LAWN TENNIS NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 9, 8 December 1937, Page 15

LAWN TENNIS NOTES

The Association match against Hutt Valley at Linton Street resulted in the defeat of Manawatu by 20 rubbers to 12, the chief factor being the failure of the latter to win more than one of the eight men’s singles, O’Brien being the only successful player on the side.

This was the more surprising ‘'from the fact that Manawatu had won all the four men’s doubles, and at the adjournment for lunch was leading by 6 rubbers to 2, with two of the ladies’ matches standing at one set all, both of which were won by Hutt after lunch.

In the top match of the doubles Boddy and Chisholm, last year’s successful pair who won the Manawatu championship, came very near to defeat when they met Edwards and Ramson, for after losing the first set 6 —3, they just got home B—68 —6 in the second and went on to win the third at 6—4. This was a very creditable performance, for Edwards is now among tho leading players in the country, while Ramson is no duffer, being particularly severe overhead. Chisholm was outplayed in the singles by Edwards who seems a better player than Coombe was a year ago, and were it not for the fact that Alan Stedman will be competing would have quite a chance for the New Zealand championship. Boddy lost his second set to Ramson at 8 —10; if lie had managed to win it he would probably, as often before, have won the third. Hobiu and O’Brien were just good enough to beat Tilbury and Jarman 6—4, 7—5 and O’Brien was too good for Tilbury in the singles, hut Hobin was well beaten by the 18-year-okl boy Bold, who should develop into a strong player. McMurray and Christie played well together in beating Bold and Booker 6—3, 6—2. _ McMurray played consistently well in all his rubbers, only losing his singles to Jarman 6—3, 5 —7, 5 —7 and with Mrs Evans having a good win over Jarman and Miss Howe 3—6, 6 —3, 6 —4. The Tapp Brothers were just too good for Martin and Moran, winning hv 2 sets to 1, each side scoring 14 games. They both lost their other rubbers but though Ray lost his singles after taking the first set, he only won two games in the next two sets, whereas Gordon only lost to Moran at 6 —B in the third set, each of the other sets having gone to 12 games. Both lost their mixed doubles, but they were playing with strange partners which is often the cause of inconsistent form.

The two leading ladies Mesdames Thomson and Hobin won their doubles with great ease, and Mrs Thomson, who has never lost a singles or women’s doubles for Manawatu since she first played for the association seven years ago, had a very easy win 6—3, 6 —l over Miss Neil, her courtcraft being far superior to that of her young,and hard-hitting opponent. Although a former New Zealand mixed doubles champion she lost her match when partnered by Chisholm, being quite unable to stand up to the fierce smashing directed at her by Edwards. There is no doubt that mixed doubles are a very unsatisfactory form of tennis, for they generally degenerate into the man of each side playing almost entirely at the opposing lady. In international matches the sexes do not compete in the same team, and the bigger associations in New Zealand keep them quite apart in their interclub competitions, as is also the case in the inter-county matches in England. Mrs Hobin had another easy win against Miss Shiel, and with her husband just managed to beat Bold and Miss Davidson B—6 in the third set. She was the only member of the team to win all her rubbers. The second women’s pair Mrs Lennon and Mrs Evans heat Mrs King and Miss Howe in a good match, the last set, in which Mrs Lennon was at her best, going to 11 —9. Mrs Evans, the Otaki player, only just missed winning all her rubbers for with McMurray she had a win against Jarman and Miss Howe after a very level match, and she only just lost to Miss Howe in her singles 7 —5, 7—9, 4—6. Her ground shots on the backhand leave lots of room for improvement. The third pair, Misses Walker and Elliott, had a strenuous match against Misses Hadwin and Davidson and after a set which went-to 15 —13 just lost the third 5 —7. In this set Hutt took the first three games and and Manawatu the next five, and were at match point at 5 —4. But Miss Walker missed an overhead shot and Hutt won three games in succession for the match. In her other rubbers Miss Walker did not show the form which put her high up in the Manawatu team at one time, but Miss Elliott is playing well this year and had a good win over Mrs Kean. In the mixed, too, she did by no means badly. The two ladies, Misses Kerr and Spilman had no successes, but they were only just beaten in tlieir doubles by Mrs Kean and Miss Tutin, the first set going to Hutt at 14 —12, while each of the others were 7 —5.

Had Manawatu been able to put in all those who played in representative teams last season the result would probably have been very different. Robertson and Livingstone, who were first and second players, as well as Carnachan who was in the team that heat Hawke’s Bay for the Christie Cup. were none of them eligible, while Jack Cope, who was second to Robertson on the Palmerston North Clnb’s ladder at the end of last season, was not available.

Among the ladies the position was still worse. Miss Mavis Howe, who was second to Miss Nicholls in the Wellington ranking list last season, was unable to play while no less than six of the ten ladies in the Manawatu ranking list, viz., Mrs R. P. Adams and Mrs Andrews- (first and second) as well as Mrs Waldin, Miss J. Barnett, Miss C. Wilson and Mrs Weston, were for one reason or another not available.

Alan Stedman, the former New Zealand champion, arrived from England by the- Arawa last Saturday. He was in good form at Felixstowe on his last appearance, winning the singles from Shaves and the mixed in partnership with Miss F. E. Scott, one of the best of the younger British players, from Billington and Miss Jarvis.

He with Coombe will he playing in exhibition matches at Linton Street on .January 19, and as he was born in Palmerston North, and like E. D. Andrews, joined the Linton Street Club as his first, while Coombe is an old Feilding boy who used to play for Manawatu. there should be a good attendance of the public.