the afternoon with a promise of fine cool weather for the remaining two days. The men’s singles,were remarkably interesting. Four players are left in. The final will be played on Thursday. The final of the ladies’ singles will also bo played on Thursday. The final was reached in the ladies’ doubles and it will be played to-morrow afternoon between Miss Spiers and Mrs Scott and Misses Travers and Tracy, of Wellington Th e combined doubles have not reached the semi-final stage and arc the most open event on the programme. They will be continued far enough to leave the final for Thursday. At present Miss Spiers and Don France are in one semi-final and will play the winners of Miss Travers and Haege versus Miss Ballantyne and Smyth, in the' other half the semifinalists will be found in the matches . between Miss Marjory Macfarlane and/ Lowry versus Miss Marion Macfarlane and Hill and Miss Tracv and Wilson versus Mrs Scott and Pearse. The events so far have gone off in remarkably good time without hitch or unpleasantness, and although the standard of play is quite up to that of some previous years the events are re markablv open. except that Miss Spiers is playing better than over, which gives good judges cause to favour lie r chances of winning the triple event. THE DAY’S SENSATION. The big feature of to-day’s play was J. C. Peacock’s defeat of Seay in a grim match, in which Seay was eight times within a point of losing the match in the fourth sot. which he won, only to go down in a memorable fifth set. Peacock played himself in beautifully and kept Seay on the move, for most of his drives just made him uncertain in his length. Indeed, Seay never got a good length, because lie was afraid to hit, and this fact enabled Peacock, by bettor court craft, to work his way into the net with almost sickening regularity, and once in his volleying precision was uncanny. There were 62 games in the match, which lasted three hours. Seay’s recovery of the fourth set was the sensation of the day, and kept many spectators late for lunch. After a rub down the men took the court again and Seay’s chances were favoured, as Peacock showed signs of cramp in the hand. Peacock, however, led but he gave his hand a bad jar taking a backhand volley without a shift of grip, and Seay helped him to massage it. Ho netted the next and his lead was reduced to 4—3. With great volleying Peacock took the eighth game off Seay’s service. Seay, like Peacock, suffered from cramp in the hand, and netted the first off Pea cock’s serve. Seay’s hand was massaged, and on resuming he got a brilliant shot down the side line. Peacock went to 40—30 and won the match point through Seas’- driving out. OLLIVIER’S FINE PLAY. Ths court was hardly cleared before Ollivier and Bartleet were the centre of attraction. A favourable start seemed to put life into Ollivier, and his succeeding play was the cream oi the tournament. Ollivier undoubtedly dominated the game, and his long, sweeping drives, shooting down a foot inside the corners, kept Bartleet racing. The Aucklander’s returns, however, were perfect net skimmers, ancr but for the uncanny anticipation of the champion and his varied stroke equipment for all sorts of emergencies, Bartleet would have forged ahead. As it was, after losing the first set he forced an advantage set out of Ollivier, although he never had the lead. The pace had Ollivier in a lather, and he

took it easier in the third set, only to find that Bartleet had such a run o n that he could not stop him, though he tried desperately to avert a love set. Ollivier regained his composure after winning the first two games of the fourth set, and Bartjpet only got the third and fourth. PLAYERS’ PROSPECTS. Beside these two singles the Leu France-Parker match was tame, whatever hopes might have been aroused I by Parker’s defeat of Smyth were soon dissipated. France was simply impregnable and in the last set did not lose a game. Don France however, lost the first set against Wallace, and this fact is hot reassuring to his friends, unless he ik gradually playing himself in. In the ladies’ singles a good line to form -was found in the fact that whereas Miss Marjory Macfarlane took 7—5, 6—3 to beat Miss Ballantyne, Miss Spiers beat Miss Tracy 6—3, 6—2, neve?‘letting up on forceful drives on both hands. Miss Tracy was marvellously nimble and sale, but could not withstand the pounding. In the men’s doubles there wei'e no outstanding games, except that the Voting Aucklanders, Jackson and 1 inner fought a grim final set against the redoubtable Wellington pair. Peacock and Wilson, giving quite an object lesson in the art of hard driving and smashing. , , The bovs’ play has been very good and the final will be one of the best events of the tournament. Lucas, who has a very clean backhand drive and smashes vigorously, is seventeen. Iwo years ago he won the Wellington provincial under eighteen championship, and was runner-up last year. Ho has many good points, and often serves his second service as fast as the first. 11 anything, h c lacks judgment and often goes in on the wronji ball. Maltroy, who defeated Browne in the semi-final, was very sound, and won 6—2, 6—o. This was more significant in that Browne bqat the younger Jerkins. 1 Malfroy, who is also a Wellington player,' has a sound all-round game, but his volleys are too short and his opponents often effect a recovery. MEAT’S SINGLES. Fifth Round.—Ollivier beat Bartleet. 6—2. 7—5. o—6, 6—2; A. L. France beat Parker, 6—2, 6—4, 6—o; D. France bent Wallace. 2—6, 6—2, 6—3 6—3; Peacock beat Seay, 3—6, 6—2, 10—8. B—lo, 6—3. LADIES’ SINGLES. Fourth Round.—Miss Spiers Ixiat Miss Tracy 6—3, 6—2; Miss Marjorie’ Macfarlane beat Miss Ballantyne 7— o, 6 ' MEN’S DOUBLES. Peacock and Wilson beat Jackson and Turner, 6—o, 6—3. 9—7; France and France beat Griffiths and Johns. 6—2, 6—2, 3—6, 6—o; Ollivier and Seav beat Patterson and Tait, 6—2, 7_5, 6—l; Haege and Parker beat Page and Knott, 9—7, 6—4, 7_t> ' LADIES’ DOUBLES. Semi-final.—Miss Tracy and Miss Travers beat Miss Knight and Miss Nicholls, 6—l, 6—3. MIXED DOUBLES. Third Round.—Miss Marion Macfarlane and Hill beat Miss Bowron and Franco 2—6, 6—3, 6—l; Miss Spiers and D.’ France beat Miss Ramsay and Jackson, 6—l, 6—3; Miss Travers and Haege beat Miss Ferrier and Sheppard 6 1, 6 4; Miss Tracv and Wilson beat' -Miss Wright and Field, 6—2. 6—2; Mrs Scott and Pearse beat Miss Wake and Hale, 6—l. 6—3; Miss Marjorie Macfarlane and Lowry beat Miss Buchanan and Goss, B—6, 6j—2; Miss Ballantyne and Smyth boat Airs Reeves’and Loughnan, o—6. _6 —.2 i Third Round.—Miss Spiers and Franco beat Miss Saunders and Sommerville, 6—4. 6—4. BOYS’ SINGLES. Semi-finals.—Malfrov beat Browne, g 2 6—o: Lucas beat McDonald, 3-6 6—2, 6—2. GIRLS’ SINGLES. Dulcie Nicholls beat Norah Haggett, 6_|, 6—o.