TENNIS

Southland Times, Issue 22774, 27 December 1935, Page 7

TENNIS

CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT NO PLAY YESTERDAY ARRANGEMENTS FOR TO-DAY There was no play yesterday in the Southland Tennis Association’s Christmas tournament, Though only light rain fell at intervals during the day it was sufficient to keep the courts damp. At 2 p.m. there seemed prospects of a start being made, vigorous sweeping by the Lindsay family and others having almost dried the courts. But a heavy shower caused pools to form again and at 4 p.m. hope of playing was abandoned. This serious setback will make it impossible to reach finality to-day; but by using both the Waihopai and the Invercargill courts it is hoped to make up some of the leeway and to play sufficient games to enable the tournament to conclude on Saturday afternoon. This will be achieved only with the co-operation of competitors and by strict adherence to timetable by the officials. It is unfortunate for competitors who have to return to work today that rain should have prevented play yesterday, but the committee will, however reluctantly, have to scratch players who are not on the courts when called on to-day. If good progress is made to-day it should be possible to exercise leniency to-morrow morning, utilizing only the players available and concentrating on the afternoon’s play to attain finality. Players Required Early. The following matches will be played at the Invercargill courts at 8.30 a.m.: Handicap singles, Miss Bamford v. Miss Basstian; Miss Graham v. Miss Jopp; Miss Forrest v. Miss Rein; Miss Farmer v. Miss Donaldson; junior singles, Miss J. Lamont v. Miss S. Macdonald. The following competitors are to be at the Invercargill courts at 9 a.m.: Misses B. Hoyles, W. Paterson, L. Mehaffey, M. Shand, Henry (2), Mrs Mehaffey, Misses B. Oughton and R. Murdoch. At the Waihopai courts the following men’s matches will be played at 8.30 a.m.: Blaikie v. Falconer (championship singles); G. and F. Lindsay v. Jones and Shand (championship doubles) ; P. Welsh and F. Rigby (handicap singles); Paape v. J. A. Hamilton (handicap single); Twemlow v. Armour (handicap single); Gray and Bird v. Henderson and Baird (handicap doubles) ; D. Perrin v. L. Whitaker (handicap singles); G. Stewart v. Edie (handicap singles); Strang and Cockerill v. Clarkson and Baird (handicap doubles). All other men still in events are to be at tlie courts by 9 a.m.

AUSTRALIAN PLAYERS EXHIBITION AT DUNEDIN. (Per United Press Association.) Dunedin, December 26. High class tennis was provided at the Logan Park courts this afternoon when the visiting players, V. McGrath and E. F. Moon, were seen in action against K. Bryan, E. G. Boddy, J. Rawlinson (Otago) and R. W. McCallum (Southland). The best exhibition of the day was the singles match of the best of 17 games between the two visitors who gave a delightful display of accurate and easy stroking. McGrath, with his famous double-handed backhand much in evidence, was too good for the tall Queenslander, winning 9—2. Nevertheless, Moon showed himself to be a player of a class seldom seen in Dunedin. In matches against the local players, the Australians were vastly superior, the accurate placements, excellent length and severity of their strokes making their opponents play on the defensive throughout. Bryan put up a creditable performance against McGrath, showing fine anticipation, but lacked experience and finish. There was a good crowd present and light rain fell at intervals, but did not interfere with play. The results were: — McGrath defeated Bryan 6 —2, 6—3. Moon defeated McCallum 6 —2, 6 —o. McGrath defeated Moon 9—2. Moon and Body defeated McGrath and Rawlinson 4—6, 7—5, 6—o.

MOON TOO GOOD MATCH AGAINST McCALLUM. CONTRAST IN STYLES. (Special to the Times.) Dunedin, December 26. The matches were played in dull and threatening weather with a light though not continuous rain falling, which made the courts damp and weighted the balls. Those conditions were adverse to the style of play adopted by the Australians who as a result favoured the backline and were content to adopt the driving game instead of forcing the pace. In the opening match of the day McCallum, a promising young Southlander, found himself opposed to a vastly superior player in the Queenslander. Moon, whose splendidly controlled driving of varied pace and direction gave him entire command. Moon quickly ran to a lead of 2-0 when McCallum began to lose his nervousness and produce a better class of tennis. He took the third game chiefly as the result of errors on the part of his opponent, but after that Moon opened a hot attack with drives to both corners and took three games in a row. The Southland man was failing when he came into the net and his smashes were going sadly astray. His rather weak service was not giving him any advantage and Moon found no difficulty in breaking through. McCallum took the seventh game when he out-volleyed his opponent, but the latter clinched the set in the next with a stinging forehand drive which completely aced McCallum. Improved tennis was seen in the second set. Although McCallum was unable to collect a single game he fought gamely all the way. With the score at 3-0 against him he contested the fourth game hotly, saving it once with his first correct smash of the match. He eventually lost it after several deuces with a weak backhand shot. In the next game McCallum lost his racquet completely when going for one of Moon’s fierce forehand drives which were winning him many points. The Southland man was managing to get his racquet to these shots, but was a split second too late to handle them properly. Moon took the last two games comparatively easily, winning the final point with a cross court drive that left McCallum standing. In this match as in all the others there was marked contrast between the short, crisp swing of the Australians into the ball and rather deliberate and exaggerated back swing of the New Zealanders. Taking all the circumstances into account McCallum’s game was creditable to himself and to his province. He should find the experience a valuable one. Bryan, a former North Otago player, whose game has undergone a marked advance during the past couple of seasons made a highly satisfactory showing against McGrath, and though the opposition was again much too good,

acquitted himself with distinction. Some splendid driving duels were the feature of this match and what Bryan lacked in footwork he made up for by revealing sound sense of anticipation and only once or twice was caught on the wrong foot. McGrath possesses a fast, well-placed service, but his forehand drive cannot be regarded as a definite weapon of defence. On the other hand, however, his two-handed backhand is a shot of devastating severity, and when he buried one of these shots, that is to say, when he swung into it with the full weight of his body, Bryan had absolutely no chance. It may be mentioned that McGrath sometimes plays this shot straight down the court, but usually he allows it to take its natural direction towards his opponent’s backhand, and when well angled it must be virtually unretumable except by a player quick enough to anticipate it. His general footwork as well as that of Moon is an object lesson in correctness.

The doubles was not a very inspiring affair but there were occasional bright moments. Mistakes were common and Moon’s mastery of this type of game was really the deciding factor. Rawlinson was more consistent than Boady, though the latter improved in the later stages. McGrath and Moon brought the day’s play to a close with a nine-up exhibition singles in which the former revealed his class by winning easily all the way. Moon’s shots were again beautifully produced, especially his easy backhand strongly reminiscent of Ollivier’s, but he lacked speed variety and sustained accuracy of his younger opponent. The attendance was one of the largest seen at Logan Park, and from every point of view the exhibition was both, enjoyable and interesting. WELLINGTON TOURNAMENT. title-holder defeated. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, December 26. The Wellington tennis tournament was continued to-day in fine weather. Play was of a high standard in the men’s singles, the results including the following:— D. G. France beat J. Charters; D. Coombe beat N. Smith (the present champion); R. Ferkins beat A. L. France; E. A. Roussell beat K. Dyer.