LAWN TENNIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18753, 5 January 1923, Page 2

LAWN TENNIS

Br Smash. Tho two features of tho recent New Zealand Churiifnonship that were outstanding tho clear-cut superiority of the New "South Wales ladies and tho vindication by Ollivior of his supremacy in New Zealand tennis. In view of the sweeping success of the visiting ladies,- the inability of Miss Curtis to compete at the tournament is more than ever regrettable. Her presence quite probably would have materially affected the balance as between the Now South Wales and New Zealand ladies, and her absence must have been a great disappointment to the overseas ladies. Ollivier’s defeating of Inst year’s champion, Hr Laurenson, was decisive. Dr Laurenson was outplayed on tho day. Too great respect for his opponent evidently kept, him on the back lino, with the result that his most effective weapon, his overhead work, was not “functioning.” Ollivier, on the other hand, although playing unconvincingly in his earlier matches, had tho whole of his forces marshalled for the critical event, and conducted to a safe issue a masterful campaign. There need be little surprise that Ollivier should beat Laurenson. Infinite leisure seems to be essential to the making of tennis stars. Like Wilding, Ollivier is able to devote a great deal of time to tennis, and, in addition, he has had tho inestimable advantage of practice with quite a number of world-famed players. A. H. Lowe, when in New Zealand recently said of Ollivier—“He js very good indeed. He is almost in a different class from the others, and all he wants at the present moment is to play against people of his own class and then he would be as good os most. Ho volleys well, his ground shots are good, and his service is quite good.” Concerning the service ho added: “If I were asked I should say, ‘Go on with the same service, but sacrifice some of the break and get more pace.’ ” Congratulations to Miss Doris Hart for tho honour she has brought the Otago Junior Lawn Tennis Association in winning tho Girls’ Singles Championship of Now Zealand last week, and the Girls’ Cham-, pionship Singles of Hawke’s Bay this week. Miss Hart will be remembered by local players as the young lady who, with her schoolmate, Miss Herbert, reached the final round of, the Ladies’ Handicap Doubles at the last Otago Easter tournament. She is the holder of the Otago Junior Lawn Tennis Association challenge cup and also of the St. Hilda’s College tennis cup. Miss Hart’s win will be very popular with both senior and junior players as she not only plays an open, attractive game of tennis, but is a girl of charming disposition, and the very test of sports. Her win is all tho more. creditable in that it was her first essay on grass_ courts, and that her practice here was limited owing to an accident she met with in the local junior tournament and the wretched weather conditions of the weeks preceding the schools’ break-up. In the New Zealand Championship Miss Hart played on the offensive throughout, and won in each round in straight sets. In the first round she met an exceedingly good player in Miss Marjorie Lee, of Lower Hntt, and in the third round a most forceful player in Miss Freda Bennett, of Napier, and in, the final round she met Miss M. A. East, of Wellington, who was a finalist in last year’s New Zealand tournament. Miss Hart qiuckly adapted herself to tho conditions of play on a grass court, and before the end of the tournament was winning strokes by methods which she had seen successfully employed in the senior games. In the Hawke’s Bay tournament, which followed tho Now Zealand tournament. Miss Hart successfully defended her title against many of the same players, and added to her honours by winning the H.B. Girls Championship, an event .which was test of three sots, advantage sets, and the ago limit 18 or under. Mr Houston, who accom " panied Miss Hart to Hastings, says that tho credit of the win is entirely duo to Miss Hart’s own determination to win the honour for the Junior Lawn Tennis Association. She took the game seriously, studied her opponents’ play throughout, and denied herself everything that might militate against her chance of success. A strong contingent from Dunedin took part in the North Otago Association’s tournament at Dam urn, Moana Club being specially well represented. Duthie won the •Singles Championship, which provided a very good contest. His opponents included G. Sumpter, whom he beat 6—3, 6-r3, Glanvillo (6—l, 6—3). Mollison (6—2, 6—o), and, ,in the final. H. K. Sumpter (4 6. 4—6, 6—4. 7 —s > 6—l). The scores indicate tho keenness of tho final tussle. H. Sumpter had vanquished E. Boddy and W. Gregory, on his way to tho final, which he reaches! by defeating Guy, 7 —5, 2—6, 6 —2. Duthie and Guy', won the Champion Doubles, accounting.for the Sumpter Bros, in the semifinal, 6—2, 6—3, and W. Gregory and E. Boddy in the final, 6 —2, 6 —2, 6—l, Mrs Evans and Miss Sparrow were the survivors for the final ot tlm Ladies’ Singles Championship. Mrs Evans won the honour, beating Miss Sparrow, 6- 4, 6—3. The Ladies’ Doubles Championship was won by Misses Sparrow ami Pattison, who defeated Misses Nichols and Slater in the final, 7 —5, 6 —l. H. Sumpter (owe 30 2-6) won the Men’s Singles Handi cap., MisS Bolting (Moana) won tho Ladies' Singles Handicap from the owe 30 4-6 mark—a meritorious performance. Tho Ladies’ Handicap Doubles fell to Misses Pattison and Sparrow (owe 40). and tho Sumpter Bros, (owe 15 5-6) won the Men's Doubles Handicap, after narrowly defeating Sherriff Bros, in the semi-final by 9 —B. The Combined Doubles Handicap was won by Boddy and Mrs Evans. Otago players were also prominent on the prize-list at the Southland Lawn Tennis Association’s animal tournament at Invercargill. Dobie (St. Kilda) and Fulton (CosyDell) wero the finalists in tho Men's Singles Championship (24 entries), Dobie winning out in three straight sets, 6—4, 6 —2, 6—o. Fulton and his elnb partner, Wilkinson, annexed the Doubles Championship, beating Lindsay and Walker by three sets to one in the final. From the owe 30 4-6 mark Dobie and Miss Lowe ran out victors in tho Combined Doubles Handicap, their opponents in the final being a young pair. Thorn and Miss M’Kinna. Wilkinson and Fulton won also tho Men’s Handicap Doubles, boating M'Lachlan and Read in the final, o—4. Wilkinson and Dobie contested the final of the Men’s Handicap Singles, Dobie proving tho winner, 9—7. In the final of the Ladies’ Singles Championship, Miss Guest defeated Miss Hutton, 6 —l. I—6, 6—4. Miss Guest also won the Ladies’ Singles Handicap. Gilmonr was regarded as having an excellent chance for championship honours at Invercargill, and Wilkinson was probably expected to bo his most difficult problem. Fulton, however, created a surprise by defeating Gilmonr the scores being 2 —6. 6—l. 6—o. According to “ Pennon ” in the Southland Times. Gilmonr went to pieces in an unaccountable manner against Fulton, and after tho first set could do little right. Fulton commenced playing a free and easy game which had tho effect of putting Gilmonr clean off his drive and ground work. This led to Fulton taking tho second set, Gilmonr evidently being content to let this set go and concentrate on tho third. When the third set came along, however, Gilmonr was unable to do any better, and Fulton kept plugging away and, making few mistakes, took the set to love. Wilkinson was put out of the running by Hinton, who lost the first sot, but won the next two, 6—4, 6-4. At (he South Canterbury Association’s tournament at Timaru, Clark (Kaituna), Cramond (formerly of Balmacewen Club, but now a resident of Timaru), and Laurenson (formerly of St. Kilda Club), and Miss K. Black (Kaituna) provided a considerable share of tho interest. Clark’s chances for championship honours wero considered good, but ho was put out in the semi-final by Cramond, who was playing remarkably well. Cramond set off at a cracking pace, and had Clark in queer street for tho first five games, when the score stood five —love against the Duncdinite. Clark, however, made a praiseworthy recovery, and by dint of hard, consistent tennis drew level at five all. Then ho took tho next game, but Cramond got level at the half-dozen, and the set wont to the Timaru man, B—6. Tho second set was all Cramond’s, and ho run out 6—l. The winner was conspicuous with judicious placing and keen anticipation. In service there was not much between Ibo pair, but Clark had a habit, which proved expensive (o him, of getting above the ball in an overhead stroke and slamming the not. In the final, Cramond beat Sullivan. 6—3, 8- 6. Clark and Cramond won the championship doubles, beating in the iinul Roberts and Laurenson, 6—4, 12—10. In the final of the men’s handicap singles Cramond was beaten by Dr Waddel, 9—5. Miss Black (Kaituna) and Mrs Laurenson won the ladies’ championship doubles, defeating in the final Miss Green ami Mrs Bannorman, 5—6, 6—5, 6—5. In the course of this final Miss Black had a nasty fall, which necessitated her defaulting in two doubles finals tho next day.