TENNIS VISITORS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21698, 13 January 1934, Page 13

TENNIS VISITORS

AUSTRALIAN LADIES TEST MATCH COMMENCED GOOD LEAD OBTAINED [fiY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Friday At the end of the first day's play in the women's tennis test between Australia and New Zealand, played at Miramar this afternoon, Australia is. leading by five matches to one. Some of the play was brilliant, especially in the singles between Miss L. Bickerton (Australia) and Miss Mar--jorie Macfarlane (New Zealand), and between Miss N. Hall (Australia) and Mrs. H. M. Dykes (New Zealand). The only New Zealander to win a match was Miss D. Nioholls, who beat Miss N. Lloyd, manager of the visiting team, who was playing in place of Miss D. Dingle.

The games were played in a strong northerly wind, which, however, abated somewhat later in the day. The play resulted as follows: —

Singles.—Miss L. Bickerton (Australia) beat Miss Marjorie Macfarlane, o—3,0 —3, 6 —l; Miss N. Hall (Australia) beat Mrs. H. M. Dykes, 3 —6, 6 —2, 6 —3; Miss U. Valkenburg (Australia) beat Miss T. Poole, 6 —3, 6 —l; Miss N. Lloyd (Australia) lost to Miss D. Nicholls, 4—6, o—6.

Doubles.—Misses Bickerton and Hall beat Misses Macfarlane and Poole, 6 —l, 10—8; Misses Valkenburg and Lloyd beat Mrs. Dykes and Miss Nicholls, I—o, 6—4, 6—3.

PLAY DESCRIBED TWO GOOD SINGLES MISS BICKERTON IN FORM [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] WELLINGTON, Friday Two of the best matches of the afternoon were played simultaneously and the gallery found its attention very much divided. The matches were the singles between Misses Bickerton and Macfarlane and between Miss Hall and Mrs. Dykes. From the way Mrs. Dykes played in the first set against Miss Hall it seemed as though she would take the match without very much difficulty. In spite of three double faults in the first game she won it and went to a 3—l lead. Her forehand drive was at its best and she was concentrating on Miss Hall's backhand to good effect. There were some fine driving rallies and Mrs. Dykes' shots were finding corners more often than Miss Hall's. Unlike the Australian, who only left the back of the court when forced to do so, Mrs. Dykes was coming into the net behind her drives and finishing off the rallies with splendidly placed volleys. She took the first set 6—3.

Mrs. Dykes continued on her winning way at the beginning of the second set. In the third game she won Miss Hall's well-placed service from 40—15 and led 2—l. However, a definite change came over the match at this point. Miss Hall's lapse from accuracy had passed and now she was placing the ball down the side lines and generally outmanoeuvryig Mrs. Dykes. She had Mrs. Dykes on the move all the time. It was a fine exhibition of perfectly-controlled shots, and Mrs. Dykes found that her drives no longer had their former success, while her excursions to the net began to prove costly. Miss Hall won the set, 6 —2. After the interval Mrs. Dykes, for the first few games, was quite equal to Miss Hall, but at 3—all the Australian's persistency and beautifullyplaced shots began to have their effect. Mrs. Dykes was losing her length and was obviously tiring. Her shots no longer had their former sting, and she tfas being forced continually into error. With the score 3—5 against her Mrs. Dykes made another effort, and the following game was very exciting. After being down o—30, Miss Hall had match point at 40—30. She made mistakes after having match point on several more occasions, but finally won the match, 4—6, 6—2, 6—3. The match between Misses Bickerton and Macfarlane proved a splendid exhibition of hard-hitting tennis. Miss Macfarlane stood up to everything Miss Bickerton sent her from the back line and returned drive for drive in a most exhilarating fashion. Miss Bickerton, however, could do something more than drive, and it was her polished work at the net that gave her the advantage. When she could get her racquet on to the ball she rarely missed volleying for a straight-out " winner," and it was this, rather than any superiority from the base line that wore down Miss Macfarlane. Miss Bickerton was very sound overhead, and her ability to smash from anywhere on the court was a feature of the match. The Australian won the first set 6—3, after Miss Macfarlane had led 3—2. The rallies frequently were long, in spite of the fast pace, and Miss Bickerton had to produce her best to Avin. In the second set Miss Macfarlane was making more errors, b«it was still fighting hard for every point. Miss