LAWN TENNIS NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 305, 24 November 1937, Page 10

LAWN TENNIS NOTES

Although the match between the southern section of clubs affiliated to the Manawatu Association against a team picked from the A grade clubs in the northern section (the Palmerston North Club being omitted) resulted in an earlyy victory for the latter, yet there was much good play and it is evident that the average form throughout the district is steadily improving. Tuohy, who last season was far ahead of the other man in the south district, has unfortunately been lately transferred from Levin, so that what should have been a very interesting match against McMurray did not take place. As it was the northern men made a clean sweep of their rubbers, though Evans of Otaki. took Spring to three sets.

The southern ladies, however, were without Mrs Adams, last year’s unbeaten champion of 'the Manawatu Association, and Mrs Thomson, who in the previous six years had played in top place for Manawatu without losing a rubber. In spite of this they did well, each of their three top players winning the rubber. Miss Walker of Bulls made a welcome reappearance in association tennis, and though beaten 6 —2, 6 —3 by Miss M. Howe of Levin, she was meeting a player who was ranked second only to the champion Miss Nicholls in last year’s list, and was in the first ten of the New Zealand list. Although she had no chance of winning Miss Walker put up a good fight, and Miss Howe had to play for every point. A "player who attracted much attention on her first appearance in Palmerston North was Mrs Evans, of Otaki. She is accustomed to play on hard courts, so was not at her best on grass, but she showed that she. is a player of great possibilities, who serves and drives strongly on the forehand, is good overhead and very quick on her legs. Her backhand, however, is very weak. With a little good coaching and practice with stronger players she should develop a really good game. Miss Elliott of Feilding also showed capital form, her driving on both wings being hard and low. Another player who did well was Mrs Simon of Takaro, who played very well in partnership with Miss Elliott, and won her singles in good style. A noticeable thing was that many of the men persistently footfaulted, either by trespassing on the line, or by leaving the ground with both feet when hitting the ball. One of them went up about six inches. Among the ladies quite a number handicapped themselves by serving from three or four feet behind the baseline. It is hard to understand why they do it. It is quite correct to stand well back when serving underhand. Mrs Lambert Chambers,, who shares with Mrs Wills Moody the record of seven Wimbledon singles championship, always served underhand. So did Betty Nuthall when she won the American championship in 1930 but afterwards she took to serving overhand and never again won an important singles title, though she continued to do well in doubles. Talking of doubles matches in the American season go to show how uncertain the result is among players of anything like the same class. At Wimbledon and in the Davis Cup matches Budge and Mako beat von Cramm and Henkel, but when the same pairs met twice in America the Germans Avon each time, one of their, victories being in the American championship. In the Pacific South-West championship Hughes and Hare the British players beat Budge and Mako 4—-6, 6 —4, 6—l, 7 5. ■ It looks as though America will have a stronger team next year than the one that Avon the Davis Cup, for the 19-year-old boy Robert Riggs has been Avinning at tournament after tournament, beating all the leading players’ except Budge. These two have met in two finals and each time Riggs has taken a set. This looks pretty good form, -for at Wimbledone Budge lost only one set in seven rounds. In the Pacific Coast championship lliggs beat von Cramm in straight sets 6 4, 6 _4, 6 —2, before going doivn to Budge m the final 4—6. 6—3. 6 2, 6 4. In the Pacific Coast tournament Miss Lumb was in a great form and after beating Miss Dearman in the fourth round, beat Mine. Henrotin, No. 3 in France, 6 —3, 3—6, 9 —7, met Senorita Lizana in the final, but could only Avin tivo games in each set. At this tournament Misses ’James and Stammers, twice <1 ia in pious at Wimbledon, won the final 6- —1, 6 4 from Misses Jacobs and Workman.