Tennis in Hawaii

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6839, 21 April 1932, Page 7

Tennis in Hawaii

GLEDHELL BEATS HOPMAN. EXHAUSTING MATCH. United Press Association. —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. HONOLULU, April 19. H. O. Hopman, the Australian Davis Cup player, put up a great fight against Keith Gledhill, the eighth ranking American player, in the Honolulu singles. Hopman took tko first two sets and Gledhill the last three, fighting hard throughout. Hopman, accustomed to grass court play, was handicapped by the highbouncing ball on the concrete surface, which hampered his favourite twist shot, produced with a short swing, but Hopman often spoiled Gledhill’s brilliant backhand by playing the ball close to the backhand line.

Every point in the fourth set was bitterly contested, and the last game frequently went to deuce, but Gledhill finally won set-point, evening the match. Gledhill was tired in the final set. Both put everything into the tenth game, Gledhill winning the match there. Both tried to play doubles, which, however, were postponed because of the light. J. C. Crawford defeated C. Sproule in the other semi-final.

Keith Gledhill is the doubles partner of Ellsworth Vinos, the present American singles champion, and rose from fourteenth position to eightli position on tho U.S. national ranking list last year. Previous to 1930 he was not ranked. Gledhill was rated by the American Ranking Committee as just n little worse than Sidney B. Wood, the Wimbledon champion, and better than Wilmcr Allison and Berkeley Bell. Vines and Gledhill are ranked as the second doubles pair in tho United States. Tho tournament in Honolulu was specially arranged to provide an opportunity of seeing (he Australians i.i action, and originally Vines intended to compete there.

Australians Win Doubles Received Wednesday, .10.55 p.m. HONOLULU, April 19. Hopman and Crawford, despite blistered feet from tlio concrete courts, defeated Gledhill and Hoo.gs in three straight sets in the final of the doubles. In the semi-finals Crawford and Hopman displaying great brilliance defeated Biven and Bill Hoogs,