Tennis De luxe By Overseas Professionals

Northern Advocate, 29 November 1948, Page 4

Tennis De luxe By Overseas Professionals

TENNIS-DE-LUXE was served up to a large attendance at the Whangarei club courts today by the four visiting professionals, Kramer, Riggs, Segura and Pails. Although a brief shower interrupted the first match between Segura and Pails, the weather was fine and hot. Segura beat Pails in two sets, 7—5, 6—4, after a colourful display by both players.

The first set of the match went with service to 2 all before Segura broke through Pails’ service in the fifth game with acutely angled volleys and lovely backhand passing shots. Powerful forehand drives and a spinning drop shot enabled the Australian to even at 3 all, and he went ahead with deadly volleying at the net. They were even again at 4 all with Segura getting points with his stinging tw'O-handed drives on the right side.

Pails won his service for 5 —4 and held two advantages for the set but volleyed out and then just missed the line with a forehand drive to bring the tally to 5 all.

VERSATILE SEGURA Snappy excursions to the net to despatch dinky little drop shots for winners enabled begura to go ahead at 6 —5. Segura then won his service after two deuces to take the set 7—5 in 35 minutes. Deadly volleying by Segura and over-hitting of his ground strokes by Pails took the South American to a 2-love lead in the second set. Delightful exchanges at the net. along with many dazzling forehand drives and backhand placements brought applause. A rain shower held up play with the score at 4 —2, but the game resumed after 10 minutes. Segure held the lead at 5 —3 but Pails won his service to love. Beautiful volleying gave Segura the next game, however, for set and match, 7—5. G—4. COMPLETE STROKE EXHIBITION Kramer and Riggs each won their first services but Kramer showed his quality by drawing Riggs into the net and passing him with clinking drives down the- lines. Riggs retaliated with angled forehand shots but Kramer smashed volleys cleanly to go ahead. Gloriously accurate backhand shots to the corners gave Kramer winner? for a 3 —l lead but Riggs dictated the course of the fifth game with lovelyvolleying. The varied pace of Kramer’s drives upset Riggs’ returns and the world’s No. 1 led 5—2. Kramer took the set at 6—2.

His kicking service bothered Riggs but the latter picked up a couple of points with beautiful pick-ups of spinning ’angled drop-shots and neat despatches to an empty court. Riggs took the fourth game with glorious backhand shots into the service court which Kramer could not bring back over the net.

CLOSE SECOND SET Riggs went ahead at 3—2 with both players impressing with the completeness of their stroke equipment. A lobbing duel ended in a deadly smash by Kramer, but glorious volleying and backhand placements kept Riggs ahead at 4—3. Kramer took two games in a row for a 5—4 lead but strong cross-court driving and expert volleying by Riggs evened the issue at 5 all. Games went with service to B—all and then Kramer took the set and match 6—2, 10 —8.

SNAPPY DOUBLES PLAY

Snappy bursts of volleying and beautiful placements characterised the doubles match between Kramer-Pails and Kiggs-Segura. The speed of the shots thrilled the gallery, particularly anything overhead and from short range. Games .went with service to 6 —5. with Riggs and Segura leading, and then Pails double-faulted on set point to end the set at 7—5. Riggs amused the gallery bv skving a lob about 50ft in the air, and Pails waited for the bounce and popped it into the net. Segura and Riggs were teaming better than the other pair and placing their shots more accurately. There was practically no base-line play. Segura was the best player on the court and was chiefly responsible for Riggs and himself holding the advantage throughout. He put away the last two winners for set and match, 7 —5, 6 —2.