Spectacular Tennis Duel

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7246, 28 August 1933, Page 7

Spectacular Tennis Duel

Australian Pair Beat Allison and Van Rp QUARTER-FINALS OF U.S. DOUBLES United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Received Sunday, 7 p.m. NEW YORK, Aug. 26. In the national tennis doubles quartcr-linals, Vines and Glcdhill defeated Jack Tidball and Gcno Mako, of Los Angeles, 7—5, 6—3, 6—3; and Quist and Turnbull (Australia) defeated Allison and van Ryn (U.S.A.), 15 —13, o—6,0 —6, 6 —l, 7—5. In the first set of the second match Allison and van Ryn led 5—3 and wore thrice at set-point on Quist’s sorvico in tho ninth game, but they netted or drove out and found their lead reduced to s—*4. Tho Australians drew level at 5 —5 and they wero now as brilliant as their opponents were spotty and drew ahead to 6—5, but tho Americans evened the scoro with a love game. There then followed somo evenly' matched games, punctuated by long-drawn, hardfought rallies. Tho set developed into a test of main strength, in which the hardest tennis of the tournament thus far was played. Tho teams alternated in quality of play, patchiness following brilliancy with bewildering rapidity. Rarely in championship tennis has a gamo been fought as was tho 26th., in which tho Australians wero set-point, but unable to clinch it, and tho Americans evened tho scoro to 13—13. • Turnbull took tho next gamo to love on his service ancl the Australians capped tho performance superbly by taking tho next also to love on van Ryn’s service to tho end of the set.

Tho gruelling strugglo had taken something out of the Australians, and in tho second set they dropped, five games in a row in five minutes in an exhibition of quite nerveless tennis. They then patiently let tho sixth go, knowing the set to bo irreclaimable. They returned to fight the third set, breaking the Americans’ winning streak with beautifully played gamo after game, losing only tho fourth on a temporary lapse in accuracy. They wero literally driving the Americans off their feet, with the largo gallery breathless and cheering.

Returning to tho courts apparently much refreshed, the teams resumed the strugglo on an even basis in the fourth set, which, in common with tho others, was fought at the net for the greater part, testing the volloying skill of the players. The Americans were sot-point on Quist ’s service in tho tenth game, but tho Australians pulled it out of the fire by standing at the net and simply blasting their opponents from the court. They then lobbed high in the next game, to see their opponents drop their shots into the not. Tho Australians went into a commanding position at G —s, from which they would not bo budged, settling tho match in the next game. They play Lott and Sloffen on Monday, the other semi-finals being Vines and Glcdhill against Shields and Parker.

Crawford and McGrath Beaten AMERICAN PAIR WINS IN THE STRAIGHT SETS. NEW YORK, Aug. 25. In tho opening quarter-finals of the United States national tennis championship doubles at Longwood, Lott and Stocffen (U.S.A.) defeated Jack Crawford and V. McGrath (Australia), 6 2, 7—5, 7—5. Shields and Frank Parker (Milwaukee) defeated Perry and Wilde (Britain), 6—2, C —l, 3 —6, 7 5.. The Australians mado a decidedly bad start, both losing their service and permitting Lott and Stoffen to amass a 4—o lead. McGrath’s double-handed backhands were driving tho ball yards out, while Crawford found his opponents’ to turns placed at his feet. The Australians won only five points against the Americans’ seventeen in these games. Tho Australians recovered in the fifth game from 30 —40. They then saved the set in the seventh game when it stood at 30 —40 against them, but gave over in the eighth game at a love score, Lott’s and Stocffen's strokes being steady as against the constantly erroneous play of McGrath and Crawford. *

In the second set there was something lackadaisical in tho Australians’ plaj. They just seemed unable to make their strokes come off. McGrath finally won his first service of tho match in the third game to make the score u I against tho Australians, but only aftot allowing their opponents to dcuco in that third game from 30 —40. The Americans were decidedly in form and gradually increased their lead to o 2. There was an opportunity for the Australians to even the score in tho sixth game, when they stood ahead at 40 o 0 on Stocffen’s service, but the scries of trick net-cord shots helped to pull the Americans out to lead 4 —2. The same opportunity was offered the Australians in the eighth game, when again they stood at 40—30 on Lott’s service, bu« they were too inaccurate. They, however, won the ninth game to love and in a brilliant spurt, accounting for Stoeffcn’s scrvico with their placements, won tho tenth game, evening tho score at s—all. This was the first important break in the American’s winning streak, and boded well for tho Australians. Unfortunately tho latter almost immediately lapsed into short driving, the Americans running out the set in the nest two games, taking the last to love.

In tho third set the Australians’ game had unquestionably improved, and they were terminating some exceptionsplendid rallies with winning points, but the Americans, by accounting for McGrath’s service, amassed a 3 2 lead. Stocffen, at this point, was proving the weak link. The Australians pounded his service with unreachable returns to even the score at 3 —all, and g2£ *he firat ifl &S JBB&ft

into the lead at d —3, which they promisingly increased to s—*4. It. was, however, a brief bid for power. Crawford’s nets in tho eleventh gamo reversed the positions of the teams and tho Americans went in the lead at 6—5. It was tho end. The Americans took tho twelfth game handily on Lott’s service. Lott and Stoeffcn won largely by concentrating against McGrath, whose two-fisted backhand collapsed under the heavy firo of tho United States sluggers. McGrath’s errors enabled Loi,t and Stocffen to gain tho opening set in less than 15 minutes’ play, as McGrath fluffed Id of 17 chances coming his way. In tho eight games ho piled up Id nets and three out and committed a double fault. Ho scored only three points. The semi-finals will be played on Monday and tho finals on Tuesday. In the Mixed. Doubles CRAWFORD AND MISS SCRIVEN HAVE WIN Received Sunday, 7 p.m. NEW YORK, Aug. 26. At Brookline, in the mixed doubles, second round, Miss Peggy Serivon and Crawford defeated Miss Jane Sharp and Stocffen, 6 —4, d—6, 6 —2. Mrs Helen Wills-Moody Retires In Final TITLE TO MISS JACOBS. Received Sunday, 7 p.m. NEW YORK, Aug. 26. At Forest Hills to-day, Miss H. Jacobs (U.S.A.), the defending champion, defeated Mrs. Helen Wills-Moody in tho final of tho women’s United States tennis championship, B—6, 3—6, 3 —o (default). After winning only five points in the first threo games of tho final set, Mr 3. Wills-Moody went to the judge’s stand and announced that she was unable to continue.

It was a dramatic and disappointing conclusion to one of tho most spectacular matches in tho history of tho women’s championship. Seven times previously they had met, with Mrs. WillsMoody never losing even a set. The crowd of 7000 became wildly excited as Miss Jacobs crashed through in tho initial set. Miss Jacobs had the support of tho crowd. “My right leg kept bothering me and I simply could not get to tho ball,’ Mrs. Wills-Moody said afterwards “There was no use in my continuing, though I disliked very much having to retire. Miss Jacobs was playing beautiful tennis ancl deserved her win.”

Mrs. Wills-Moody was wearing a truss as a result of the spinal injury which caused her to withdraw from the "Wightman Cup matches several weeks ago. Her right leg, however, bothered her more than her back. She said she had also decided to withdraw from the doubles, in which she was paired with Miss Elizabeth Ryan (U.S.A.) thus giving the title by default to Misses Betty Nuthall and F. James (Britain). Mrs. Helen "Wills-Moody and Mis; Ryan defeated Misses Round and Hecley (Britain), C—2, 7—5, in the second semi-final of the national doubles. _ _ In tho singles semi-final, Miss Jacobs defeated Miss D. Round (Britain), 6—4, 5 C—2. International Matches to be Staged AUSTRALIA v. U.S.A. AND ENGLAND v. JAPAN. Received Sunday, 7 p.m, NEW YORK, Aug. 25. The United States Tennis Association to-day completed arrangements for two international team matches at Chicags and Cincinnati following the national singles at Forest Hills. 1 On September 11 teams representing England and Japan will meet at Cincinnati, and on September 12 and 13 picked squads from Australia and tho United States will compete at Chicago, Australia being represented by her full Davis Cup team and tho United States by leading playors. Stedman Wins North of England Championship Received Sunday, 7 p.m. . LONDON, Aug. 26. In the North of England tennis championship final, Stedman (New Zealand) beat H. K. Lester, 6—2, 7—5, 3—6, 6