TEMIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18283, 27 December 1922, Page 6

TEMIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

OPENING DAY AT HASTINGS. GIRL PLAYER'S FINE GAME. TAKES SET FROM CHAMPION. [BY TELEGRAPH. —'PRESS ASSOCIATION.] HASTINGS. Tuesday. The Now Zealand lawn tennis championship tournament commenced on the Hastings Club courts yessterday. Heavy rain fell on Sunday, but beautiful weaither was experienced to-day. The court 3 wore in good condition but on the alow side. The entries totalled 237, made up as follows: —Men's singles, 7.1; mens doubles, 33; ladies' fiingleß, 36; doubles, 20; combined doubles, 48; boys singles, 12; girls' singles, ID. ... Much interest was shown in tho visit of the New South Wales lady players, Mrs. Lascelles and Misses Lance, Gray and Lloyd. Several games were played in the preliminary rounds of tho various events. Good contests wore witnessed, especially in the ladies events. Miss Lance (N.S.W.) beat Miss Howe (Wellington), aftor a very interesting game. Tho latter created a Burpriso by annexing the first set, 6—2. In tno remaining two sets, however, Miss Lance won to love, but the rallies were long, with tho voungor player fighting every point. i\liss Howe won tho girls' championship during the last three years. She wais unfortunate in meetinff tho champion in he»i first effort for " adult honours. Miss Lloyd (N.S.W.) had no difficulty in defeating Miss Champion (Hastings), 6—o, 6—2. The standard of play in to-dav s games was exceedingly high, especially in tho ladies' section. Indications point to the visiting contingent carrying off the honours in the doubles. A good game was witnessed between Misses Ormond and Cato (Napier) and Mrs. Lascelles and Miss Gray (N.S.W.) Tho visitors won the first get. comfortably, but their opponents made'matters more oven in the second set. Keenly Fought Match. A hard fivo set match was fought between Griffiths and Robson, tho clubmates from tho Reinuerii Club. Griffiths was very aggressivo in tho first two sets, Robson apparently being off colour. In tho third set, by steady play, Itobson won, 6—4, after Griffiths was leading 4—2. Robson wore down his opponent In tho last set and won decisively. The present men's singles champion, Dr. Laurenson, had a runaway victory in his first contest, Bind tho samo remit was attained by Ollivier (Christchurch). Both theso players were in splendid form. Pearso and Edmondson had a gruelling contest with Clark and Johns (Auckland). The younger players failed in the last set. Pearso. the veteran Temuka player, was in his best form, and showed several glimpses of past brilliancy. Play in Combined Doubles. The combined doubles between Miss Welch (Wellington) and McDougal (Otago), and Miss Lloyd (N.S.W.), and Allison (Taranaki), provided good tennis throughout, tho play of both ladies evoking much applause. In the combined match between Mrs. Melody (Wellington) and Wallace (Wavcrley) and Mrs. Scott Watson (Auckland) and Shaw (Wairoa), the latter pair won tho first set after a good exhibition. They lost tho second sot owing io tho improved play of their steady opponents. The deciding set was full of incident and produced some long rallies and innumerable deuces. Tho fine generalship of WaUaco excelled that oi Shaw, and, after five all had been called, tho winners ran out with tho two last games. Both ladies aro ex-champions, and delighted tho onlookers with their accuracy and steadiness. The best item of the afternoon was the match between Mis 3 Lance (New South Wales) and Miss Zeta Wellwood (Hastings). The latter formed one of the team that visited Australia last year and has improved considerably with the exlenence gained. Her style of play is most attractive, especially her backhand driving, but she still lacks the steadiness of Miss Lance, who is an adopt at. all phases of the game. In tho first set Miss Lance won tho opening two games, but by beautiful backhand shots and accurate back-line placing, Miss Wellwood evened at three all. Miss Lance won the next game off her own serving and als'o took the following game which was characterised by splendid tennis on the of both ladies with exceptionally long rallies. Miss Wellwood exhibited carelessness in the last game and lost off her own serv'ce.

In the second net, although Miss Lance won 6 love, the scores did not indicate the closeness of the match. Miss Wellwood again got in some beautiful strokes, but was not a match for the Australian. Results:— Men's Singles. First Round.—Kururangi won from Granville by default; Bull beat Martin, 6—l, 6—3, 6—l. Second Round. —Peacock won from Dickie bv default ; Schodick beat Denniston. 3—6, 6—3. 5—7. 6—3; Andrews beat Scott, 6—o, 6—o. 6—l; Laurenson beat Milhurn, 6—o, 6—o, 6—o; Walker beat McDougall, 6—2, 6—4, 6—l; Lowe beat Muckersey, 6 —o, 6—o, 6—l; Robson beat Griffiths, 3—6, o—6,0 —6, 6—2, 6—4, 6 —2 ; France beat Shaw, 6—2, 6—l, 6—2; Thompson won from Wilding by default; Swainson beat Harrop, B—6, 5—7, 6—3, 6—l; Sims beat Young, 6 —o, 6 —l, 6 —l ; Lampe beat Craigie, 6—2, 6—o, 6—4. Third Round.—Laurens'on beat Walker, 6-3, 6—l, 6—l. Ladies' Singles. First Round.—Miss McLaren beat Miss Bcllantyne, 6 —2, 3—6, 6—4; Miss Grev beat Miss Hassall, 6—o, 6—o. Second Round. —Miss Macfarlane beat Mrs. Brown. 6—o, 6—2; Miss Z. Wellwood beat Miss Norris, 7—5, 6 —2; Miss Lance beat Miss Howe, 2—6, 6—o, 6—o; Mrs. Green beat Miss Welsh. 6—o, 6—4; Miss Lloyd beat Miss Champion, 6—o, 6—2; Mrs. Melody beat Miss Dart, 6—l, 6—l; Mrs. Hedges beat Miss Dallas, 6-1, 6-1. Men's Doubles. First Round. —France and Franco beat Young and Young, 6—2. 6—3, B—6;8 —6; Goss and Greenwood beat Oakley and Milburn, 3—6, 6—3, 6—4, 7—5; Pearse and Edmondson beat Clark and Johns, 4—6, B—6, I—6,- 6—4, 6—O; Richards and Craigie beat Hill and Powdrell, B—6, 6—l, 6—3. Second Round.—Laurenson and Ollivier beat Campbell and Stainton, 6—4, 6—o, 6—3; Peacock and Sims beat Martin and Welch, 6 —l. 6—2, 6—2; Denton and Field beat Maitland and Cowan, 6—4, 7-5, 6-4. Ladies' Doubles. First Round. —Mrs. Goldie and Mrs. Parkinson beat Mrs. McMurray and Miss McMurray, 6—2, 7—5; Mrs. Scott Watson and Miss Payton beat Miss Dallas and Miss Fannin, 6 —l, 7—5; Misses Craig and Clark beat Misses Beard and Cochrane. 6—l, 6—l. Second Round.—Mrs. Hodges and Miss Macfarlane beat Mrs. Bree and Miss Stevens, 6—3, 6—4; Mrs. Lascelles and Miss Gray beat Misses Ormorid and Cato, 6—o, 6—4. Combined Doubles. First Round. —Miss Fenwick and Lampe won from Miss Wellwood and Granville by default; Miss Gray and Griffiths beat Miss Hume and Martin, 6—2. 6—o. Second Round. —Mrs. Peacock and Peacock beat Miss Lee and Melody, 6—l, 6—4; Miss Lloyd and Allison beat Miss Welch and McDougall, 6—2, 6—3; Mrs. Melody and Wallace beat Mrs. Scott Watson and Shaw, 5 —7, 6 —o, 7—5.