CHAMPIONSHIP TENNIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20474, 28 January 1930, Page 14

CHAMPIONSHIP TENNIS.

DOMINION TOURNAMENT.

)or he: 'opening day's play.

SURPRISES IN EARLY ROUNDS. MANY STRENUOUS CONTESTS. . [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] , WELLINGTON. Monday. The New Zealand, tennis championship tournament was commenced, to-day on tho Wellington Association courts at. Miramar. The weather in the early morning was not promising, but. in the early afternoon t tho sun came out and conditions-were warm. A pleasant light southerly- breeze was blowing. Several of tho leading lady visitors fared badly in the opening rounds, Misses Wake and Andrew, the. two finalists in the Canterbury championship, losing in the singles to Wellington girls, Miss Myers and Mrs Smith (Wanganui), and Misses Ivriight arid Fleming being defeated . in tho doubles.

In the first, round of the men's singles E. H. Orbell showed steadiness and resource... to drive A. Wallace, ex-New Zealand captain, to five' sets of strenuous tennis. Two representatives of the Maori Tennis Association, Howell brothers, made their debut at the meeting. P. Howell, meeting L. France, out of form, Shad him very hard pressed. E. Howell, for two . years Maori singles champion, was One set in and leading 5—2 and 7—6 against R. Howe, but failed to press liome his advantage.

The Wellington player, J. A. Parker, look two sets to get going against L Seay (Canterbury). Stedman aUp found it. hard to get going, losing the first set to his fellow Lees. C. Malfroy (Wellington) was in deadly form against, K. G. .Staiger (Auckland), winning 18 games in succession. The longest ladies' match of the tourney is likely to be the Marion Macfar-lane-Mrs. C./ Smith encounter. The third set lasted over an hour, Mrs. Smith winning, ~ 15—13 For a period Miss Nicholls was drfven hard by Mrs. W. A. Scott, who tired in the third set. Miss Brady's win from Miss Andrew, the Canterbury champion, was a surprise, though Miss Brady has played consistent tennis for seasons past.

Miss M. Myers had a good win against the New' South .Wales player, Miss N. Lloyd, losing a single game to Miss Lloyd's vigorous sporting opposition. It •was a stirring contest between two hitters.

In the men's doubles' Sandral and White had two ex-New Zealand representatives, Smyth, and Wallace, very bothered. Misses Knight and Fleming held Misses Nicholls and Howe at 4 —l in the third set and saw five games go against them in a row. It was thrilling tennis, Miss Knight's deadly net work being countered by Miss Nicholls' hard driving and the lobbing and neat volleying of Miss Howe. ,The winners combined better and played with great confidence and skill. Much interest" attached to the meeting of Mrs. Sturman and Miss Lloyd with ihe Wanganui players, Miss Myers and ||Mrs. Smith, as this was Mrs. Sturman's first appearance in a New Zealand championship since her illness eight years ago. She showed that she is nothing like her old self, but that at moments she can smash and volley in the old powerful manner that placed her above any other . lady of her day. They were never in | peril in the second set. .Another sur- ' prise came when Misses Wake and. (Andrew disposed of the Macfarlaiis [.sisters for the loss of only four games. (Miss Wake was deadly and her driving ! struck a level which she has not touched ; for years. Throughout the match she dominated the play. The Auckland pair eeemed unable to find their feeL Results were:—

MEN'S SINGLES. First Round.—Wallace (Taranaki) beat Drbell (Canterbury), 4—6, 6—5, 6—4, 3—6, 6—o; Gardner (Wellington)" won from Griffiths (Auckland) by default; Malfroy (WellingtonJ beat Staiger (Auckland), 6—o, 6—o, 6—o. Second Round.—D. G. France won from Dyer by default;' Smith beat Anderson, 6—o, 6—2, 6—l; Stedman (Auckland) beat Lees (Auckland), 3—6, 6—l, B—6; O'Brien (\Vellington) beat Morrison (Canterbury), 6—l, 6—3, 6—l; Seay (Canterbury) beat Parker (Wellington), 6—l, 6—2, B—6; Gifford Moore (Wellington) beat Beatson (Canterbury), 6—2, 6—o, 7—5; A. L. Kance (Wellington) teat P. Howell (Rangitihi), 7—5, 9—7, 5 —7, j 4—6, 6—l; Malfroy (Wellington) beat Ferkins (Wellington), 6—2, 6—2, .6 —0; Lampe (Wanganui) beat Part (Canterbury), 6—l, 6—3, 6—2; Sturt (Auck- - land) beat Barrer (Wairarapa), 6 —l, 6 —2, 6—l; Roussell won from Charters by default; Angas- (Canterbury) beat Melody (Wellington)', 6—2, 6—2, 6—o; R. Howe '(Wellington) beat Purvis (Canterbury), 6—2, 6—2, 6—4; Granville (Canterbury) beat H. V. Howe (Wellington), 6-1, 6-1. Third Round.—Seay beat Gifford Moore, 6—l, 6—3, 6—l. ■ 'LADIES' SINGLES. First Round. —Mrs. Thomson (Weiling•ton) beat Miss Lee (Wellington), 6—4, 6—2; Miss Preedy (Wellington) beat Miss Smithson (Canterbury), 9—7, 6—o; Mrs. Melody (Wellington) beat Miss Fleming .(Otago), 6-3, 6-4; Miss Brady (Wellington) beat Miss Andrew (Canterbury), 6—3, 6—4,; Miss Whvtc (Wellington) beat Miss Wake. (Canterbury;, 9—7, 6 —4; Mrs. Smith (Wanganui) beat Miss Marion Macfarlane (Auckland), 6—B; 6—l, 15—13; Miss Knight (Auckland) beat, Miss Park (Marlborough;, 6—l, 6—3: M'.ss Welch (Wairarapa) beat Miss Wood (Marlborough), 6—2, 6—3; Miss j Nicholls (Wellingtonj beat Mrs. Scott i ; (Tirnaru), 6—2, 3—6, 6—o. Miss I), j Howe (Wellington) beat Miss Macdonald j |(Wellington), 6-1, 6—l ; Mrs Adams ; (Wellington) boat Mi.ss Camei on (Wai- : rarapa), 6—l, G-.-3. i Second Round.—Miss Marjorie Mat-far- ! lane (Auckland) 1 .rat Miss M. Gibson ' (South Canterbury), 6—l, 6—3; Miss ' Myers (WanganuiJ bear, Miss' Llovd (New South Wales), 6—o. 6—l. MEN'S DOUBLES j First Round.—Angas and Sturt beat Dyer and Dyer, 6—o. 6—o, 6-0; Wallace i and Smyth beat White and Sandrill, 6-—4, 6—4, 4—6. 4—6, 6—4 ; Wilson and i Stedman beat Dart and Rent son, b—o. j 6—o, 6—l; Glanville ami Johns beat ! Melody and Perkins, 6—4, 6—2, 6—3; Foden and Thompson beat Roussell and K. Howe, 6—4, 6—7, 6 —4. 7 —5; D. G. France and Malfroy beat II Howe and L. Fiance won from Seay and Charters bv default; Howell and Unwell won from Griffiths and Williams by default Second Pound, —Lampe and 1,. France, beat Howell and Howell. 6—5. 6 —l, • 6—L ' LADIES' DOUBLES. First Round. —Mrs. Adams mid Mrs. Thompson beat Misses Cameron and Preedy, 6—2, 6—3: Misses Brady and iWelfch beat Misses Park and Wood, 6—4, B—6; Mrs. Sturman and Miss Llovd beat. : Smith and Miss'Myers, B—6, 6-2; tov ß6B and Why to beat blisses Longmoro, 6—3, 6—l; Misses HeKKL* l * Nicholls beat Misses Knight, '6-2, 2—6, 6—4; Misses •. beat Misses MacfarMwtourUne/- g_2 >

BO IS' SINGLES. , First Round.—Heonan beat Bedford, s—o, 6—3; Loughlin (Wellington) beat Carstens (Wellington, 2—6, 6—5, 6 —4; Robertson (South Canterbury) beat McLean (Wellington), 6 —l, 60; M. F. (Auckland) beat Dwyer (Wellington), 6—2); Howe (Wellington) beat Dohertv (Canterbury), 6—3 6—3; Davys (Wellington) beat Dickio (Taranaki), 6—3, 2—6, 9 —7; R. R. Lees (Auckland) beat Bush (Wellington), 6—o, 6—o: Christie (Otago) beat Young (Wellington), 6—3, 6—2; Ferkins (Wellington) "beat t'ullar (Canterbury), 6—2, 6—l; Mac Gibbon (Canterbury) ' beat Waters (Wellington), 6—2, 63 ;' Pender (Wellington) beat Brown (Wellington), 2 —6, 6—'l, 6-r-4> Second Round.—Morrison (Wellington) beat Wyeherley (Wellington), 6—o, 6—o GIRLS' SINGLES. First Round. —13. Stedman (Auckland) beat. A. Kean (Wellington), 6—2, 6 —l; .1. Morrison (Canterbury) beat J. Nathan (Wellington), 6—l, 6—3; D. King (Wellington) beat. <J. Wallace (Taninaki), 5—6, 6—3, 6—2; C. Longmore (Wellington) beat A. Graham '(Wellington), 1-6, 6-2, 6—o; M. Howe (Wellington) heat J. Burns by default. Second Round.—M. Elliot. (South Can-' terbury) beat M. Sutcliffe (Wellington), 6—3, 6 —o. HOYS' DOUBLES. First Round.—Robertson and Ferkins beat. Hurley and Dwyer, 6—3, 6—l. Second Round. —Lees and Lees beat Waters and Brown, 6—2, 6—5; Heenan and Dohertv beat Days and Elias, 6—2, 5—6, 6—o. 'COMMENTS ON THE PLAY. DEFEAT OF MISS M. ANDREW. STEDMAN PRESSED BY LEES. A. L. FRANCE BELOW FORM. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. J WELLINGTON. Monday. The first day of the tennis tournament did not pass without some surprises and it was a disastrous day for South Island ladies, Miss M. Andrew, Miss M. Wake, Mrs. W. B. Scott and Miss M. Gibson all being defeated. Had E. H. Orbell (Christchurch) been as good in .his volleying and smashing as he was in his ground strokes he would have s*one very 4 close to defeating A. G. Wallace, the veteran from Taranaki, but Wallace is a fit man and a great tactician. He kept boring in to the net where he volleyed and smashed to keep Orbell running. Fitness, experience and brilliant play from the net carried the day.

.4. C. Stedman (Auckland) played very shakily against R. R. Lees (Auckland). In the first set and for part of the fourth set he was outplayed by Lees, but Lees fell into errors, netting mostly with his forehand drives and his volleys because lie did not get close enough to the net. Stedman, when he found he could not play his usual driving game, steadied down more to careful placement. Parker and Seay.

Parker (Wellington) improved as liis game with Seay (Canterbury) progressed, winning many points in the third set with beautiful passing drives, particularly cross court from the forehand as Seay attempted to get close. In the first two sets Parker, who plays a sound placing game and a varied one, was unable to get going. He was kept moving fast, too, by Seay's placements in those sets. A. L. France (Wellington) met with a great surprise when he ran against P. Howell (Maori Association). France could not afford to take liberties and he won in five sets because he could not finish the match in less. Howell failed at the critical stages only because he became too anxious and hurried his strokes. The match showed that France has lost the power to finish off consistently when in a winning position and he will have to do much better if he wants to beat A. G. Wallace.

Easy victories were obtained by C. E. Malfroy (Wellington), E. B. W. Smyth (Nelson) 1 , B. R. O'Briyn (Wellington). M. L. Lampe (Wanganui), N. G. Sturt (Auckland), C. Angas (Canterbury) and D. F. Glanville (Canterbury). The Surprise of the Day.

Another free-hitting player is Miss W. Fleming, who brought off winning placements against Mrs. Melody. Miss Fleming, however, could not cope too well with Mrs. Melody's cut drive and did not get much satisfaction when she attempted Mrs. Melody's backhand.

The surprise of the day was undoubtedly the defeat of ZNliss M. Andrew (Canterbury, champion) by ZNliss E. Brady (Wellington), in straight sets. The victory was well earned. Miss Brady played like the great fighter she is. The marathon event of the day was between Miss Marion Macfarlane (Auckland) and Mrs. Smith (Wanganui), won by the latter in a 15—13 third set after Miss Macfarlane had led 5—2. Both players were steady, Mrs. Smith varying her length and direction better. M iss M. Gibson (Timaru) was quite outclassed by Miss Marjorie Macfarlane (Auckland) in a hard baseline driving game in which neither player varied her tactics, Miss Macfarlane because she had no need to and Miss Gibson because apparently she did not know how to change. The hardest fight in the ladies' doubles was between Misses Nicholls- and Howe and Misses Knight and Fleming. The standard was very patchy. Miss Fleming was easily the finest driver, of the four and Miss Knight was at times devastaing with her' volleying. Generally Miss Nicholls was netting badly and Miss Howe was caught because she was too 1 far back from the net for volleying. Miss Nicholls' service in the last game was unredurnablc.