LAWN TENNIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23081, 6 January 1937, Page 8

LAWN TENNIS

NEW ZEALAND TOURNAMENT PLAY INTERRUPTED BY RAIN (Per United Press Association) TIMARU, Jan. 5. The New Zealand Lawn Tennis Championships continue to be dogged by bad weather, but despite interruptions good progress was made up till yesterday, when the semi-finals of ail the events had been reached. Had the weather to-day been good the programme would have been completed. When play commenced this morning the weather was overcast, but a fine light drizzle set in at 10 o’clock. It appeared to be nothing more than a heat shower, but near mid-day steady rain came on, and in the /afternoon increased to a downpour, so that all further play had to be postponed. Only the semi-finals of the Mixed Doubles were played during the day. and apart from one of the semi-finals of the Men’s Plate only the finals remain to be decided

The Mixed Doubles match between D. Coombe and Miss D Nicholls (Wellington) and A. R. Cant and Miss B. Gould (Christchurch) provided dull and unenterprising tennis The surface of the court was slippery and under the conditions none of the players settled down. Coombe and Miss Nicholls were much the stronger combination, and their victory in two sets was not unexpected. Coombe was not so severe overhead as usual and Miss Nicholls was erratic at times, but as play pro grossed their form improved. Cam received little assistance from his partner and was called upon to cope with the entire attack, a task which he found impossible. His service came in well and he smashed accurately down the centre line. In the second set the Wellington pair led 3—l, but they made a number of mistakes and Cant and Miss Gould evened the score at s—all, only to drop the two succeeding games.

In the match between J. Gunn an ) Miss M. Beverley and E. A. Roussell and Miss I. Poole the form was alternatively good and bad. Roussell. chiefly as the result of good net play, captured the first set at 9—7, but a temporary lapse saw Gunn and his partner forge ahead in the second set, which they won at 6—2. The final set was a solid one. Roussel! was down 3—5 at one stage but changed his tactics, sending his partner to defend the base line while he roamed across the net. In this way he secured many points. Miss Poole did her part well, keeping the opposition at long range and enabling Roussell to kill any inaccurate returns. At B—7 Gunn twice had match point, but failed to retain his grip on the game and Roussell and Miss Poole won 11—9.

The results of the day’s play were as follows:

MIXED DOUBLES SEMI-FINALS D. C. Coombe and Miss D. M. Nicholls beat A. R. Cant and Miss B. Gould 6—2, 7—5. E. A. Roussell and Miss I. Poole beat J. Gunn and Miss M. Beverley 9—7, 2—6, 11—9.