LAWN TENNIS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23599, 7 March 1940, Page 14

LAWN TENNIS

BANKING MATCHES

PROBABLE LADIES' POSITIONS

SUCCESS OF MISS COOKE

The ladies' tennis ranking matches have now been substantially completed and no doubt an official list, based on the results of these and Auckland championship matches, will be issued shortly. It would seem that the first 12 positions will probably be as follows: —1, .Miss P. Cooke; 2. Mrs. W. G. Morse; 3, Miss M. Hodges; 4. Miss 13. Potter; o, Miss M. Macfarlane; 0, Miss R. Taylor; 7, Mrs. P. H. Potter; 8 Miss N. Syines; 9. Miss M. Wade; 10, Mrs. C. Partridge; 11, Miss B. Sherlock; 12, Miss J. McL. Wallace. The first two positions wore open to some doubt lip (o last week-end, as enrh player hail secured a win over the other. Miss Cooke won the ranking match with (lie loss of one game, but lost the semi-final of the Auckland championships to Mrs. Morse after three closo sets. A special match was played last weekend between Miss Cooke and Mrs. Morse to decide the first position, Miss Cooke securing a decisive victory, the score being o—'2,0 —'2, o—l.0 —1. The match was much more even than the score indicates, both players producing sparkling tennis. In spite of the fact that the contestants took risks in going for winners, tho proportion of earned points was very high. Miss Cooke owed her victory to the superior pace of her ground shots which she hit very hard and low and with excellent length. In the forecourt there was little to choose between the players. Every game and almost every point was strenuously contested but Miss Cooke held just that margin of superiority necessary to clinch the vital points. Miss Hodges' claim to third place rests on her victories over Miss 13. Potter, Miss R. Taylor (to whom she lost in their first encounter), Miss M. Macfarlane (by default) in ranking matches and to the set which she secured from Miss Cooke in the championships. Miss B. Potter's later ranking match results, ill which she beat both Miss M. Macfarlane and Miss K. Taylor in straight sets, made up for her earlier defeats by Miss N. Symes and Miss Taylor. She would appear to have established her position ahead of either Miss Macfarlane or Miss Taylor.

Miss K. Taylor is placet! ahead of Mrs. P. E. Potter, but this is admittedly open to criticism by reason of tlie Jatter's win when they met in the Auckland championships. In ranlving matches, however, Miss Taylor played against stronger opposition and her win over Miss N. Svmes was more decisive than Mrs. Potter's. Miss Syines had only two wins against Miss Potter and Mrs. Partridge respectively, but she secured sets from both Miss Hodges and Mrs. Potter and so establishes her right to the eighth position in preference to Miss Wade. Miss M. AVade had two three-set victories against Miss Symes, hut failed to win any other matches, although she won a set from Miss Taylor. The results of her matches aKainst Misses Potter, Hodges and Warren are, however, against her as compared with Miss Symes perforniances. Mrs. Partridge won her first match against Mrs. Potter, but lost the socond and also lost to Miss St. George and Miss Symes and seems the logical player to follow Miss Wade. The two last positions appear to be earned by Miss B. Sherlock and Miss J. McL. Wallace in that order, Miss Sherlock having won their ranking match. Both have beaten Miss L. Jeffries and Miss J. St. George and have won by default from Miss G. Bark. In placing the players who took part in these ranking matches, Misses J. Ramsay, J. Hansen, B. Warren and J. Wade have been omitted from consideration because thoir performances in the series are insufficient to permit comparative results.

PASCOE CUP SEMI-FINALS Tho semi-finals of the Pascoe Cup interhouse tennis competition were played at the Road courts last night. Conditions were ideal and there was a Jarge attendance. Results were as follows, the names of players of the first-mentioned team taking precedence: — _ Post Office and Savings Bank v. Guardian Trust' No. I.—A. Lamond and K. P. Rothville beat K. Patterson and J. Jellie. 6 —3, 6—3; C. Anderson and G. Zane beat R. Cato and A. F. Weir, G —4, 6—5. Post Office and Savings Bank won by 2 matches to 0. Dalgety and Company v. State Advances. —G. Brough and J. Vickerman beat C. G. Ellis and M. Aldred, 6—l,6 —i; E. Eliot and M. Laird lost to C. Bade and J. T. Harrison, 2 —6, 6 —3, 2 —6; Brough and Eliot beat Ellis and Harrison, 6—2, 2—6, 6—4. Dalgety and Company won by 2 matches to 1. The final will be played next Thursday between Post Office and Savings Bank and Dalgety -and Company. If time permits an exhibition match will be played between T. Spira and P. Wilson and A. Burns and J. T. Mayson.