LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19617, 22 October 1925, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS.

Bt Smash. The inter-club competition was set on foot for the season on Saturday afternoon with the opening rounds of the A and C grade matches. Fortunately the weather had cleared up definitely, and although some of the courts were subject to a fair amount of wind it would perhaps savour of ingratitude to lay too much stress on this circumstance.

The A grade fixtures at once revealed the strength of the University team, which seems likely to go through the competition with an unbeaten record Otago were able to place a fairly strong team in the field, but they were no match for the University players more particularly in the ladies’ events. One of the best games of the day was that between Chisholm and Brny, the ex-Otago champion being fully extended to win. The University man began strongly and ran to a lead of B—s but at this crucial point be became erratic, and Bruy, taking full advantage of his opponent’s lapse evened the score at S nil, and went on to win the odd game. Chisholm, who hails from Auckland, and learned a good part of his lawn tennis at AVaitaki High School, plays a strong driving game, and with a little more experience should take a high place. AA r atson, who represented Auckland in the University tournament last year, failed to strike form in the early stages of his match with Page, and at S—o in favour of the latter it looked like being a love set. The next five games, however, went to Watson, but he had too much leeway to make up, and Page won the fourteenth game and the set. Fulton was too stady and accurate for Boddy, whose game on the day lacked finish and Mercer was able to hold the upper hand against Deakcr. In the first nien’s doubles Fulton and Watson scored a meritorious victory over Bray and Page, whom they beat o—6. Page was rather off colour in this match, and the Otago pair, who did not combine well, were forced into many awkward situations by the steady and accurate play of their opponents, who gave an outstanding exhibition of the doubles game. In the ladies’ singles Miss Ballantyno proved altogether too strong for Miss Todd, although the latter has no need to bo discouraged, for sho possesses good strokes on the' forehand, and with more experience should develop quite a good game. "Miss Romans, who defeated Miss Cook, is an improved jilayor, and her vigorous rnet.hods are very effective. She should do even better as the season advances. Miss AVitherow has also struck form early, and Miss Slater, of Oamafu, played a sound, consistent game, which was of .much service to her partners. The XT niversity pairs showed admirable combined play in the mixed doubles, with the exception of Watson and Miss Ballnn(yne, who went down 9 —o to Pago and Miss Cook. In this rubber Page played brilliantly, and the effective lobbing of his partner gave him many opportunities to bring off his strong smashes at the net. The match resulted in a decisive win for University by 10 sets to four. Apart from the success of University, the most outstanding feature of the day’s play was the defeat of Kaituna by 10 sets to four at the hands of Cosy Dell, which is making a. reappearance in the senior grade. The men proved to be fairly evenly matched, and most of their games were keenly contested, but the Cosy Dell ladies quite over-matched the opposition and won their sets by comfortable margins. In the men’s singles Moody faced Jensen, and although the latter is an improved player he could only win four games in 13 from his more experienced opponent, who seems to have struck form early. W. Sherriff. who, with his brother, was making his first appearance for Cosy Dell, held the upper liand against Phillips, and ran out a winner 9 —6. Jenkins has not yet struck form, and was easily defeated by Bridgman, Put this reverse was offset by Cleghorn, who did not allow R. Sherriff a single game. The men’s doubles produced two very fine contests for such an early stage of the season. Moody’s strength overhead and sound volleying by Phillips gave the first Kaituna pair the victory over the Sherriff brothers by the odd game, and in the other match Jensen and Bridgman by good team work deferited .Cleghorn and Jenkins 9 —6. In the ladies’ singles Miss White. playing a nice driving game, beat Mrs M’Kellar, 6—2. and Miss Hart, fulfilling her earlier promise, easily defeated Miss Anderson. The ladies’ doubles both went to Cosy Dell, although in the first pairs’ match Misses Hart and Turner only defeated Mrs MTvellar and Miss Anderson bv one game. In the mixed doubles Cleghorn and Miss Anderson scored a win over Jensen and Miss Turner, but the three remaining matches wore all won bv Cosy Dell. Moana. with a fairly well-balanced team, beat Roslyn by nine sets to five. Black, who takes plenty of risks, is usually capable of fully extending Guy, arid on bnturdav afternoon the score went to seven all before the Moana player forged ahead to win. Duthie, who suffered a lapse from form last year, beat Gale 9 —4. but the latter inny be expected to show better form than this' score would indicate. Bennington. who appears to have strengthened his game, accounted for J. L. Gregory 9-3 hut C. M'Dougall was altogether too steady for O’Connell, and won comfortably. Guv and Duthie, the provincial champions, showed good form in their doubles game, and repeated their score of last year t Black- and Gale, whom they defeated 9—3. Gregory and M’Dougall gave •i good exhibition of the doubles and after a well-fought; encounter they triumphed over Bonningbon ami 0 Gonlel| 9-7. Mrs Gale, playing vigorouslv and accurately, defeated the Otago lady champion, Miss 1 attison, 6 2 but in the other ladies’ singles Miss Aleaxnder gained rather a su p I victory over Miss M’Adam. The ladies doubles iike the men’s doubles, were "Tirt id tS A SbuTS and Guv S Miss Gale*B—3. Good showings Bagiev 'lordan!!, aud° Slander. S’ of I 'the American?, 0 hf prof,« “hat ifVacoste were in the team next yea Wanco would be \evy hard to beat. I sow Tikien heat. Ernesto in the final, he said “after the Frenchman three or four times needed only the match point to win In fret, when ho was two sets m an needed only one point to win in stiaight sots, Lacosto was unlucky enough toMia e <« * Zeal ami "Continued P a tier that Borotra was onW a volloyer, but the fact was that while his forehand was a kind of chop stroke, which he used in order to come up to the net, his backhand was very forcible; in fact" it was probably the most severe backhand of any player in the game to day —even more severe than that of Johnston. Patterson added that a visit from either an American or a French the com in" season was very unlikely, as the leading players of neither country wore a '(h! al |ho day following their arrival the Australian Davis Cup representatives played a series .of exhibition matches against the leading players in Auckland, who, despite the fact that the visitors had just lam.od from a sea voyage, made a highly creditable showing. In the afternoon play took place on the Stanley street courts, where Patterson and Hawkes owing 15, were matched against Griffiths and Brnisden. The visitors took the first three games, winning the set: 6-?. ami the second set 1, The Aucklanders gained more confidence in the third set and carried the score to six games all; hut the Australians then won the. two deciding mimes. Ihe Auckland pair (says the New Zealand Herald) wore, of course, outclassed, but both scored at times with nice placements. The Australians, who showed faultless combination, generally managed to work their opponents out of position. In a singles game Hawkes defeated Patterson 6—4. 6 —4. The winner played consistently In Patterson’s backhand, and it, was to these tactics that he owed his success, in the evening further matches were played on the new (’live road courts at Mount Eden, and a fine exhibition of the game was provided bv the doubles match between the Australians and Bartleet. and Robson, the visitors winning 6 —4, 4—6, 9 —7, after a keen contest. The defeat of Hawkes by Griffiths 6—2, 6—3, came ns a surprise, especially afto" Hawkes’s win over Patterson in the afternoon. The Australian, however, did not seem at homo on the court, and his play lacked the confidence shown earlier in the day. He gave a disappointing display, and seemed frequently to misjudge, the ball. In the final match of the series Patterson beat Bartleet 4 —6, 6 —4, 6 —4, the Aucklander making an excellent showing against his formidable opponent.