LAWN TENNIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21648, 19 May 1932, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS

By Smash. The Roslyn Club brought a highly successful season to a close on Saturday afternoon by defeating Anderson’s Bay in the final of the A Grade competition by 11 matches to 5. Congratulations are due to the gill club on this achievement, for this year’s senior competition has been one of the most open, for a_ number of seasons, and the outcome was in doubt to the very end. By dint of the greater consistency of its players, the honours went to Roslyn, and this club, which has always numbered in its ranks several of our leading players, is entitled to hearty felicitations on its success. M'Dougall showed a maintenance of the fine form which has distinguished his play this season by a decisive victory over Pearce, who did not put up, his usual resistance, and won only four games. The Roslyn man was both accurate and severe, and held the upper hand throughout. Ross has shown improved form this year in both singles and doubles, but his opponent on Saturday, Black, proved more than a match for mm. Black, who was placing well and taking the net whenever opportunity offered, won by nine games to five. Gregory and Barsdel! staged a long tussle between two hard battlers, and victory eventually went to the Anderson’s Bay player by the odd game. Barsdell, it may be remarked, won each of his three matches. In the fourth Men’s Singles Mollison entirely outplayed Hamer, who secured only one game. In the Men’s Doubles Hamer, partnered by Pearce, gave an improved display, and M'Dougall and Black were fully extened to win the first set 6—4. The Roslyn pair, however, were much too forceful for their opponents in the second set. A very even contest extending over three sets v was waged in the second Men s Doubles, and at the end of a long match Ross and Barsdell claimed the victory. The Roslyn ladies, who have done extremely wgll in recent matches, proved much too strong for the opposition, and lost only one match in their own events —that in which Mrs Dyke defeated Miss Bagley. Miss Pattison, playing beautiful tennis and placing cleverly, beat Miss Hill with the loss of only one game. Miss Rackley, driving with plenty of pace and depth, was too strong for Miss MAdam, who, however, made a fight of it to the end. Mrs Fuller and Miss Read both played very steadily, but over the closing stages the advantage lay with the Roslyn lady. In the Ladies’ Doubles the two Roslyn pairs played, very strongly and gained decisive victories. . The Mixed Doubles were well contested, and this event was notable for the success of two Anderson’s Bay pairs against strong opposition. Ross and Miss Read gamed a good win over Black and Miss Bagley, and Barsdell and Mrs Dyke accounted for Gregory and Mrs Fuller. Three of the Roslyn players won eactt of their matches —namely, M Dougali, Miss Pattison, and Miss Rackley. In honour of the success of the club in winning the A Grade competition in the first year of his presidency and also to mark the first occasion* on which the Roslyn Club has held the championship shield in the 20 years of its history, Mr R S. Black last night entertained the members of both the A Grade teams at his residence. There were also present Mr R. Phillipps (president of the association) and Mrs Phillipps, as well as officials of the Roslyn Club. A happy and enjoyable function resulted, , and all present agreed that it furnished an appropriate means of celebrating the club’s victory. The president, assisted by Mrs Black, proved himself an admirable h °The following table shows the winners of the A Grade competition to date;— 1905- —Otago 1906- —Otago M oana 1907- Otaco 1923-24 —Moana t 1908- —Kaituna P r n^verSl^ 1909- —Kaituna 1910- —Kaituna 1926-27—Moana and 1911- —Kaituna Kaituna _ 1912- —Kaituna 1927-28 —University 1913- —Kaituna 1928-29 —Moana 1914- —Kaituna 1929-30 —Moana 1918- —Kaituna 1930-31 —Otago 1919- —Otago 1931-32 Roslyn 1920- Otago The final of the Cleghorn Cup competition will be played on Saturday afternoon. During the last week M Dougali and Moody played off in the semi-final of the men’s event, and the Roslyn ,“*! won after a tremendously long second set —the. longest that has been played between two of the leading players for some years. M'Dougall took the first set, 6—4, and in the second set the score , ad ‘ vanced with the service to B—all, when Moody broke through to lead at ; 9 »• M'Dougall replied by taking Moody s seivice, and the score again followed the service to 12—all. At this stage MDou gall took the two deciding games and put an end to a set that had ocufcied about two hours of good solid play. _ » At the time of writing the semi-final stage has been reached in the ladies event (the Walker Cup), and the f°ur remaining players are Miss Pattison v-M s and Miss Partridge v. Miss White. It was hoped to play these ing the week, but if that is Saturimpossible they may be played on Satur day afternoon and the final on the tollo '"The Winter tournament of the United Club will be started at Logan Park on Saturday, and will probably be held at fortnightly intervals during the next few months These tournaments have been very popular during the last two winters nnd the experience gained by a numbe of young players who have regularly taken part in them has been the means of con siderably improving their play."

THE DAVIS CUP The Davis Cup matches are n?w in full swing, and so far there have been no aurnrises. Cuba offered unexpectedly strong oDooaition to the progress of the Australians to the final of the American zone. “S' enraift "re d «£?e St mOTwWJJ The local conditions, and the strain of travelling may have affected_the Australians but Crawford and Hopman are looked on as a strong doubles pair, and the score in their favour should have been more decisive, especially as the cable messages indicate that the Cubans played a baseline game. Still a I team can do no more than win, and that is what the Aus tralians did. It is disturbing, however, to learn that Crawford is suffering Horn a recurrence of asthma —a complaint which affected his play while on tour two seasons ago. The Australians will now meet the Americans in the zone final at Dhilaclelphia on May 28, and great interest will attach to the result of this match. Britain defeated Rumania with the greatest of ease. The British team consisted of Perry, David, and’ Hughes, the exclusion of Austin apparently being due to the fact that he has so far failed to reproduce his fine form of last year. This will be disappointing to followers of the game in the Old Land, for the form shown by both Perrv and Austin last season encouraged the hope that this year England would be a serious challenger for the international trophy. Austin, however, may vet recover his touch sufficiently to gain a place in the British team before the decisive rounds are reached. The Wimbledon tournament next month should provide him with the oPPor^B 1 . „ H. F. David and G. P. Hughes are two well-known English players. The former, who is inaking his first _ appearance m Davis Cup matches, came into prominence at Wimbledon two years ago. when he defeated J. B. Crawford, the Australian, in the third round, the score being 6—2, g 3 3_o, 6 —4. In the next round he was ’ defeated by Doog (America) in straight sets —6—3, 6-3, 6-1. Hughes is regarded as a sound doubles player and has previously represented Britain in Davis Cup matches. At Wimbledon in 1930 Malfroy and Poland beat Hughes

and' Lee in the second round o£ the Doubles —7 —5, 6—l, 6—4. Nicholas Mishu, the Rumanian veteran, has been a prominent figure in European tennis for some 13 or 14 years, and has represented his country on many occasions in the Davis Cup -competition. . lie is also a well-known competitor at Wim-: bledon, but has never reached the first] flight, His severe defeat by Perry would indicate that his star is on the wane;