SINGLES TITLE TO R. HOWE

Southland Times, Issue 24011, 29 December 1939, Page 2

SINGLES TITLE TO R. HOWE

Final Of Tennis Championship DE AKER RETIRES AFTER TWO SETS The best tennis of the Christmas tournament was produced at the Waihopai courts yesterday afternoon by R. Howe, of Wellington, who was much too good for A. J. Deaker, of Invercargill, in the final of the men’s singles championship. When Howe had gained the first two sets 6-0, 6-2, Deaker retired, leaving Howe an easy winner. The match was to be the best of five sets, but Deaker evidently thought that he had little chance of winning the third set and chose to retire.

Deaker had two hard matches against A. T. Baird and C. A. Sharp before he qualified for the final, and these strenuous games were no doubt partly the reason why he was playing below form. He was obviously not at his best, but this may have been because he played only as well as he was allowed. Howe always had the measure of his opponent and turned on some brilliant tennis that was much appreciated by the sprinkling of spectators. The speed at which many of Howe’s drives leaped from the court gave Deaker no chance of recovery and his severe serves also won him many points. Howe had many more strokes at his command .and even when Deaker was pressing strongly for a “kill” his activity on the court generally enabled him to return the ball. Both men were slow in settling down and made many errors at the start of play. Howe was playing more accurately than his opponent and Well-placed drives that were carrying a lot of pace had Deaker worried. Deaker was doing a lot of running as a result of Howe’s placements and any of his shots that fell short were treated mercilessly. Howe won the set without the loss of a game. In the next set Howe had the upper hand throughout, although Deaker improved in the final stages and won two games before Howe took the set Deaker then retired, with Howe the new holder of the Southland' men’s championship singles title. In the final of the men’s handicap singles L. Whitaker (owe 4-6) beat E. Wyeth (rec. 3-6), 9-7. After the championship final had been played Mr J. H. B. Scholefield, secretary of the Southland Lawn Tennis Association, presented the following trophies to the successful competitors: Slazenger Cup and Southland Amateur Sports Trust Cup: R. Howe (winner of the men’s singles championship). Hewat Cup: Miss K. Cutt (winner of women’s singles championship). Baird Cup: R. Howe and C. A. Sharp (winners of men’s doubles championship).