TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19832, 30 December 1927, Page 11

TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS.

AUCKLANDERS IN FINALS.

BARTLEET AND MISS KNIGHT.

OLLIVIER DEFEATS STURT.

MISS MACFARLANE'S HARD GAME [BY TELEGRAM. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday. The hottest weather yet prevailed for the fourth day of the New Zealand tennis championship tournament and several competitors in the morning particularly showed signs of exhaustion. Both semifinals in the ladies' singles were keenly fought and were full of excitement. Miss Knight, of Auckland, surprised nearly everyone by defeating last year's champion, Mrs. Adams, of Wellington, taking the third set by six games to one. She volleyed and smashed her way to victory apd will meet Miss Speirs to-morrow in the final.

The other semi-final between Miss Speirs and Miss Marjorie Macfarlane was remarkable for a gruelling second set of 2 4games that was won by Miss Macfarlane. Miss Speirs seemed to be run off her feet. However, her former brilliancy was in evidence in the final set and, although down once 4—5, she won 7—5 by delightful driving and captured the match. Miss Macfarlane put up a splendid fight. She never gave up hope and was beaten only by shots that hit the chalk.

Miss Adams and Miss Tracy (Wellington ) won the final of the ladies' doubles championship, beating Misses Speirs and Partridge, who retired in the second set owing to Miss Speirs' bad health.

The best of the men's singles semifinals was that in which G. Ollivier (Canterbury) beat N. G.' Sturt (Auckland), 6—4, 6—3, 6—2. It was fast and spectacular tennis all through, with Sturt ever trying to attack and frequently succeeding. Ollivier had to play at top to win. Laurenson was weak and unenterprising against Bartleet, who won, 6—2, B—6, 4—l (Laurenson retired). Four Aucklanders will contest the final of the men's doubles championships, Knott and Sturt playing Bartleet and Laurenson. The result will depend a great deal on Laurenson's condition. Both pairs had to battle through fiveset matches in the semi-finals to-day. The new title-holder in the boys' championship singles is H. A. Barnett, who learned his tennis in Canterbury, but has litely been resident at Chatham Islands. He was football, cricket, tennis and fives champion while a scholar at the Anglican Cathedral Grammar School in Christchurch.

Miss Nancy Fleming, of Otago, won the girls' championship singles. She has a good, free style. Details of the scores are as follows: —

MEN'S SINGLES. Semi-finals.— Barleet beat Laurenson, 6—2, B—6, 4—l (Laurenson retired); Ollivier beat Sturt, 6—4, 6—3, 6—2. MEN'S DOUBLES. Third Round. —Malfroy and Lampe beat France and France, 2 —6, 6—3, 7—5, 6-0. Semi-final.—Bartleet and Laurenson beat Peacock and Wilson, 5—7, 6—3, 6 —l ( o—6, 6—2; Sturt and Knott beat Lampe and Malfroy, 6—4, 2—6, 6—4, 3—6, 6—3. LADIES' SINGLES. Semi-finals.—Miss Knight beat Mrs. Adams, 3—6, 6—4, 6—l; Miss Speirs beat Miss Macfarlane, 6—3, 11—13, 7—5. LADIES' DOUBLES. Final.—Mrs. Adams and Miss Tracy beat Misses Speirs and Partridge, 6—4, 2—l (Misses Speirs and Partridge retired). COMBINED DOUBLES. Second Round.—Mrs. Adams and L. France beat Miss Ward and Angas, 6—l, 6_l; Miss Macfarlane and Sturt beat Miss Johnston and Browning, 6—4, 7—5; Miss Myers and Lampe beat Miss Partridge and Patterson, 12—10, 6—2. Third Round.—Miss Andrew and Seay beat Miss East and Greenwood, 6—3, 6—3; Miss Tracy and Wilson beat Miss Knight and Knott, B—6,8 —6, 6—l. BOYS' CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES. Final.—H. A. Barnett (Canterbury) beat R. A. Howe (Wellington), s—b. 6—l, 6—4. GIRLS' CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES. Final. —Miss Fleming (Otago) beat Miss Dini (Canterbury), 6—3, 6—4. NEW ZEALAND PLATE. Third Round. —Hay beat Field, 6—4, 10—8 (Field retired); Pcarse won from Moore by default.