LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20292, 28 December 1927, Page 10

LAWN TENNIS.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING. FEW SURPRISE RESULTS. SECOND DAY’S PLAY. (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, December 27. The New Zealand lawn tennis championships were continued in perfect weather, with a light easterly wind, ihe first round matches in the men s doubles were plaved in the morning, and the third round of the Men’s Singles and the second round of the Ladies’ Singles in the afternoon. All the contests were adjourned for an hour between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. as a mark of respect to the memory of the late R. D. Harman, who was for many years a prominent tennis official and an ex-player. _ A , As a result of the third round matches, the following eight players are left in the Men’s Singles championship:—Bartleet, Sturt and Laurenson (Auckland), Ollivier and Seay (Canterbury), L. France, D. France, and Malfroy (Wellington). In the next round Ollivier play.; Don France, Sturt plays Seay, Bartleet plays Malfroy, and Len France plays Laurenson. It is expected that Ollivier and Seay will contest the semi-finai in the top half, and that Bartleet should meet Laurenson in the other semi-final. Malfroy is suffering from a bad arm and may scratch. Bartleet. so far, has not had a severe test, and it is hard to predict how he will fare against Laurenson. Some critics believe he will win easily, but will go down to Ollivier in the final. Len France, hpwever, has to be reckoned with in this half. It must be remembered that Laurenson is rapidly playing himself into form. His defeat of T. W. Patterson (South Island champion) was impressive. No surprises occurred in the Ladies' Singles second round. The next round will see Miss Spiers play Miss Tracy, Miss Macfarlane play Miss Pattison, Mrs Adams (present champion) play Mrs Melody, and Miss Knight play Miss Wake. On present form Misses Spiers. Macfarlane, Mrs Adams, and Miss Wake should enter t he semi-finals. Miss Spiers is generally regarded ns a certainty for championship honours. The second round of the Men’s Doubles was interesting. France and France, Laurenson and Bartleet, Peacock and Wilson, and Ollivicr and Seay are all showing fine form. The winners should conic from them. Excitement was tense when Laurenson and Bartleet played Wallace and Parker. The game lasted two and a-half hours. At 5 all in the fourth set Wallace and Parker were in the van seven times, and only got the game after a keen struggle, taking the set at 7—5. The last set went to the Auckland pair at 6—4, in a fading light. The following arc the scores; — MEN’S SINGLES. Third Hound. Barlctt beat Melody, 6—o, (5 —2, 7 —5. Sturt beat Browning, 6 —o, 6—4, (Browning retired). L. France beat Wood, 6 —o, 6—l, 6 —2. Ollivier beat A. B. Loughnan, C—3, 7—5, o—o. D. G. Franco beat Dawson, o—4, 6—l, 6 Malfroy beat B. B. Loughnan, 6—3, 7 5, 4—o, o—4.0 —4. Laurenson beat Patterson, 6 —l, 6 —o, 7—5. Seay beat Peacock, 6—2, 6 —2, o—2. LADIES’ SINGLES. Second Round. Miss MacFarlnne bent Miss G. Rankin, o—2, C—3. Miss Spiers beat Miss Ramsay, 6 —2, 6 1. Mies Pattison beat Miss Jones, 6 —l, 6v —1. ‘Miss Knight beat Miss Partridge, 7—5, 5 6—3. Miss Tracy beat Miss Myers, 6—l, 3—6, 6 Mrs Adams beat (Miss Hoare, 6—4, 6—l. Miss Wake beat Miss Dallas, 6—fi, 6—3. Mrs Melody beat Miss East, 6—l, 6—2. MEN’S DOUBLES. First Round. Walker and Angas beat Crawshaw and M. G. Somerville, 6—o, 6—2, 6—3. Wilding and Borrows beat Tillman and Fleming 6—2, 6—3, 6—4. Knott and Sturt beat W. S. Somerville and Tait, 6 —4, B—6, 6—l. Sheppard and Robinson boat Penlington and Dawson, 6 —l, 6 —4, 6 —3. Greenwood and Goss heal Wood and Burn by default. Peacock and Wilson beat Smithson and Searle, 6- —1, o—3,0 —3, 6—l. Bagge and Coull beat Renton and Cullman, 6—4, 6—2, 6—4. Loughnan and Loughnan beat M‘Dougall and Sumpter, 6—l, 6—l, 10—8. Pearse and Melody beat Field and Denton, 6 —4, o—6, 2—6, 6—3, B—6.8 —6. Ollivier and Seay beat Hay and Forking, 6—l, 6—l, 6—o. Bartleet and Laurenson beat Munns and Orbell, 6 —2, 6 —2, 6—l. Wallace and Parker beat Aitken and Browning, 6—4, 4 —6, 6 —4, 6 —o. Second Round. Fulton and Boddy beat Sheppard and Robinson, 6 —4, o—3,0 —3, 3 —6, 6 —3. Walker and Angas beat Gerald and Barlow, 6 —3, 6—3, 6 —l. France and France beat Goss and Greenwood, 6—3, 3—6, 6—2, 6—3. Peacock and Wilson beat Borrows and Wilding, 6—l, 6—l, 6—2. Ollivier and Seay beat Bagge and Coull, 6—3, 6—3, 6—l. Laurenson and Bartleet beat Wallace and Parker, 6—l, 4—5, 6—l, 5—7, 6—4. Knott and Sturt beat Loughnan and Loughnan, 3 —6, o—2, 6—3, 6—l. (Malfroy and Lampe beat Pearse and Melody, G—3, 6—l, 6—l, <StfIXED DOUBLES, First Round. Miss E. Johnston and Browning boat Miss Campbell and Dawson, 6—2, 6—2. Miss East and Greenwood beat Miss Sowden and Goss, 6—4, 6—3. Mrs Pritchett and Field beat Miss Nicholls and Sumpter, B—6,8 —6, 4—6, 6—3. Miss Spiers and D. France beat Miss Ihwaites and Robinson, 6—4, 6—l. Miss Tracey and Wilson beat Miss Crawshaw and Crawshaw 6—l, 6 —o. Miss Partridge and Patterson beat Miss Dinnie and Rickart 6—2, 6—3. LADIES’ DOUBLES Second Round. Miss Adams and Miss Tracey beat Misses Jones and Dallas 6—4, 6 —l.' Mrs Buchanan and Miss Cotterill beat Misses Pattison and Sowden 6—3, 10—8. Third Round. Misses Spiers and Partridge beat Miss Buchanan and Miss Cotterill 6—3, 6—l. Misses MacFarlane and Knight beat Misses East and Myers I—6, B—6, 6—2. Misses Wake and Andrew boat 'Misses Rankin 6—l, 6—1,. NEW ZEALAND PLATE. First Round. Hay beat Steeds_ 6—4, 6 —2, 6—2. Munro boat Ponlingtou 5—4, 6—l, 6—o. Tait beat Crawshaw 6—4, 6—4, 6—4. Walker beat Stevens 6 —o, 6 —3, 6—3. Johnston beat Dive 6—2, 6—o, 6—3. Second Round. Angus beat W. Somerville 6 —l, 6—3, 6—o. NOTES ON THE PLAY. The third round of the Men’s Singles provided many good matches. A. B. Loughnan lost the first set to Ollivier 6—3. but then improved remarkably. In the second set ho beat Ollivier time and again with dean placements and snappy volleys. He led 4—l, but then became over-eager, losing the game on errors. Again al 5—3, and 40-15 Loughnan tried to clinch matters. He jost his accuracy, and Ollivier, nnpcrturablo as ever, drew' up to 5 all, eventually winning the set at 7 —5. It was his toughest fight to dale. The last set was Olhvier’s easily. His opponent had spent himself. Bartleet took ms sets without trouble from Melody, and then cased up. .Melody led 4—l in the last set, but Bartleet speeded, and won 7—o. Wood could not hold L. France at all. The Wellington man showed excellent form. Don France found Dawson particularly -toady, but lie won in throe sets with the io«s of nine, games. Clean hitting on both hands and bril i’.nnt serving helped Malfroy to defeat B. B. Loughnan in four interesting sets Loughnan made too many errors off eastballs in the first two sets, but he attacked with greater precision in the third, winning in 6 4. Malfroy was again on top in the fourth. His exhibition wa 5 much admired. Dr Lruircn-nn was even steadier than Patterson (('anterhiiry:. who has the reputa linn of slimness and pertinacity. Laurenson won in three sets, but there were many rallies of long duration, Laurenson had the better eye for an opening and was seldom ont-nuinreuvred. Seay, playing line tennis, had (Peacock's measure at every

stage. His forehand drive wag working with faultless accuracy, and when he came into the net his volleying was decisive. A good match in the Ladies’ Singles w_as that between Mis s Macfarlane and Miss Rankin, a young Canterbury player. The contest was closer than the scores, 6—S. 6—2, indicate. Miss Rankin made her opponent fight all the way. The Auckland girl volleyed beautifully and drove whh conssitent length, fast and accurately. Miss Spiers proved herself a first-class playei by allowing Miss Ramsay but three games in two sets. She hit vigorously and accurately. It took Miss Knight all her time to defeat Mis s Partridge. Both players came into the net often. It was bright tennis. Miss Wake, Mrs Melody, and Miss Pattison all had easy wins. One of the best Men s Doubles ol the day was that between France and France, of Wellington and Goss and Gre-nwood, of Canterbury, played on the ceiure court It wa s watched by a large galleiy. inanco Bros, excelled in severe overhead work ana cut' shots near the net, but their opponen ; stuck to them closely. The fourth set »• full of scintillatory shots. France and France had a - Hie more energy lett, and Uiif woii them the match.. Peacock and Wilson combined splendidly, and gave Borrows and Wilding no chance whatever. Laurenson and Bartleet were fully extended by Wallace and P. arker^“ d match went the full five sets Tins piovided the brightest tennis of the tournament to date. Wallace was the outstanding player of the quartet His net work was a revelation. Parker made too many errors at critical moments, otherwise the Aucklanders would not have won. Knott and Stuart, the present doubles champions, were patchy against Loughnan and Loughnan, and will have to play better to retain the title. , , The Ladies’ Doubles has reached the fourth round. The best pair? Jeft are Misses Macfarlane and Knight, Mrs Adams and Miss Tracey, and Misses Spiers and Partridge. In the Doubles, Loughnan brothers played brilliant tennis against M Dougall and Sumpter. They forced the pace and outclassed the Otago pair at the start, though the third set went to 10 », Sumpter being deadly for a period overhead. Pearse and Melody had a gruelling five-set match against Field and Denton. Pearse was back in form and very steady. Wallace and Parker made it fast and exciting against Aitken and Browning, and the tennis was spectacular right through, though the northern pair dominated the fourth set. SOUTHLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS. MISS LAWRENCE WINS LADIES’ SINGLES. (Per United Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, December 27. The Southland lawn tennis championships were played in fine weather. Competitors were present from the North and South islands. The ladies’ singles championsli.p was won by Miss Lawrence. It is the only championship so far completed. The finalists in the men’s singles are Sumpter (the present champion) and Chisholm (the New Zealand University champion). The finals in all sections will be played tomorrow.