TENNIS TITLES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19549, 3 February 1938, Page 11

TENNIS TITLES

SURPRISES AT AUCKLAND QUARTER-FINALS DECIDED PATTINSON MEETS STEDMAN MISS PLUMMER WINS AGAIN (Pet Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night. A further surprise occurred in the men's singles during to-day's play in the annual New Zealand lawn tennis championships. This was the defeat of C. Angas, Canterbury No. 1 player, by R. G. Pattinson, who is ranked as No. 8 on the same provincial list. The latter won in live sets. A. D. Brown was taken to four sets by J. W. Gunn, while A. C. Stedman and J. T. Mayson won in straight sets from the two Wellington representatives. D. France and N. F. Bedford respectively. Pattinson will play Stedman in one semi-final to-morrow and Brown will oppose Mayson in the other. Miss M. Beverley, the holder of the Auckland title, was taken to three sets by Miss Cooke, while her sister, Miss N. Beverley, won a three-set contest against Miss N. Bishop. Miss D. Miller and Miss E. Plummer both won in straight sets. In to-morrow's semi-finals, Miss Miller meets Miss N. Beverley and Miss Plummer will play Miss M. Beverley. Good progress was made in all sections of the doubles, while several matches were also decided in the men's and women's plate competitions.

The weather was again line and warm, with a strong north-easterly wind blowing. This caused small clouds of dust to rise from the worn service lines. Gunn Extends Brown

The Auckland champion, A. D. Brown, who, the day before, strained his abdominal muscles by over-reach-ing on a smash, for the first set against J. H. Gunn to-day was inconvenienced to a small extent. However, Gunn hit out splendidly, winning three games' in a row. By the excellence of his overhead work he continued the attack on Brown's backhand. Brown hit harder in the eighth game in an attempt to retrieve the set, but he made two errors and could not return a beautifully-directed lob.

The second set was more evenly contested, both playing well, but with Brown steadily becoming more severe. The games alternated to 5—4 as each took a turn in the ascendancy. Gunn kept the bali admirably under control, but his weaker second service gave Brown many easy balls with which to hit winners. A close set ended in favour of Brown, o—4.

Brown hit hard in the third set, but although he took it at G—l it was by no means onesided. Gunn appeared to tire and did not put the same vim into his shots as in the first two sets.

After the interval, Brown ran to a 2—o lead, but the refreshed Gunn then collected two games to even the score. Some brilliant forehand placements gave Brown the next two games, but again Gunn fought back well and cancelled the advantage at 4—4. The match went to 5—5, when Brown collected the eleventh game to love on his own service, a splendidly retrieved lob off an apparent ace being the chief feature. Brown had match point at C—s and made no mistake with a passing shot down the sideline to win.

Women's Singles Contests

Special interest was taken in the match between Misses M. Beverley and P. Cooke in the quarter-finals of the women's singles. Miss Cooke had given her opponent a hard match in the Auckland championship last week and repeated the performance to-day with a set each. Miss Cook won the first two games of the deciding set, but she then lost her grip on the match by continuing to try for winners, when a more careful policy at that stage would probably have paid her better. The contest between Misses D. Miller and M. Macfarlanc was one of steady driving from the backlines and a succession of rallies and long games almost entirely devoid of pace. Miss Miller made some strong drives on the forehand and her variation of direction caused her opponent a great deal of running about. Miss N. Beverley scored a meritorious win over Miss Bishop, but it was only after a prolonged struggle. Miss Beverley had two match points of Her own service at 5—3 in the final set, but was foiled with her net attack by safe lobbing. Playing a fine uphill game, Miss Bishop drew to 5—5. From then on the games were won alternately with Miss Beverley always holding the lead in the odd game She lost another match point at B—7 on her own service, and two more at y—B before clinching the set and the match. Miss Plummer, of Wellington, scored a good win over Miss Poole, of Canterbury, in a spectacular game in which both demonstrated cleverness in variation of direction and length. Nearly every game was keenly contested! and although Miss Poole used every endeavour, she was unable to manoeuvre her opponent out of position to end most of the rallies. Additional results were us follows: MEN'S SINGLES

Quarter-finals. - A. D. Brown (Auckland) beat J. W. Gunn (Auckland), 2—C, G—4, C—l, 7—5. WOMEN'S SINGLES

Quarter-finals.—Miss N. Plummer (Wellington) beat iUiss 1. Poole (Canterbury) it—7, 6—3. MEN'S DOUBLES Second Round.—A. C. Stedman and D. C. CoombC (Wellington) beat D. Richardson and J. Steevcns (Poverty Bay)> u_o, 0—1!, 6—2; D. Livingstone' and J. Roach (Waikato) beat Brown and Butler (Auckland), 6—2, 4_(i f y—7, 6—2; R. C. Pattlnson and C. I'enfold (Canterbury) beat O'Connor and Renouf (Wellington), 6—3, (;__(), (;_;{; N. F. Bedford and Edwards (Wellington) beat Lampo (Wanganui) and Sharpo (Hawke's Bay), 6—3, 6—4, B—6; It. McL. Perkins and 10. A. Rousscll (Wellington) beat J. Charters and N. Dyer (Wellington), 7—5, !>—7, 6—4. Third Round.—D. «. France (Wellington) and N. G. Start (Auckland) beat M. Ferkins and D. G. Pearce (Wellington), 6—o, o—3, o—4.