BARTLEET WINS TENNIS TITLE IN THRILLING FINAL

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6802, 4 January 1929, Page 7

BARTLEET WINS TENNIS TITLE IN THRILLING FINAL

Great Bay For Auckland MISS MACFARLANE IS NEW LADIES’ CHAMPION BARTLEET AND LAURENSON THE DOUBLES Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Last Night. The New Zealand tennis championships were concluded this afternoon in line, though windy weather. There was a large attendance of spectators, who thoroughly enjoyed the play in tho three iinals. Malfroy put up a great fight against Bartleet in the men’s singles. With a set each, the Wellington player led 5—3 in the third but became a little slow and erratic, losing the advantage set. This was the turning point of tho match, as Bartleet played his best tennis in the fourth set and won tho match. Miss Marjorie MacFarlane scored a good win in the final of the ladies' singles, defeating the title-holder, Miss May Speirs, of Canterbury, by consistently good driving. The game was played from tho base lines, Miss Speirs occasionally going to the net with varying si\ccess. She played mostly to het opponent’s backhand and had she followed these shots in, would undoubtedly have met with more success. Miss MacFarlane made fewer mistakes and thoroughly deserved her first success in this event.

The final of the men’s doubles was the greatest gamo of the tournament and a fitting finale to a highly successful function. Besides revealing a particularly high standard of play, and at times being brilliantly spectacular, it took tho whole fivo sets to decide the match. Experience stood to the titleholders, Bartleet and Laurenson. It was a great day for the Auckland Tennis Association, as its representatives won for it tho Wilding Shield for the first time on record. Neither .Bartleet nor Miss MacFarlane had previously secured honours in tho singles championship. Bartleet and Laurenson captured tho doubles title last year, while Lauronsoa successfully partnered E. Ollivier in 1922. Following are the results of to-day’s finals: — Men’s singles: Bartleet (Auckland_) beat Malfroy (Wellington), 4—6, 7—5, B—6, 6—4. Ladies* singles: Miss Marjorie MacFarlane (Auckland) beat Miss May Speirs (Canterbury), 6—l, 3—6, 6—4. Men’s doubles: Bartleet (Auckland) and Laurenson (Waikato) beat France (Wellington) and Angas (Canterbury), 7—5, 4—6, 6—2, 3—6, 6—4. Wilding Shield: Auckland 8 points, Canterbury 5, Waikato 1. Malfroy Goes Down Fighting. Many spectators anticipated a com' paratively easy victory for Bartleet over Malfroy in the mon’s singles match, but it was anything but that Eight from the start, Malfroy played an attacking gamo and utilised his American service with a lot of kick to' Bartleet’s back-, hand and followed in whenever he could to cut off dangerous drives for winners. The Wellington player was several times passed at the net with beautiful shots down tho side lines. Bartleet was not accurate with these in the earlier stages, but improved tremendously as the match progressed. He seldom went to the net until the final set, when he smashed nicely, well out of his opponent’s reach. Malfroy employed changes of pace very cleverly, scoring many points with his well-concealed tactics in this respect. Both players maintained a very fine length throughout. Bartleet drove with great consistency in the fourth and what proved to be the deciding set. He cleverly ran his opponent out of position several times, but Malfroy went down fighting gamely to the last. The match finished with a thrill, Malfroy making a couple of miraculous recoveries, only to drop his racquet and fail to get it again in time to return an overhead smash. Lingering on the Back Line. Failing to attack vigorously and lingering on tho back line cost Miss Speirs the match. Tho match was one of continual plugging from the base line and Miss MacFarlane proved superior in this department of tho game. The challenger was by far the more steady of the two and let nothing throw her from her usual sure game. There was great force behind her forehand drives, while her backhand stood the test of a severe gruelling from tho Canterbury player. From the spectators’ point of view, there was a terrible sameness about the match which robbed it of much of its interest. Miss Speirs’ inevitable form of attack was to play continually Miss MacFarlane’s backhand, waiting for a weak return. However, when -these did come her way, she invariably did not kill them as she might have and her strategy recoiled upon herself. Usually very deadly on overhead shots, Miss Speirs made a poor showing when tho chances offered. A remarkabio contrast was apparent between tho steady driving of the one and tho often hesitant, play of tho other. Packed With Excitement. Running Bartleet and Laurenson to the full five sets, France and Angas packed the final of the men’s doubles with much excitement. Tho holders retained the title only after a desperate struggle, in which fortune veered from one side to tho other. There was never a dull moment throughout the whole contest and every point was fully enjoyed by tho crowded gallery. A hot pace was maintained worn beginning to end ani France and Angas proved themselves almost tho equals of the champions. Long rallies at the net, with the ball passing swiftly between the pairs, were a delight to watch. Slashing attack was met by brilliant defence, each point being fought out with fierce intensity. It was easily the most exciting of

tho whole series of championship matches and as the scores indicate, there was really little to choose between the two pairs. Laurenson’s deadly overhead smashes and Bartleet’s extremely difficult service wero the deciding factors in tha match. Lauronson played a wonderful game and this can be said for all four. Although he and Bartleet were fully extended, they displayed no -weaknesses and gave just a little more than they received;

However, their play was not as steady as that of their opponents and in tho second and fourth sets, they fell away badly. At their best/they wero more thtf.n a match for the challengers. Laurenson was responsible for most of tho baseline work, while Bartleet was more often seen at tho net. The latter was particularly brilliant in his se'rvVb, which was easily the best displayed. Both Angas and France, but moro especially the latter, fell victims to his fast, swerving aces. Bartleet suffered an unfortunate injury in the first set, being cut over the eye by his racquet, which was forced back by a fast ball. However, this did not affect his play France and Angas showed splendid form at tho net and were the equal of their opponents in the tussles which ensued, when all four played forward. Angas made few mistakes when in this position and was abvays dangerous, placing somo winning shots down the centre line. , France was not so reliable as his partner and h)3 slice, though tricky, was not tho best means of attack. However, his game was very steady and accurate. Lobbing from Laurenson proved troublesome to the pair. INTERNATIONAL CONTEST United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Received Thursday, 11.10 p.m. SYDNEY, Jan. 2. The international lawn tennis contests began to-day between the British Isles and Australia. A number of distinguished visitors were present. A wonderful battle took placo between Higgs (England) and Kalms. The result was in doubt till the end. the Englishman winning 6—3, 4—6, 6—3, 6—B, 7—5. The second and major match between H. Austin (England) and Crawford was a gruelling one, resulting in victorv for the Australian I—6, 7 —5, If—7, 2—6, 6—2.