HOLDERS' SUCCESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22954, 4 February 1938, Page 13

HOLDERS' SUCCESS

CANTERBURY PLAYERS AUCKLANDERS INCONSISTENT MISSES BEVERLEY IN FINAL Misses T. and I. Poole, of Canterbury, holders of the ladies' doubles championship, overwhelmed their opponents in the first set of their match yesterday. Both hit with severity from the back of the court as well as at the not. Misses Bishop and Cooke played some good shots, but were inconsistent. Their overhead work was strong and from such strokes their opponents made many fin© recoveries. The Aucklanders had their initial success when Miss Cooke took her service in the opening game of the second set. The Poole sisters, however, were equal to all efforts at lobbing them from away from the net position, Miss Thelma dealing severely with anything at all loose. Miss Cooke again won her service and then, by accurately placed lobs, she and her partner had their opponents on the run and caused them to make more mistakes. The games were level at three-all and four-all before Misses Poole captured Miss Cooke's service, and followed this up by winning the next game and set and match. There was some very good tennis in this sot, the losers holding their own well in all departments. The Beverley sisters ran into a 3—l lead against the South Island visitors, Misses Gould and Miller. They then overdrove and netted many returns, and, when Miss Margaret lost her service, the games wore level at 3-all. The sisters held the odd game lead to 6 —5 and then Miss Nessie won her service to take the set. Misses Beverley displayed better combination in the second set and both were more accurate at the net. Their opponents were able to win but one game in this set. Miss Miller played a very steady game and made fewer errors than her partner.

MEN'S DOUBLES WAfKATO PAIR DO WELL ADVANTAGE IN FIRST SET Stedman and Coombe were not allowed their own way in the first set of the men's doubles against Livingstone and Roach as the Waikato men hit hard and their shots went in. While the bombardment took place the experience and power of Stedman and Coombe could not stem the tide. In the second set the Waikato pair became more erratic, but it was a pleasant set to watch, with hard hitting by everybody. All players scored winners, but Stedman and Coombe were more consistent. The last two sets saw them forge ahead, to lose only two games, but the sets looked better than the score indicated. In the second match Penfold and Pattinson, a seeded pair, went down to Wilson and Smith in 3 sets to 1. Rain set in at 4-all and play was postponed for over an hour. Wilson and Smith won the ninth game, principally, on the overhead work of the lastnamed, who put much, vim into his smashes. Tho Auckland pair had five set points in tho 10th game, but mistakes by Smith, who outed, enabled the visitors to draw level at 5-all. Their steadiness and imperturbability enabled them to win the set at B—6. Tbe Auckland pair then had a great run. Smith hit hard and again and again raised the chalk. Play alternated to 4-all when the luck went to Auckland and they broke through Penfold's serve to even sets at 6—4. The third set was more of a walk over so far as the score was concerned. Wilson and Smith both continued to hit hard, the Canterbury pair, wilting under a fierce bombardment, allowed themselves to be beaten for the net position. Such proved bad tactics and, although Pattinson played some accurate ground shots, the Canterbury pair could not hope to win from the back of the court. The visitors did not seem to put as much life into tho fourth set as was required, and played tennis of a steady rather than brilliant nature. On the Day Wilson and Smith were a hard pair and only greater experience than that possessed by their opponents would have stopped them in this vein.