McKenzie Wins 3

Northern Advocate, 12 January 1948, Page 5

McKenzie Wins 3

AUCKLAND, Mon. (Sp.)—The Now! Zealand tennis championships, which i concluded at Stanley Street at the; week-end were won as follows: Men’s Singles—R. S. McKenzie (Wellington). Women’s Singles—Miss E. G. Attwood (Auckland). Men’s Doubles —McKenzie and S. Painter (Wellington). Women’s Doubles—Miss Attwood and Miss M. L. Kerr (Otago). Combined Doubles—McKenzie and Mrs J. J. C. McVay (Wellington). McKenzie is the first New Zealander to win, or share in the winning, of three titles since H. A. Parker in 1905 and the first since Parker in 1904 to annex the singles championship three years in succession. F. J. Perry, of England, the then world champion, scored a triple success in 1934 and J. E Bromwich did the same in 1939. FOUR TITLES CHANGE Four titles changed hands this year. They were the women’s singles and the three doubles. The holders of the men's doubles, Robson (Otago) and Bold (Wellington) were beaten in the final as were Misses Beverley (Waikato) and Potter (Waiuku) in the women’s doubles. The holders of the combined title Robb and Mrs Robb (Wellington) did not defend it. The defending women’s singles champion, Miss Beverley, was ousted in the semi-final by Miss Kerr. A THOROUGH CHAMPION McKenzie was the thorough champion of the field. His superiority over Robson in the men’s singles final lay in his severity in all shots from the serve to the smash. He operated to a plan, was a grand opportunist and always was applying the pressure. Robson suffered through over-eager-ness and spoilt the soundness of his play with excessive errors. The women’s singles final was a big disappointment largely on account of Miss Kerr’s extreme nervousness. In the final of the men’s doubles. Robson and Bold erred in trying to out-volley Painter, who made the openings for McKenzie to put away weak returns. It was a one-sided affair, with the tactics of Robson and Bold far too obvious. Miss Kerr played her natural game in the women’s doubles and she and Miss Attwood thoroughly deserved their success. . Miss Kerr was the star of the semifinal against Mesdames Painter and McVay (Wellington). McKenzie’s outstanding superiority was the deciding factor in the combined doubles’ final. Mrs McVay partnered him well, trading shots with Bold and Miss Potter and allowing the champion to score many winners. McKenzie lapsed in the second set, but came back on his game to settle the issue decisively in the third. FINAL RESULTS Concluding results were: MEN’S SINGLES Final.—R. ,S. McKenzie (Wellington) beat J. E. Robson (Otago), 7—5, C —2. G—2. WOMEN’S SINGLES Final.—Miss E. G. Attwood (Auckland) beat Miss M. L. Kerr (Otago), 6—2, B — 6. MEN’S DOUBLES Semi-finals.—McKenzie and S. Painter (Wellington) beat C. Angas (Wellington) and R. G. Pattinson (Canterbury), 6 —l, 6—3. 6— 2; Robson and O. M. Bold (Hutt Valley) beat N. F. N. Bedford and J. A. Barry (Auckland), 6 — B. 6 —3, 6 —3, 6 —3. Final.—McKenzie and Painter beat Robson and Bold, 10—8, 6 —l, 6 —2. WOMEN’S DOUBLES Semi-finals.—Misses Attwood and Kerr beat Mesdames J. J. McVay and ,S. Fainter (Wellington), 6 —l, G—4; Misses M. Beverley (Waikato) and B. Potter (Auckland) beat Misses J. Hansen and Z. Swanson (Auckland). 6 —l. 4— 6, G—3. Final.—Misses Attwood and Kerr beat Misses Beverley and Potter, 6 —3, G—3 COMBINED DOUBLES Semi-finals.—Bold and Miss Potter beat Robson and Miss Kerr, 6 —2, G—2; McKenzie and Mrs McVay beat Painter and Mrs Painter, 6—l. B—6, Final.—McKenzie and Mrs McVay beat Bold and Miss Potter, G —l, 3— 6, fr— 3 NEW ZEALAND PLATE Men.—Semi-finals: B. E. Souter (Auckland) beat R. G. Pattinson (Canterbury), 6 —4, 10— 8: A. W. Tills (Auckland) beat A. J. Seeley (Auckland), 6 —G, 6 —l. Final.—Tills beat Souter. 6 —4. G—2. Women. —Semi-finals.—Mids A. Walker (Wellington) beat Miss H. Redwood (Auckland), 2—6, 6—o, 6—2; Mrs Painter beat Miss J. McL. Wallace (Auckland), 2—6. 6—2, 6—3. Final.—Mrs Painter beat Miss Walker, 6—3, 2—6, 6—4.