LAWN TENNIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21538, 9 January 1932, Page 10

LAWN TENNIS

AUSTRALIAN LADIES’ TEAM TOURNEY AT WILDING PARK MRS DYKES REACHES THE FINAL (Peb United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, January 8. An Australian v. New Zealand final will be seen at Wilding Park to-morrow when Miss N. Hall, a member of the visiting Australian team, will meet Mrs H. M. Dykes, the Dominion champion, in the Singles event of the invitation tournament. To-day Miss Hall beat Miss D Nicholls, and Mrs Dykes beat Miss J. Hartigan, another Australian playei in the semi-final of the event. The semifinals of the Women's Doubles and Mixed Doubles events will be played to-morrow morning, and the finals during the afternoon. The great disappointment ot yesterday s play was the withdrawal of Mrs M. Molesworth, first player of the visiting team, from the Doubles and Mixed Doubles, as the result of a strained arm. Mrs Molesworth was obviously not at her best when she was beaten on the first day by Miss Hall, and, although she pluckily took the court in the Doubles with Miss Hall against Misses B. Gould and M. Gibson yesterday, her arm caused her such distress that she had to have it bound up after the first set, and was unable to continue after four games of the second had been played. Although she lost the first set to Miss Hartigan, Mrs Dykes did not look _a loser at any stage of the match, and in the second and third sets she definitely established her superiority over the Australian. Mrs Dykes offered no weakness for her opponent’s powerful forehand to find, the New Zealand champion handling the fiercest drives coolly and accurately on either hand, returning speed with yet more speed, and skilfully working her opponent out of position for a winning drive or volley from the short court. Miss Nicholls, in the semi-final against Miss Hall, was evidently greatly distressed by the heat in the second set, and went down decisively to the fast-moving and persistent Australian player. Miss Nicholls obviously did not have the energy necessary to last out the long rallies that Miss Hall revelled in, and in trying to score too quickly she fell into errors. Miss Hall again impressed by the all-round soundness of her play, which was marked by no great speed, but by wonderful accuracy in all her strokes and by an ability to return the most difficult shots. Christchurch enthusiasts had almost despaired of seeing in action the Auss Nicholls who has earned such a nigh reputation in the North Island when she produced some wonderfully good tennis in the quarter final of the mixed event, and with T. Rhodes-Williams defeated Miss Hartigan and D. F. Glanville in straight sets. This was one of the most brilliant exhibitions of the day, the winners setting up an attack that swept the Australian player and her partner off the cour t. Miss Nicholls served splendidly and volleyed and smashed with power and precision, and had a large share in the making of the openings which Rhodes-Williaras turned to good account with cleanly-placed volleys and smashes. .. . . Another Australian player was eliminated from the Mixed Doubles when Miss M Wake and H. A. Barnett beat Miss U. Valkenburg and T. W. Patterson in a fine exhibition. Miss Wake also played splendid tennis. Her hard and accurate driving and Barnett’s indefatigable retrieving proved too solid a proposition for the losers. The last Australian survivor in the event is Miss Hall, partnered by J. H. W. Sheppard, and this pair had a long and close struggle to reach the semi-hnal , against Miss M. Andrew and P. G. Greenwood. , , , , . The semhfinalists in the women s doubles are Misses Gould and Gibson, -Misses Andrew and Wake, Mrs Dykes and Miss Nicholls, and Misses Valkenburg and Hartigan. The retirement of Mrs Molesworth and Miss Hall detracts considerably from the interest in this event. Tim semi-final between Mrs Dykes and Miss Nicholls and the Australians. Misses Valkenburg and Hartigan, promises to be one of the best matches of the tournament, for each pair played brilliant tennis in the preliminary rounds.

The results are as follows; — SINGLES. Semi-finals. Miss N. Hall (Australia) beat Miss D, Nicholls (Wellington), 6—2, 6—4. Mrs H. M. Dykes (Wellington) beat Miss J. Hartigan (Australia), 3 —6, 6 —3, 6—2. DOUBLES. First Round. Misses U. Valkenburg and J. Hartigan (Australia) beat Misses J. Morrison and I. Poole (Canterbury), 6—l, 6 —o. Second Round. Misses B. Gould and M. Gibson (South Canterbury) beat Mrs M. Molesworth and Miss N. Hall (Australia), 3—6, 3—l (retirMisses M. Wake and M. Andrew (Canter bury) beat Misses E. Johnston and M. Sherris (Canterbury), 6—l, 3—6, 6—2. Mrs H. M. Dykes and Miss D. Nicholls (Wellington) beat Misses T. Poole and N. Dick (Canterbury), 6—o. 6—4. Misses Valkenburg and Hartigan beat Miss N. Lloyd (Australia) and Mrs W. A. Scott (South Canterbury), o—3, 14—12. MIXED DOUBLES. Second Round. Miss M. Andrew and P. G. Greenwood beat Miss T. Poole and J. O’Malley, 6—3, 6~4. Miss D. Nicholls and T. Rhodes-Wil-Jiams beat Mrs H. M. Dykes and H. M. Dykes, 6—3, 6 —3. Miss J. Hartigan and D. F. Glanville beat Miss N. Lloyd and R. Browning, 6—l, 6—2. Third Round. Mrs W. A. Scott and B. B. Loughnan beat Mrs M, Molesworth and C. Angas by default. Miss N. Hall and J. H. W. Sheppard beat Miss M. Andrew and Pi G. Greenwood, 5 —7, B—6,8 —6, 11 —9. Miss D. Nicholls and T. Rhodes-Wil-lianis beat Miss Hartigan and D. F<. Glanville, 6—3, 7—5. Miss M. Wake and H. A. Barnett beat Miss U. Valkenburg and T. W. Patterson, 13—11, 4—6, 6—4.

MATCH AT WELLINGTON (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, January 8. The New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association announced to-day that the New South Wales ladies’ team will play at Wellington on Friday.and Saturday, February 12 and 13. The precise nature of the matches has yet to be determined. VISIT TO DUNEDIN One of the host important lawn tennis events of the year will be the visit to Dunedin of the New South Wales ladies team on Friday and Saturday next. The visitors are undoubtedly the finest four women playex*s who have visited New Zealand, and they are in the first flight of the game. Qn Friday the Australians will play matches against the best ■vOtago players, and on Saturday the New South Wales ladies will play exhibition matches amongst themselves, when the public should be treated to an outstanding display. . , . The visiting team is composed of Mrs Molcsworth Misses Valkcnburg, Hartigan, and Hall, with Miss Lloyd as manager and non-playing captgiu. The present Australian ranking of the players is: Mrs Moles worth No. 3, Miss Valkenburg No. 6. Miss Hartigan No. 9. Miss Hall is the Australian junior champion for girls under 21. Miss Hartigan will undoubtedly be the draw of the team, and her present ranking gives no indication of her ability as a player, and if she had taken part in this year’s Australian chainpionships she was expected to be ranked within the first three.

NORTH ISLAND TOURNAMENT (Per United Press Association.) PALMERSTON N., January 8. The North Island championships were concluded this morning. In the Mixed Championship Doubles Roddy and Mias

Cnmmcrfield (Feilding) beat Robertson and Mrs Beattie (Palmerston North), C—4, 7—5. CHANGE OF COURT. The BT Grade match Taicri v. Cavoreham, which was to have been played at Mosgiel to-day, will now be played at Cavershamu