LAWN TENNIS NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 165, 13 June 1936, Page 13

LAWN TENNIS NOTES

The British Hard Court Championships, in which nearly every ranked player took part, were favoured with fine weather ancl were the most successful meeting even held at Bournemouth. They have become second only in importance among British tournaments to WTmbledon. In the men’s singles Perry is reported to have played as well as he ever has done. Maliroy lost to Austin in the third round 6—3, 6 —2, 6 —2, blit Stedman survived to the semi-finals in which Perry beat him 6—2, 6—2, 6—3.' As Perry beat Austin 6—2, B—6,8 —6, 6—3 in the final this looks as though Stedman is rather better than Maltroy in singles. In the second round he had beaten 01liff by three sets to one after losing the first set and in the third round had beaten Peters, the only British player who has ever beaten Tilden in a match, by three sets to none. Peters had beaten Ttickey. the Davis Cup jjlayer in the second round by three sets to one.

Steelman and Malfroy were the holders of the doubles title and in the semifinals met Wilde and Hare, who had been doing so well of late that many people thought that they were likely to take the place of Hughes and Tuckey in this year’s Davis Cup team. The New Zealand pair lost the first two sets 2—6, 4 —6, Stedman playing slackly. In the third set he came onto his game and they were the better pair, winning at 6—3. In the fourth set Wilde and Hare led at s—-3, when the New Zealanders playing with better combination took the last four games for the set at 7—5. and going on ran to 4 —o in the deciding set and eventually ran out at 6 —3 for the set and match. The critics have nothing but praise for the fighting qualities and mutual co-operation of the New Zealanders, who are a first-rate pair and fit to play in any company. In the final against Hughes and Tuckey they took the first set 6 —4, but the Englishmen took the next three 6—2, 9—7, 6—l, With a little luck the New Zealand pair might have won the third set in which they led 7—6. Malfroy was in top form and was the best of the four players. The women’s singles produced many interesting matches. In the third round the little Chilean champion, I Anita Lizana, was in wonderful form and beat Miss Harvey, a Wightman Cup player on four occasions, a doubles ; U.S.A. champion, a former hard , courts and Wimbledon doubles champion, and winner of many singles at tournaments, with a score of 6—o, 6 —o. Not only did Miss Harvey ‘ tail to win a game, but she only won nine points in the first set and seven in the second. The Chilean girl gave a great display of stroke production, scoring most of her points by clever dropshots. The Chilean public follow her career as keenly as we in this country followed that of the All Black ; footballers in England, and it is said j that they subscribed £4OOO to a fund to allow her to travel. This sounds I rather a tall story, but there is no ■ doubt that she is already a player of ! world’s rauking and quite probably a Wimbledon winner within the next few ■ years. Miss Round, who had only just beaten Mrs Pittman by 4—6, 6 9 —7 in the second round was beaten 6—4, 6 —2 in the fourth by Mrs King, a purely baseline player relying ' entirely on a strong forehand drive, who was four times in the Wightman Cup team and was ranked fourth in Britain in 1934 and eighth last year, jln this round Senorita Lizana beat Miss Scriven who was ranked second in 1934 and fourth last year, as well . as winning the French championship in 1933 and 1934, the score being 7—5, 2—6, 6 —3. The Chilean champion had beaten Miss James in the third round and she proceeded to beat Mrs King in the fifth 6—4, I—6,1 —6, 6 —l, thus beating three Wightman Cup players in consecutive rounds. Meantime Miss Stammers who after her disastrous campaign on the Riviera had lost to Miss Round in the Melbury final, had a close call in the third round where sho only just won from Miss Hardwick Britain’s twelfth player 7 —9, 6 —3, 7 —5. She had easy wins over Miss Noel and Mme. Henrotin before reaching the final in which she beat Senorita Lizana 7 —q, 75, the latter probably being a bit nervous on her first appearance in the final of a national championship. In the women’s doubles, the Folders, Mrs Pittman and Miss York* l , were beaten 6 —-8, 6 —3, 7 —5, by Mrs Allister the South African and Betty Nuthall, the latter having come back to her old form in doubles, if not in singles. Blisses Dearman and Lyle, former Australian champions and members of last year’s Wightman Cup team, were seeded second, above Blisses Stammers and James the holders of the Wimbledon title, but they went out 6 —3, 2 —6, 6 —l to Blrs King and Bliss Ingram in the third round. The latter pair were beaten in the semi-finals 6 —4, 6—4 by Blisses Stammers and James, who easily won the final from Blrs Allister and Bliss Nuthall 6 —2, 6 —4, thus adding the hard court championship to their Wimbledon title.

The results seem to point to the probability of Britain being represented in the Wightman Cup by exactly the same team which lost last year. Bliss Stammers will probably bo first choice and Bliss Round, in spite of her failure at Bournemouth, second. Blrs King may be third, for though Bliss Hamwicke is more brilliant Blrs King is more reliable. Blisses Stammers and James, as holders of the Hard Court and BVimbledon titles can hardly bo passed over for first pair, and Blisses Dearman and Lyle, who won their match in America last year, may be preferred to Blrs King and Bliss Ingram, the latter of whom was almost unknown till last year and has not had much experience in big events, whereas Blisses Dearman and Lyle have played together with considerable success in several countries. Other doubles, players who are up to Wightman Cup form are Blisses Nuthall and Yorke.

It is remarkable how great a percentage of women players of ball games are left handed. Among them are the tennis players Blisses Stammers and Scriven, who together last year won the French doubles championship, and Bliss NlcOstrich, an Irish ex-champion who is likely to be included in the British ranking list before long. Bliss Lunib, the squash rackets champion and Bliss Wingsbury, the badminton champion are also lefthanders, but very few' lefthanded men or women have excelled at golf.

It is reported that Mrs Moody does I not intend to play in the American | team for the AVightman Cup. and if this is true it will improve Britain’s chances. She will, however,' defend her AVimhledon title in the hope of beating the record of Mrs Lambert Chambers who won seven times. This record Mrs Moody equalled last year, and on the form that she has been showing in practice with professionals j j she seems likely to be successful. | That von Cramm is not unbeatable' is shown by the fact that in the Davis Cup first round he was beaten by, Maier, the Spanish champion by j 6—4, 6—3. The German second string is not far behind him, and, beat Maier 6—4, 7—5, B—6. | ! In the Czechoslovakian champion--1 ships, Menzel the Czechoslovakian No. J

1 was beaten 6 —2, 7 —5, 6—2 by Hecht the No. 2. Perry, the ultimate winner, came very near to defeat at the hands of J. Siba the Czechoslovakian No. 5, who was twice at match point in the fifth set. Perry just got home at 9 —7 and in the final beat Hecht 6 —2, 6—3, 4—6, 6—l. Siba had recently beaten Boussus, who caused a sensation last month by beating Perry and Austin. Bbussus was last week beaten by Puncec, the Yugoslavian No. 1. All this seem 6 to show how very little separates the players of world’s ranking from many of the leading players of various countries.