LAWN TENNIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21542, 14 January 1932, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS

By Smash

FORTHCOMING EVENTS January 15 and 16.—Australian ladies’ team at Logan Park. January 15 and 16. —Otago v. Canterbury Wilding Shield match, Christchurch, January 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30. —New Zealand championships, Auckland. February 5 and 6. —Vincent tournament. Easter.—Auckland tournament. Easter.—-Wellington tournament. Easter.—Canterbury tournament. Easter. —Otago tournament. Easter. —Tuapeka Sub-association’s tournament. ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT “Thrown Out,” Outram. —The rule on the point is quite clear. It states: “In matches where an umpire is appointed his decision shall be final.” The assumption is that when an umpire is appointed, he has the approval of both sides. The position which arose in your case could have been obviated by the appointment of line umpires. NEW YEAR TOURNAMENT The unfinished finals in connection with the association’s New Year tournament were played off on Saturday afternoon, and in each instance a high-class exhibition was provided. Black and M'Dougall, “heroes of a hundred fights,” placed another championship to their credit when they defeated Pollock and Pearce in the final of the Men’s Doubles event. There were numbers of brilliant rallies throughout the match, and some of the volleying, notably that of Black, reached a remarkably high standard. ' The winners were very steady and accurate, and fine serving and driving on the part of M'Dougall, as well as good net play on the part of the Roslyn pair, paved the way to victory. They also showed a complete understanding, and were seldom caught out of position. Pearce

was driving and volleying well and smashing effectively when the opportunity offered, but Pollock was making a number of mistakes, which he retrieved by good recoveries on other occasions. Taken all round, it was a good sound exhibition of doubles play between two skilful and well-matched pairs. Black and M'Dougall won the opening set fairly comfortably, but in the second they were fully extended, and when Pearce and Pollock took •the lead at 6 —5 they had to fight hard to regain the lost ground. Two delightful volleys by Black evened the score, but Pearce took the next game on his service and again led. M'Dougall won his next service game easily, and then Pollock dropped his service to love, terminating the set at 9—7. The third set was wellcontested all the way, but Black and M'Dougall were too solid for the oppositon and made fewer mistakes, going out at o—4. -

Misses Pattison and White added another to their long list of tournament successes when they_ won the final of the ladies’ doubles in which their opponents were Misses Partridge and Fleming. It was a splendidly-contested match, marked by play of a very high standard, and the score of 11 —9, 7—5 shows how little there was between the two pairs. The winners showed excellent combination and their driving was very steady and well-placed, while Miss Pattison volleyed effectively at times. Miss Partridge and Miss Fleming were perhaps more aggressive and at times their play was brilliant, but there were lapses on other occasions of which their opponents took full advantage. The match showed that our ladies are in excellent form to meet the members of the New South Wales team. Black and Miss Partridge had. shown themselves such a strong pair in the earlier rounds of the Mixed Doubles Championship that their victory over Pollock and Miss Pattison in the final created no surprise. They won in straight sets —Q —l, 6—3—and in doing so they gave a delightful exhibition of bright, crisp mixed doubles play. The strength and accuracy of their volleying, and Miss Partridge’s fine smashing gave them the advantage almost throughout and for a pair who have not often played together their uuderstanding was admirable. Pollock and Miss Pattison did better in the second set than in the first, but on the whole they could not cope with.the sustained and accurate attacking methods of the other pair.

AUSTRALIAN LADIES’ TEAM The members of the Australian ladies’ team, the cream of the lawn tennis talent of the Commonwealth, will arrive in . Dunedin 10-day and will be assured of a very hearty welcome, both from the officials of the association and from the general body of players. The visitors come to us highly accredited and during the next two days followers of the game in Dunedin are looking forward to one of the finest displays of women’s tennis that will have ever been seen' in this city. The Australian ladies have only to play up to their reputation to furnish such a display. The personnel of the team is as follows: Mrs M. Molesworth, ranked third player in Australia. Miss U. Valkenburg, ranked sixth. Miss N. Hall, ranked ninth. Miss J. Hartigan, junior champion of Australia Miss N*. Lloyd, captain and manager.

Mrs Molesworth, who is the present Singles Champion of Queensland, is the possessor of a very fine backhand. She has won the Singles Championship of Australia on Ivo occasions, and with the exception of Western Australia, has held every State Singles title. She has never competed for the title in Western Australia. She has won the Singles Championship of Queensland on six occasions, three times being in succession. Miss Valkenburg is one of the best ladies’ doubles players in Australia, and is considered a very fine exponent of the mixed game. She was nominated second player for New South Wales at the Australian championships last year. Miss Valkenburg plays an all-round game, excelling in volleying. , . Miss Hartigan is the present junior champion of Australia. Although she is only 19 years of age, competent judges anticipate that she is the coming winner of the Australian Singles Championship.

She holds the city of Sydney Singles title, one of the best senior titles after the State title. One of the features of Miss Hartigan’s play is her forehand drive, which is outstanding in its strength. Miss Hall won the Australian Mixed Doubles title in 1930 with Harry Hopman, the Davis Cup player. With Miss Butsworth, the present Australian champion, she won the Queensland Ladies’ Doubles, and the Victorian Ladies’ Doubles. Miss Hall’s game was moulded by Hopman. Both Miss Hall and Miss Hartigan are considered two of Australia’s most promising players. The manager of the team, Miss Lloyd, is a member of the council of the governing body of New South Wales, She was runner-up with Mrs Utz in the Australian Ladies’ Doubles Championship last year. In the matches to be played at Logan Park to-morrow, Otago will be represented by Misses Partridge, Pattison, Calver, and White, all of whom are experienced players and may be relied upon to give a good account of themselves. On Saturday exhibition matches between the visitors and Miss Wake (Canterbury). Mrs W. A. Scott (Timaru), and some of the local ladies will be played. Adequate arrangements have been made for the entertainment of the Australian ladies, and it only remains for the weather to he on its best behaviour to ensure the success of the visit. WILDING SHIELD MATCH W. G. Robertson, S. G. M'Dougall, G. A. Pearce, and G. Sumpter have been selected to represent the Otago, Southland, North Otago, and South Canterbury Associations in a preliminary Wilding Shield match, which will be played in Christchurch to-morrow and on Saturday. The team is about as strong a one as could have been chosen, though the writer would have preferred the inclusion (if he were available) of W. E. Renton, of Timaru, in place of Sumpter. Renton is a much improved player and reached the final of both the Doubles and Singles at the South Island Championships. However, Sumpter is capable of brilliant play on his day, and, with the other members of the team, should make a good showing, though the southerners will be at a disadvantage through having to play on grass. The Canterbury team will comprise C. Angas, H. A. Barnett, D. F. Glanville, and T. W. Patterson. MR KEITH WEBLING The transfer to Wellington of Mr Keith Webling involves a serious loss to the Roslyn Club, of which he has been

a member for many years, and also to the game generally in Otago. A genial personality and a spirit of true helpfulness have made him deservedly popular and he will be accompanied to his new sphere by the good wishes of a wide circle of friends on and off the courts. Both as a player and as a '‘worker,” Mr Webling has done a great deal for the game in Dunedin. He has been an active member of the Otago Association for a number of years and is at present a vice-president of that body. He constituted one of the original members of the Works Committee for the laying down of the Logan Park courts and his practical knowledge and sound judgment were of great value in the acquisition and laying out of a property that is a monument to the energy and enthusiasm of himself and those who were associated with him. In making him a presentation on Monday night the president of the association paid a fitting tribute to the services rendered by Mr Webling and the sentiments expressed by Mr Phillipps will be endorsed by the general body of players in Dunedin. NOTES Prior to the New Year tournament, Miss Calver defeated Miss Partridge in a long match B— 6, 3— 6, 8- — 6. During the tournament Miss Partridge reversed this result by defeating Miss Calver .n the semi-final 6—3, 6—B, 6 —3. In the course of his comments on the recent Wellington tournament, “ Forehand,” of the Dominion, writes:—A cleverer player than Ferkins, and indeed one of the cleverest players, in the tournament, was H. S. Wilkinson. Ferkins heat him, but only because of his chasing abilities. Wilkinson, had he more punch in his volleys, and a better depth with them, and a harder forehand drive, would have gone much further. On numerous occasions he had Ferkins running the wrong way. Amongst the men players engaged in the South Island championships W. G. Robertson was the, outstanding exponent, his career in the Singles Championship showing marked superiority over his opponents. In the Men’s Doubles Championship (says the Timaru Herald) his partner was evidently suffering from lack of practice, and showed a lack of mobility in coping with the speed of Renton and Souter, In the Mixed Doubles final Robertson and Loughnan both gave a verv fine display of net work, and the final set was a fititng wind-up of the tournament. Robertson pulled the match out of the fire in fine style. Sunday play has not taken on at Wilding Park (says the Christchurch Star), and there is no particular reason, but rather a number of influences at work. One is that the present hard times make for care in the spending of money—3s to many people is a great deal to spend on an afternoon’s tennis. To make play more popular and the merits of the grass court game better known, the charge will have to be reduced. Those who were expected to patronise Sunday play _ at Wilding Park have failed the association, so there is only the choice of closing the courts or encouraging players to come by lower charges.

R. A. COURT DEFEATS BARTLEET R. A. Court became North Island champion by virtue of two very fine wins, the first over E. L. Bartleet, the Auckland champion, who was generally expected to win the event, and the second in the final against 11. M‘L. Ferkins. Court was definitely the better player. If Bartleet expected an easy victory he was soon disillusioned bya player who showed greatly improved form on the previous day’s performances. With a very short swing back, both on his forehand and backhand, and a clean hit and follow through he had the ball well under control throughout the match. If Court’s weaker service gave Bartleet no trouble, neither did Bartleet’s service trouble Court. The game was mainly from the back line. The excursions of cither to the net usually meant the winning of the point. The driving of both was usually too accurate to allow the opponent to take liberties in making net attacks. Both concentrated on the backhand, a department in which Court to-day was more reliable and faster. If he went to the net it was usually on a drive to Rartleet’s backhand. He used with profit excellent corner to corner driving, finishing off with a fast one to the same spot twice

running to catch Bartleet on the wrong foot, or volleying sharply across court to the backhand when Bartleet was preparing for one on the forehand. Bartleet fought hard for the last two or three games, making perfect volleys from the net, but the passing shots at Court were too sustained, and he took the match.

UNION NOTES A GRADE. Winners of all three sets were Misses Meinung and Sutherland and L. Kaye (Forbury). Misses Hope and Kennedy and L. Hope (Wakari), and Mise Rae (First Church). Knox v. Forbury.—A close finish in this match was hardly looked for, as Knox were playing with three substitutes, their second and third man and fourth lady being absent, Forbury were also playing a substitute in the fourth lady’s position. Wallace, Knox’s fourth man, proved a good substitute, being the only man to win his singles. His permanent inclusion in the team would probably strengthen the Knox side. The standard of tennis on the whole was much below the games at the end pf the first round, due no doubt to the intervention of the holidays and the lack of any combined team practice. Knox’s ladies, in particular, seemed to be suffering. Wakari v. First Church. —Wakari, by defeating First, showed that they will be a much harder team to defeat in this round. The three members of the team who played Mornington last week each won their three games. The ladies’ games and the Mixed Doubles were evenly divided, Wakari winning by securing four out of the six men’s games. Both the first man’s and the first lady’s singles went to advantage sets, Miss Salmond defeating Miss Reid and L. Hope defeating Dr North, B—6. Misses Salmond and Rae again won their first Ladies’ Doubles, These ladies have lost only one doubles game so far this season. BI GRADE. Winners of all three sets were Miss O’Gorman, and H. Facer, Hardy, and Pickerill (Ravensbourne); Mise B. Asher and Sadd and Trotter (St. Leonards). The results of Saturday’s games still leave Forbury and Ravensbourne at the top of this section. 811 GRADE. Winners of all three sets were Miss Rowse and M‘Lay (Forbury); Miss Jarvis and Cairney (Ravensbourne); Mies Taylor (Methodists); Mies Whyborn and Ramage and Whyborn (Kiwi); Elder and Sims (Kensington).

Forbury is now leading this section, with Knox and Kiwi equal in second place. NOTES. Results of ladder matches played recently are as follows:—W. Gibson beat L. Kaye, 9—6; H. Jeffs beat A. Hay, 9 —7; I. Morrison beat R. Facer, 9 —3; Miller beat L. Keay, 9—6; Mies Rosevear beat Miss Read, 9 —6. Matches to be played on Saturday are Knox v. Forbury in the Bl section and Ravensbourne v. Forbury in the 811 section. As the visiting Australian ladies will be playing here on Saturday it was hoped to avoid playing any matches, but in order to make out a suitable draw for the second round it is necessary that the 811 match at least should be played. A point which the writer has intended to mention for some time is the number of double faults served in some matches. The attitude that “ there is absolutely no excuse for double faults in matches” is stretching the point rather much, but nevertheless they should be few and far between. The most evident reason for this double-faulting seems to be an undue haste in serving the second ball. If players took more time in delivering the second serve much of this double-faulting would disappear, and so fewer points would be “ thrown away.” Let us have your repairs! Guys Ltd., tennis specialists. Note new address: 47 Moray place, opposite Y.M.C.A. Phone 11-775.— Advt.