LAWN TENNIS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 87, 11 March 1935, Page 8

LAWN TENNIS

MANAWATU BEAT WAIRARAPA.

Journeying to Carterton on Saturday, the Manawatu Lawn Tennis Association’s representative team beat the Wairara.pa association’s side by 13 rubbers to 11. It was a very even match, Manawatu being actually behind, 29—30, on sets and equal m games, 281 to each. Details arc as follow, the Manawatu players being mentioned first in each instance: Men’s singles.—Robertson beat Keedwell. 5—6, 6—3, 6—l; Boddy beat Hawksworth, 5—6, 6 —4, 6 —2; Beatson beat Hodder, 6 —4, 6 —o; Swainson beat Pointon, 6—5, 6—4; Maguire,beat McLeod, 6—2, 2—6, 6—3; Cope lost to Camming, o—6,0 —6, 5 —6. "Women’s singles.—Mrs Anderson beat Mrs McMaster, 6—5, 4—6, 6—2; Mrs Waldin beat Miss Fleming, 6—4, 5 6 9—7; Miss Graham, beat Mrs Wellwood, 6—5, 6—4; Miss Astle lost to Miss Miller, 5—6, 4—6; Miss Wilson lost to Miss Pragnell, 4 6, 2—6; Miss Swainson beat Miss Bradley, 6 6—4. Men's doubles. Robertson and Boddy lost to Keedwell and Camming, 3 —6, 5 —6; Swainson and Maguire lost to Hawksworth and Pointon, 2—6, 2—6; Beatson and Cope lost to Hodder and McLeod, 3—6. 6 —3, 2; 6. "Women’s doubles.—Mrs Anderson and Miss Astle beat Mesdames McMaster and "Wellwood, 6 —l, 6 —5; Mrs Waldin and Miss \\ ilson lost to Misses Fleming and Miller, 5—6, 6 —5, 5< : Misses Graham and Swainson beat. Misses Pragnell and Bradley, 5 6, 6—3, 7—5. • Mixed doubles.—Robertson and Airs Anderson beat Plodder and Mrs McMaster, 6—3, 3 —6, 6 —o ; Boddy and Mrs "Waldin lost to Hawksworth and Miss Fleming, I—6, 4—6; Swainson and Miss Graham beat Keedwell and Mrs Wellwood. 6 —4, 4—6, 6—4; Beatson and Miss Astle lost to Pointon and Miss Miller, 4—6, 3—6; Maguire and Miss "Wilson lost to Gumming and Miss Pragnell, 2—6, 6 —5, 3—6; Cope and Miss Swainson lost to McLeod and Miss Bradley, 4—6, 2 —6.

LAWN TENNIS NOTES.

MANAWATU v. WAIRARAPA

This annual match took place on Saturday at Carterton. Manawatu were without the services of Drs Chisholm and Salmond, as well as Mrs Ihomson who is confined to bed as the result of a had chill. WaiParapa are stronger this year than for many vears past and the match, which like all matches with Wairarapa was a most enjoyable one, was an extremely close one, and the home team were perhaps unlucky to lose by a very small margin. Robertson scored the first win for Manawatu, beating Needwell, a liard-liitting and very active player who shows considerable .improvement since last season, and took the first set at 6—5. But Robertson has a way of winning his matches in the third set and had a comparatively easy win Boddy met Hawksworth, a player with a very strong forehand drive. He led 5—3 in the first set, but lost at 5—6. In the second set matters were reversed, Hawksworth leading 5 —S and Boddy winning 6—4, and the latter won the third set quite easily, chiefly through his superior volleying. Beatson did very well to beat a player of Hodder’s experience 6—4, 6—o, but the latter has lind little practice this season and had just arrived from a long motor drive. Swainson again proved his worth as a match player and beat his opponent, who must be 30 years his junior by 6—5, 6—4 by superior court-craft. Maguire added another win to Manawatu’s score in a three-set match. Cope, the baby of the team, was pitted against Gumming a player with a strong topspin drive who has done well this season. At first Cope could not handle this at all and did not take a single game. His opponent scored the first five games of tile second 6et and it looked as though the match was practically over. But Cope then found his game and took five games in succession. Had he been able to take the sixth lie might well have won a third set, but Gumming took the necessary game for the set and match. Cope’s form in the second set was good and lie may develop into a very useful player. Mrs Anderson led off for the ladies and beat the wellknown player Mrs McMaster in three sets. For two sets the game was very level, but in the third Mrs Anderson had matters all her own way. The match of the day was between Mrs "Waldin, who owing to an injury to her hand has had very little play this season, and Miss Fleming, a player with a perfect backhand, a good forehand drive, and considerable volleying powers. Looking casually at the play one would have thought that Miss Fleming would win easily, for she was attacking all the time and with the minimum of exertion. But Mrs "Waldin, who has remarkable fleetness of foot, persistently returned drives to the corners and waited till she either got an opening to score or her opponent made a mistake. She took the first set 6—4, lost the second 5—6, and won the third 9—7, after a match which lasted two hours and five minutes. Her success was possibly the chief factor in Manawatu’s victory. Miss N. Graham met Mrs Wellwood who a few years ago was No. 4 in the N.Z. ranking list, and won after a good match 6—-5, o—4. Miss Astle went down by a similar score to Miss Miller, a player with' stronger strokes. who has improved since fast year when she was easily beaten by Mrs Beattie. Miss Wilson’s weak backhand let her down badly against Miss Pragnell, a player with a fine forehand drive. Miss B. Swainson easily defeated Miss Bradley, who last year played above Misses Miller and Pragnell. Witli all the singles finished Manawatu led by 9 rubbers to 2, "but Wairnrapa reduced the lead by winning all the men’s and one of the women’s doubles. Needwell and Gumming bent Robertson and Boddy somewhat easily' though the second set, like so many in the course of the day went to 6—s—there were no less than fifteen such sets, move than a quarter of the total— Boddy was right off his game and can seldom have done so badly, and this was the more curious after his good showing in the singles. Swainson and Maguire were outplayed by Hawksworth and Pointon, and the th>rcV Manawatu pair, Beatson and Cope, did well to take the second set from Hodder and McLeod. In the women’s doubles Mi's Anderson and Miss Astle won easily from Mesdnmes McMaster and "Wellwood though the second set went to 6—5. Miss Astle played steadily in support of Mrs Anderson, whose volleying and good placing were the deciding factor. Mrs Waldin partnered by Miss Wilson bad another long and hard fought match against Misses Fleming and Miller. The score of 6—5, 5—6, 7—5 shows bow- even was the play. The Paliiatua pair, Misses Graham and Swainson, had very little to;spare against Misses Pragnell and Bradley whom they beat 7—5 - in. the third set after losing the first. At this stage Manawatu were leading bv 11 rubbers to 7 with the "six mixed doubles to play. Manawatu won both of the first two to finish, Robertson and Mrs Anderson beating Hodder and "Mrs McMaster 6—3, 3—6, 6—o, and Swainson arid Miss. Graham getting home in-an eyen match ivith Needwell and Mrs Wellwood 6—4, 4—6,^6 —4.

This gave Manawatu the necessary 13 rubbers for a win, hut it was a close thing, for Wairarapa won all the remaining four rubbers which brought their; score to 11. Wairarapa actually won 30 sets to 29, and the number of games was exactly level, each side winning 281 games. ...