LAWN TENNIS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 284, 28 October 1933, Page 2

LAWN TENNIS

The fact that Malfroy beat Perry 6—4, 6 —4 in their exhibition match at Dunedin seems to have surprised many people, but there was nothing really strange about it, for though Malfroy is not capable of winning the American championship, or of , beating such players as Crawford, Vines, Cochet and Maier, as Perry has done this season, yet he is a very fine player and has previously beaten Perry in England. The deeds of Andrews, Malfroy and Stedman m Europe show that our leading New Zealand players are well up to international form, and D. G. France is in the same class. Another reason for Peri'y’s defeat is that the asphalt court did not suit his game, which is always at its best on a hard court-—which means one of burnt clay, terre battue or of tlie “en tout cas” type—and never so good on grass or other surfaces, notwithstanding the fact that he won the American championship on grass. Again, exhibition matches of the best of three sets are not quite the same thing as championship matches of the best of five sets. Incidentally, in tire last South Island championship Annas won the first two sets, but Malfroy won the next three. Andrews and Sijedman both showed excellent form when representing the International Club of Great Britain against the Dutch I.C. Andrews playing in first place gave his team a good lead by beating Timmer, the Dutch champion, and then accounting for Leembruggen, the Dutch second player. Stedman, playing second, beat Leembruggen more easily than Andrews did, but went down to Timmer in a close match. Among those playing lower on the side than the New Zealanders were Gregory (ex-champion of Australia), Peters and Tinkler. Andrews and Stedman, playing as first pair, beat Leembruggen—Riemsdijk, and Timmer —Scheurleer, losing only seven games in four sets. With regard to Perry’s victory over Crawford in the final of the American championship the latter gives full credit to his conqueror, for. though he says that owing to insomnia he was not at his best; yet he would have needed to play better than he lias ever done this year to beat Perry, on the day. The American papers also have nothing but praise for Perry. The New York Tribune says, “Stoefen’s rout at the hands of a brilliant and inspired Perry was complete.” The New York Times says, “Crawford was in physical distress in the last part of the match, and it should be remembered that lie was facing an antagonist who was hitting with stabbing speed and depth.” The Chicago Daily News says, /‘Perry fought with fire and a splendid forehand forcing shot against Crawford’s ■ weapon of patience and super-control.” The New York American calls Perry “the sleek terror of the courts” and says “His stamina and speed combined to defeat Crawford.” As regards stamina it is remarkable that all Perry’s victims of late, Vines, Cochet, Merlin and Crawford, have been in a state of collapse at the end of the matches with Perry himself comparatively fresh. . There was a strange coincidence in the Middlesex Junior Championships, three of the four semi-finalists being left-handers, but the one right-hander proved tire winner. In the mixed doubles handicap at the Folkestone tournament there was an unprecedented occurrence. In one of the semi-finals W. Fl' Moss, the Oxford blue, in partnership with his mother, beat J. N. Bax, an Old Carthusiant like himself, and Mrs Bax, and the winners then went on to heat the survivors of the other semi-final, Twist and Mrs Twist, who are likewise mother and son. These are not the only cases of mother and son playing as partners in a tournament, for at Wimbledon last year Tuckey, the Army champion, partnered his mother, who was a wellknown and successful player till quite recently. Tuckey’s father is the holder of the Veterans’ Championship, so that the son has every excuse for being Army champion, and is a possible candidate for a place in the British team for the Davis Cup as a doubles player.