LAWN TENNIS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 45, 20 January 1928, Page 2

LAWN TENNIS

FRENCHMEN AGAIN SUPREME. BRILLIANT AT NET PLAY. Per Press Association. WELLING!ON, Jan. 19. At lawn tennis Prance beat New Zealand to-day in the three matches played. Results are as follow : J. Brugnon beat E. L. Bartleet 7-5, 6-2,. 6-1. . „ n , J. Borotna beat Ollivier 6-2, 6-4, 6-3. Borotra and C. Boussus beat N. G. Sturt and L. G. Knott 9-7, 7-5, 6-1. BOROTRA v. OLLIVIER. Borotra lost the first game on his own service to love, Ollivier driving well on to the backhand. In the .second game Ollivier had Borotr.a running, but made too many mistakes from good positions. After two .all Borotra took the net on every occasion and volleyed and smashed to take the set 6-2. Both played beautifully to the lines in this set, but Borotra was nearly always attacking hard. He eliminated time and space and hit nearly everything hard. In the first gamo of the second set Borotra in serving showed his amazing activity to the greatest advantage. The points Ollivier got were nearly all outs by Borotra. His volleying and smashing and retrieving were sensational. Ollivier led 3-1 and 4-2 by brilliant placing, frequently passing Borotr.a down the backhand as the Frenchman dashed in, but it was too much to expect that he would maintain the pace and Borotra’s net rushing persistence had its reward in forcing Ollivier into errors over the side lines or to put up lobs which Borotra killed. Borotra won the set 6-4. Ollivier started out brilliantly on the third set and led 3-1, but he was now too tired and was making mistakes. Borotra never eased up to win five games in a row to take the set 6-3 and the match. Ollivier except for occasional brilliant passing shots cross court to Borotra’s backhand was quite outclassed. BRUGNON v. BARTLEET. Both players started very patchily and fell into numerous errors, each losing his service, Brugnon to love. In the first game Brugnon had two net cords to his credit. Bartleet won the third gamo on hard hitting from the backline. Brugnon evened to two all by taking the net and forcing Bartleet into errors. The services were held to 3 all, then to 4 all and then to 5 all. Brugnon won Bartleet’s service in the eleventh game on great play from the net and won his own service for the set at 7-5 after love —3O. In the second set Bartleet won only the first game and the fiifth, both on his own service, Brugnon winning the set 6-2.

Bartleet was being forced more and more out of position by Brugnon’s brilliance at the net. Brugnon only staying back long enough to send over a drive that would allow him to go in and when there he could not be shifted and he made no mistakes. The great running about that Bartleet had been made to do was telling its tale Bartleet was quite outplayed and outplaced and Brugnon ran to a 5-love lead and 40-love on his own service. Bartleet made a stand and, driving hard at Brugnon coming in, forced him into errors and won the game after two deuces. Brugnon made no mistake with the next game on Bartleet’s service. Very often by a clever disguising of direction Brugnon got Bartleet on the wrong foot. * THE DOUBLES.

Knott and Sturt started badly, apparently through nervousness, and were quickly trailing o—l3o,0 —130, Sturt and Knott losing their services, the latter to lovo with a double fault for the last point and Borotra winning his. A good lob by Sturt, two double faults and other errors by Boussus gave the New Zealanders their first game after two deuces. Amidst enthusiasm, they reached to 3 all, Knott’s severe driving forcing Boussus into errors. Knott and Sturt also lobbed well. Knott and Sturt led 4-—3, but Sturt’s nets and Boussus’s smashes brought the score to 4 all. Bad judgment by Sturt in letting two balls go that fell in gave the Frenchmen the lead at 5 —4. Great rallying took place in the tenth game (Borotra serving) which the New Zealanders won for 5 all. The Frenchmen led 6 —5 on Knott’s service, Sturt being unable to make up for Knott’s errors. Six all came when Boussus again lost his service by Borotra’s errors and his own double fault. Knott struck a wonderful patch of smashing (Sturt serving) to give New Zealand the load 7—C. Borotra then took the net on his own service and smashed for 7 all. Ivnott slumped badly in the next two games to give the Frenchmen the set 9 —7.

It was a great fight by Now Zealand, with Sturt bearing the lion’s share in the real pinches. In the second set Sturt and Borotra lost services for one all and the Frenchmen led 2 —l through Knott’s errors on his own service. In the fourth game Sturt blocked a service that was clearly out, and as no call came from the linesman the umpire rightly ruled the ball good. Borotra appealed for a net. Boussus tried to serve a double fault so as in a way not to be ostentatiously apparent. But he served a good' ball-. Ultimately lie had to throw the game away that justice might be done New Zealand in the Frenchmen’s eyes. Playing great tennis, driving volleying, smashing and lobbing well, Knott and Sturt ran to a 5—3 lead with Sturt’s service to follow. This was lost on Knott’s errors. In tide ninth game (Boussus’ service) Knott and Sturt had the set point at 30—40 but Sturt netted the service. Knott then lost his service to 30 after being o—4o.0 —40. The twelfth game was won by France only because they made less mistakes than the New Zealanders. In the third set the New Zealanders won the first gamo on Sturt’s service and lost the next six for the match. They were quite outplayed, Sturt falling off somewhat to keep Knott company. Borotra towered above all four, while Boussus came more on to his game.