LAWN TENNIS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 107, 6 April 1926, Page 2

LAWN TENNIS

AUSTRALIAN MATCHES. WIN FOR NEW ZEALAND. ANDREWS IMPRESSES CRITICS. SYDNEY, April 5. The New Zealand tennis team continued their matches against the New South Wales colts to-day in fine weather, but in consequence of tho terrific heat the visitors were unable to display the fine form of Saturday. They all won their singles except Wallace, who is suffering from the effects of a severe cold. Only one doubld% was won by the New Zealanders, E. D. Andrews and N. Wilson beating Crouch and Sproule in a stern struggle which showed the local players to greater advantage in overhead Work and general combined play. Errors, however, gave the New Zealanders opportunities which they eagerly accepted.

Andrews again impressed tho critics by his clean ground work, and his style generally stamps him as a prospective"" champion, provided he is afforded opportunities for development in the highest grades, especially smashing, in which ho is at present'weak. Franco in tho singles showed good courtcraft, though in the doubles he was frequently found out of position, besides lacking anticipation in rallies. Smyth and Seay were tho next best among the visitors, all of whom indulged in speed and hard driving, though they were patchy in places, the result of tiring from the heat. Andrews, shaping like an artist against Crawford, led five-love at ono stage and won 6—l, 6—4, mainly by hard driving. Wallace expended all his energy in a game effort against difficulties and lost to Crouch, who was unable to go wrong, while Wilson, despite the heat, annexed two sets to Sproulo’s ono in a contest which seesawed to the finish. In a test singularly free from errors France beat Hopman, while Seay scored an easy victory over Dunlop in the fust set, though ho was pushed hard in the second. Smyth, though beating Colvin 7 —5, 6—l, had his back to the wall throughout the contest. As the day progressed the visitors wero inclined to bo listless and patchy, while the local team revelled in the heat. Following were the results: SINGLES. Andrews (N.Z.) beat Crawford, 6—l, 6—4. Wilson (N.Z.) beat Sproule, 6—2, 5 10, 6—4. Seay (N.Z.) beat Dunlop, 6 —l, 7 —5. Smyth (N.Z.) beat Colvin 7 —5, 6—l. France (N.Z.) beat Hopman, B—6, 6 Crouch beat Wallace (N.Z.), 2—(j, 6—3, 6—2. DOUBLES. Andrews and Wilson (N.Z.) beat Sproule and Crouch, 6—4, 7 —5. _ Crawford and Hopman beat Smyth and Wallace (N.Z.), 6 —3, 6 —l. Dunlop and Colvin beat Andrews and Wilson (N.Z.), 2 —6, 7 —5, 6—2. Hopman and Crawford beat Seay and France (N.Z.), 6 —l, 6 —4. Now Zealand: Six rubbers, 14 sets, 118 games. New South Wales:, Four rubbers, nine sets, 105 games. —Press Association. WELLINGTON CHAMPIONSHIPS. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, April 5. In the ‘ tennis championship semifinals, L. France beat C. S. Malfroy and R. Donovan beat C. Collins. In tho men’s doubles, third round, Donovan and Williams beat Clark and Chandler and Morgan and Richardson beat Bond and Stephens. In the ladies’ singles, fourth round, Miss Brad beat Miss Macassey, Miss Rash beat Mrs Penlingtou, Miss Unthland beat Mrs Cooke. In the ladies’ doubles fourth lound, Misses Rowe and Hobson beat Mis Wilson and Miss Forster, Mesdames Campbell and Heald beat Mesdames Burns and Marshall.

LOCAL TOURNAMENT. The tournament scheduled to take place on the Linton street courts yesterday was cancelled on account of the few entries received. Those who did attend at the courts, however, were catered for by an impromptu Yankee tournament played in two sections. It was not possible to finalise the tournament yesterday. LAWN TENNIS DUEL. LENGLEN-WILLS CONTEST. GREATEST EVER PLAYED. STORY TOLD BY STANLEY DOUST. The greatest women’s lawn tennis match ever played was won by Mile. Suzanne Lenglen, the world’s champion who defeated Miss Helen Wills, the American champion, in two straight sets, tho scores being 6-—3, B—6, wrote Stanley N. Doust for the London Daily Mail from Cannes on February 16. It was a very level game and Suzanne is' to be congratulated on surviving the severest challenge she has ever received, and Miss Wills certainly on her wonderful courage and

wonderful game. Miss Wills, it may bo recalled, is only 20 six years younger than Mile. Lenglen. The American girl revealed to us that there is more in her game than mere strokes. To-day there was strategy in it. When it was all over Mile. Lenglen was in tears. Mill Wills, surrounded by admirers of her great play, was the coolest and most collected. person on the ground. When I asked her if she would like another match with Suzanne she replied, “Oh, yes, I would.” Tho match, always tense, was full of dramatio incidents. The noise that came from free spectators who climbed every available roof and fence disturbed the concentration of the players, and Mile. Lenglen turned several times and appealed to them for quietness. But the appeal had no effect, and right through there was a continual buzz that drowned the linesmen’s decisions and made it almost impossible to hear the stentorian voice of Commander G. W. Hillyard, the umpire, announcing the scores. As early as 7 d.ra., 4$ hours before the match began, crowds were gathering outside the ground, and they increased until they became unmanageable. Mile. Lenglen arrived from Nice in a motor-car which was forced to come down a side-street. She was recognised and she acknowledged her recognition by smiling and waving her hand. Miss Wills arrived almost unnoticed.

DISTINGUISHED SPECTATORS. Many distinguished people were there including tho Duke of Connaught, King Manuel, Queen Amelia, Prince Georgo of Greece, the Duke of Nemours, and Prince Philip of Bourbon.

When the opponents appeared they were besieged by cinema men and photographers. Miss Will 3 had discarded her red sports coat, but Suzanne kept her salmon pink ono on during the whole match. Suzanne won the toss for the service and the match began in the Lenglen way. She disclosed the fact that she intended to let Miss Wills make all the pace and herself to win the match on accuracy. But instead of winning as she intended, through mistakes on the American’s part* Mile. Lenglen had to resort to her best play, for after the initial game Miss Wills made hardly a mistake. Moreorer, the American maintained all through speed when speed was required and safety when safety tactics were necessary. But all the time slio was ready to bring off a. down-the-line backhand drive full of power and nearly always a winner or her deep forehand drive when Mile. Lenglen was defending the opposite side of the line, having been forced there by Miss Wills. WONDERFUL RECOVERIES. It was Miss Wills who kept her opponent penned up for the greater part of the match, and when the wonderful Suzanne did have her chances she lost her accuracy, or her shots were too slow to elude Miss Wills, who made some wonderful recoveries from what looked like hopeless positions. Mile. Lenglen lost the second and third games of the first set. By this time she was defending miraculously. She ran from side to side with grace and speed and retrieved those fast drives. But it was defence, and a. great ono at that. Mile. Lenglen went ahead to four games to two, winning three love games. She wa3 much more like the real Suzanne during those games and had Miss Wills running also. Ono of tho features of tho match was that when cither woman was forced to play a ball from a corner of tho court she tried to give as much as she received by placing tho ball at an extreme distance from lier opponent. So besides a beautiful stroke game we saw a gamo of mobility, as mobile as most men’s play and milch more graceful. Mile. Lenglen maintained licr hardearned lead in this set and went out at 6—3.

In the second set Miss Wills should have led by two games to love, but she made a volleying mistake. Yet during the match Miss Willis’ volleys were superior to tho champion’s and she always volleyed wisely. Miss Wills went to three games to one and things looked ominous for Suzanne. Here the Frenchwoman showed her greatness. Playing very quietlv she picked up the arrears and ran Miss Wilson almost unmercitudv.

A DRAMATIC INCIDENT.

In one rally she made her chase lobs and side-line shots, dragged her up to. the net on short shots, ami at length won a game by wonderful placing. After this Miss A\ ills had to reßt on her racquet and we knew the end was near. Mile. Lenglen led in the eleventh game for tho first time in the si t because Miss Wills had momentarily lost her accuracy .through the effect of that tremendous rally and -hard running. In the next game there was a dramatic incident which might have cost Mile. Lenglen tho match. She lequired one point for victory during her own service. She reached (4) —LsO when, after a hard rally, Miss Wills drove a ball which Suzanne thought was out, for she threw the balls away and shook hands with her opponent, and the cinema men invaded the court. But the match was not. over, for the linesman had not given a decision and on appeal said tho ball was in. All the peoplo were ordered off the court. The umpire resumed his seat and the match proceeded. _ Miss Wills won that gamo through Suzanne," who was very much shaken by tho incident, missing two side-line shots. Wlquld this affect Suzanne? It certainly appeared so, but the Frenchwoman gave the lie to all those who say she is temperamental. She won the 13th gamo to love and was within a point of the next game when she served a double fault, but tills (3 id not deter lier from running Miss Wills about and remaining accurate to tho end, and when finally Miss Wills overdrove a forehand drive the match was over.