THRILLING MATCH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27275, 29 December 1949, Page 6

THRILLING MATCH

DEFEAT OF J. E. ROBSON Daily Times Special Service CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 28. % In an outstandingly thrilling tennis match which lasted almost three hours, the New Zealand champion, J. E. Robson (Otago), was beaten by the fourth seeded player, O. M. Bold (Hutt Valley), in five sets when the Canterbury championships were continued today. The game was one of the best seen at Wilding Park for many years and was played at a tremendous pace from start to finish. Long, hard-fought rallies, splendid smashes, severe hitting, great retrieving and determination and concentration were ingredients of a match <which will not be easily forgotten. Analysing the defeat of Robson is not easy. There were times when he made mistakes and there were times when he was unconquerable, but the same may be said of Bold. The winning factors were probably the top spin on Bold’s forehand and a slice on his backhand and a fine display of passing shots at the net. Time and again Robson lost points by hitting his returns into the net. Robson’s overhead was much more severe and better placed than Bold’s, and his service was slightly harder. Bold’s service on the whole was better placed. In the other semi-final McKenzie had a farily easy win over Pattinson, and the score of 6—4, 6—l was a true indication of the match. Pattinson took the first and second games in the first set, but once McKenzie found his footing he played spectacular tennis. His net attack was nearly perfect. The Men’s Doubles semi-finals, one of which is unfinished, provided some of the best tennis of the tournament. The play has reached great heights in the match between Robson and McKenzie and Bold and Otway. It is unfortunate that rain interfered, because if it continues the court in all probability will be slippery and the pace of today may be missed tomorrow. The other Doubles match, between Pattinson and Howe and Burns and Barry, was also full of exciting moments. There was little between the players, but the crowd often cheered Howe for some really spectacular recoveries. All the other players produced fine tennis. Miss J. Mac Gibbon (Canterbury), the second seeded player, had a good win over Miss B. Potter (Auckland), the fourth seeded player, in the semi-final of the Women’s Singles. Miss Potter out-thought her opponent some of the time, but her inaccuracy and poor positional play cost her many points. Miss M. Beverley (Waikato) had too many strokes and too much experience for Miss M. Robertson (Otago), but the game was more even than the score suggests. Miss Robertson was a little hasty in the execution of her strokes in the first set, and she could not cope with Miss Beverley’s disguised forehand, but she scored points at the net and with a strong forehand drive and sliced backhand. The Women’s Doubles provided some particularly good tennis. The top seeded pair, Misses M. Kerr and Potter, were beaten very easily by the fourth seeded pair, Misses Beverley and Robertson. Mrs I. Hatherley and Miss T. Poole (Canterbury), the second seeded players, combined well to beat the third seeded pair, Mrs E. Anderson (Wellington) and Miss Mac Gibbon, 9—7, 6—4.