LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19066, 11 January 1924, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS.

NEW SOUTH WALES TEAM’S TOUR. DEFEATED BY WELLINGTON. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTTON, January 10. After being down by one match at uie end of the first day’s play Wellington had a complete and somewhat unexpected victory over the New South Wales team today, winning five out of six matches, and thus taking the rubber. Wellington is the first provincial team to defeat tne visitors. The second day’s play was a great improvement on the previous day. The standard of play .all round was higher, and “the local ■men were more confident. Peach, however, suffered a slight injury, which troubled him. Reid was badly tired at the finish of the final series. The final result was:— Wellington: Eight matches, 19 sets, 165 games. New South Wales: Five matches, 14 sets, IS3 games. Poulton, who had to put himself under doctor’s orders at the end of the first day’s play was not available, and, by mutual consent, his single with D. G. France was cancelled, and Goodman substituted in the doubles. Beyond that the contests went off very well, and th e Wellington men thoroughly deserved their win. L. France always had Reid thinking in his single with the first man of the Australian team. Reid strove for a net position all through, and punished any short chops hy France severely. He was, however, net always quick enough to cover straight shots, and France, mixing his game well, varied short passing shots with lobs and sharply angled drives to his opponent’s feet. The result was never in doubt, and Franco won, 6 —l, 6 —2, which no more than reflected his superiority on the day. Reid made some good recoveries, taking five points in a row once by his service and smashing after having been down o—4o, but ho was forced into errors. White-Parsons, after letting Peach have it all his own way in the first set with the Australian, won 6—2, and ran out a winner, 5—4, 7 —5, Peach Jed 4—l in the final set, and lost four games on end. In three of these ho scored only one stroke. Wheeler meantime defeated Pike 6—4, 6—4 in the base-line contest, in which the Wellington man proved sligntly steadier. There was some first class doubles play and some very dull patches. In the match between L. France and D. G. Franco and Reid and Pike, the former pair hacl to fight all the way for the first set, though they hold a slight advantage, whereas the Australians wore decidedly superior in the second set, in which they led s—l,5 —1, and won 6—3. In the second last sets the France brothers went ahead at 5 3 when Pike lost his service after a long and close struggle, in which the honours ‘were oven, and ran out winners, 6—2, 3—6, 6 Barkman and Wheeler similarly outplayed Peach and Goodman, 6—2, in the first set, but were beaten by canny play in the second sot at a similar score. The third set went to the Wellington pair, 6—3, on their opponents’ errors. Reid and Pike boat White-Parsons and Parker. 6—4, 6 —l. After a good first set in which the Australians led s—l, they slumped, and then again asserted themselves.