LAWN TENNIS NOTES
On Saturday last the Manawatu Association team suffered their first defeat in a Christie Cup match for over two years at the hands of Hawke’s Bay whom they had beaten last season by the wide margin of 20—4. The match had been fixed to take place at Dannevirke so as to spare the Linton Street courts whjch have been rather freely used by the Association of late. Both teams \fere advised early on Saturday morning that the courts at Dannevirke were unfit for play owing to the heavy rain which had fallen all night, but Dannevirke agreed to give the use of their courts on any future date. Under the circumstances the match should have been postponed and there was no justification for commandeering the Linton Street courts. One carload of the Hawke’s Bay team stopped at Dannevirke for lunch and did not arrive at the courts till well on towards half past one, with the result that their opponents, who had had an early breakfast in view of the expected trip to Dannevirke, did not get away to lunch till very late, the last one at three o’clock. This did not make any difference in the result of the match, the Hawke’s Bay men being far too strong for Manawatu, but it meant that half a dozen courts were occupied for practically the whole afternoon by tne inter-associa-tion players to the exclusion of the club members. Such matches are interesting and desirable, but the club members think that it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Owing to the want of notice there were no proper arrangements, which is the usual state of affairs in matches conducted by the Manawatu Association. No members of the management committee were at the courts, no umpires had been provided, though one or two were picked up on the ground, and apparently no referee had been appointed, the consequence being that in one of the ladies’ matches the player who led 6 —5 in the first set, and should have been awarded the set, went on and lost at 9 —7.
As to the play, the Manawatu ladies had a definite superiority. The only single lost by them was that in which Mrs Beattie lost to Mrs Cotterill, which on previous form seemed unlikely. But Mrs Cotterill has been coached of late by the New Zealand representative Noel Wilson and is a very improved and still improving player, so that though Mrs Beattie played quite well the result was not a fluke. The other rubber lost was by the third pair of ladies, Misses Graham and Astle, who won the first set 6 —3 and were tivioe at match point in the second. In the third they again had several match points but eventually went down by 10 to 8. The Hawke’s Bay men were the strongest lot that they have ever put up against Manawatu, and the latter felt the loss of Coombe and Brown, who last season won the two top rubbers. Wilson, of course, is a much higher class player than any of the Manawatu men, and though Robertson only scored four games against him, the latter played quite well, especially in the first set, and was easily* the best player on the side. He did really well in the doubles, and well backed up by Boddy put up the best performance of the day in beating the Hawke’s Bay top pair, Wilson and Watson. Salmond met Milburn and was beaten (i—3, 6 —3, though last season he beat tlie slime player. In both his doubles he was energetic but very erratic, and his form at present is a long way from his best. Boddy, as mentioned, played well in the doubles, but was completely outplayed by Milburn in the mixed. fiankin put up a fair show against Lowry, and was serving well, but the Old Cantab’s superior knowledge of the game just pulled him through. In both his doubles Hankin played well at times though not as steady as he might be. Swainson did as well as any other member of the team except Robertson. In his singles he reversed his usual custom of losing the first set and winning in the third. In this case he won the first set and when he led 4—3 in the second looked like crediting Manawatu with their only win in the men’s singles, but he is by far the oldest man in the team and perceptibly tired towards the finish. He played well in the second set of the doubles and in the mixed. Long met the opponent whom lie had beaten in three sets a fortnight ago with a majority of one game in three sets. On Saturday he lost in three sets, the number of games being equal. He was rather erratic in both his doubles. This is the first occasion on which Hawke’s Bay have won the Christie Cup. Manawatu and Wanganui have won several times, Taranaki and Wairapa once each. Judging by the form shown in the Manawatu-Waira-rapa and Manawatu-Wanganui matches Hawke’s Bay are now in a similar position to that of Manawatu for the last two years and should be able to hold the Christie Cup for some time. Manawatu is now in a position siimlar to that of France in the Davis Cup, and will have to find young players of some class before they can hope to regain their lost supremacy. There are one or two promising youngsters, but none that look like being of use in the immediate future.
The match against Taranaki has been cancelled. No doubt Taranaki wanted a match for tire Christie Cup and it is. a pity that last Saturday's match was not postponed for a fortnight, though there is no doubt that Hawke’s Bay would have taken the Christie Cup, for the form shown this season clearly points to the superiority of Manawatu over Taranaki.
PALMERSTON NORTH CLUB. Further results of games played in the fourth and fifth rounds of the Palmerston North Lawn Tennis Club’s championships are as follow: Men’s singles. Fourth round: Barnett (2) beat Boddy (2), 2—6, 6—2, 6—4. Fifth round: Hankin (2) beat O’Brien (1), 3—6, B—6, 6—3; Robertson (2) beat Rodgers (1), 6—o, 6—B, 6 —l; Wehipeihana (1) beat Graham (2), 11—9, 6—l; Barnett (2) beat Jewell (1), 6—4, 3—6, 6—4. Ladies’ championship. —Fifth round : Miss Wilson (2) beat Mrs New (1), 4—6, 6 —3, 6—2; Miss Rutherford (2) beat’Mrs Beattie (2), 6—l, 6—3; Miss Astle (2) beat Miss Thompson (1), 6—o 6—o; Mrs Anderson (1) beat Miss’Mcßae (1), 6—l, 6—2. The draw for play in the sixth round, which must be completed not later than Saturday next, is as follows: Men’s championship. —Barnett (2) v. Robertson (2); Hankin (2) v. Wehipeihana (1); Boddy (1) v. Graham (1) Beckett (1) v. Radford (1). Ladies’ championship. —Miss Wilson (2) v. Miss Rutherford (2); Miss Astle (21 v. Mrs Anderson (1); Mrs Beattie (1) a bye.
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Bibliographic details
Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 89, 14 March 1934, Page 9
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1,167LAWN TENNIS NOTES Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 89, 14 March 1934, Page 9
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