New Tennis Champion

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 887, 3 February 1930, Page 7

New Tennis Champion

ANGAS’S SINGLES VICTORY Wellington Wins Points Shield Press Association WELLINGTON, Today. ANGAS (Canterbury) is the new singles champion of New Zealand, crowning a great season’s record with a meritorious win over that most aggressive and hard-hitting player, Don France. Fourteen hundred people saw France miss the ball which gave C. Angas his first national title in a match in which France trailed all the way, and yet gave a great fighting display.

The tourney concluded in unpleasant conditions, a light southerly quickening into a strong wind, and, curiously enough, it was Wellington’s weather which gave Angas the championship. France was a strong favourite, and few gave Angas hope against him. The conditions, however, made it impossible to play a consistent hitting game, and against it France had to lift balls which were easy’ to Angas. who consistently’ took tne net with the wind at his back, and a game or two in hand. France did the attacking from the outset, Angas being on the defensive all the way’ save for those net raids of his from the southerly’ side; but France’s tactics cost him batches of outs, on which Angas gained a 3- 1 lead, and was never headed. The Christchurch man’s luck began in the fifth game with 4—l or 3 —2 at stake, when a winner by France bounced on the net rim and fell on the wrong side, to leave Angas 40—30, and France’s keen attack did not suffice to take him through. Angas took the first set with aced volleys, and an outed passing shot by’ France, and the Wellington man played with greater care and placement in the second set, in which his brilliant form at the net recalled that of the previous day against Seay’. France led 4—l, and took the set, C—3, raining aced shots all over the court, and Angas led 2—o in the third set, through France netting winners. A net cord shot by Angas gave him a break in the second game, and France had the chance to even at 2 all, when he forced Angas into errors, but lost it on a foolish net raid. BRILLIANT TENNIS The sixtli game was a grea.t contest, both players acing shot after shot, often from apparent winners by the other. Franc© here reached his best form of the match for 3 all. Winners which he missed cost France the critical seventh game, with Angas’s service to follow, and the Christchurch man rushed the net, to put away France’s drives for earned points and lead 5—3. France made an error in the next game when he let go a ball which fell squarely on the baseline, but he took the game by dazzling though reckless play at the net. Angas was rock-like in steadiness, though, and took the set with a great passing shot down the left-hand line After being 40—15 in the fourth set, France tried to force the pace, and was almost constantly at the net, but Angas set the seal on his win in this set by’ discovering that he could make faultless tosses into the teeth of the "2 nd * ~ France was dislodged time after time, and had lo scamper back and make defensive shots. Angas led from the start, and after 1 all piled up game after game with lobbing, volleying, and passing shots. His tenms was not as forceful as France’s, but the Wellington man was taking the net behind shots which were not good enough to warrant a net advance and he paid the penalty. Angas s luck held to the last, for ranee was down I—s and 15—30 when he hit another winner, which ran along the net rim and fell outside the side- !. n A . at . lh ® next moment Angas hit a ball he held high in the air with ]°y because a beautiful passing shot had fallen inches inside the line and pfo'nshY™ his flrst New Zeala nd chamANGAS'S RECORD Angas now holds a string of championships: the South Island sineles and doubles (with E. Boddy) from last and the North season CI T? e ’ 1V Zealand singles this season This was his fourth New Zealand meeting. The flrst time he was defeated by Peacock, 6—l }}} e second time by Seay 9—7 in me tilth set, and last year by Bartleet, 6—4, 6—3, B —6. Last year he was ranked sixth player in New Zealand and his win was all the better in that he had the hardest half of the draw. Noel Wilson covered himself with glory in his doubles play with Stedman. He pushed Don France and Malfroy to the limit in the doubles final and, but for Stedman’s slight nervousness at his first appearance in a national final. might have won. Wilson was everywhere, smashing and volleying with precision and covering Stedman’s lobs as well. That last fact proved their undoing, for had Stedman been left to take his own smashes in the fourth set the match would have gone the full distance. The combination of the losers was better than that of their opponents, but it was a case of sureness of stroke against positional play! When Wilson and Stedman were going well, they were obviously’ the better pair, but they’ made more errors off easy balls, in addition to making more placements than the opposition. France,* apart from one or two lapses, was in great form at the net and Malfroy. who was an uncertain factor in the winners’ play (he double-faulted for game to be down 2 —4 in the fourth set), which might have cost them the match. He played an improved double all round. Wilson was doing two-thirds of the work and he could not continue to do it against such accurate opposition. The wind, which had moderated, allowed France and Malfroy to make some good tosses and that turned the scale in their favour. A CLOSE TUSSLE When leading 5—3 in the final set. with Stedman serving, it looked a good thing for the losers, but both were missing winners, and France and Malfroy’ moved ahead and took the set and match on a nice step volley by Malfroy. There was very little between the pairs at any’ time, and with Stedman playing with more confidence. the result might have been the other way’. Wilson went straight on to play two more matches in the mixed doubles, winning the semi-final against Wallace and Mrs. Scott with ease and giving a great display in the final, where he and Mrs. Thomson beat Sandrall and Miss Marjorie Macfarlane. Sandrall, the Australian holder of the Wellington mixed doubles championship, play’s a dangerous game but had his partner puzzled by the manner in which he cut in at some times and not at others. Wilson and Mrs. Thomson’s combination told and they’ broke through Miss Macfariane’s service each time for the set. Fine recoveries, sharp angles and powerful smashes abounded in the most interesting match in the women’s

singles final. Two Wellington women met, Miss D. Nicholls winning from Mrs. W. J. Melody in a match which saw Miss Nicholls start nervously, then to find her feet and run Mrs. Melody round for two sets in a hopeless effort. Miss Nicholls placed much better and was not at all troubled by Mrs. Melody’s spin, which she treated with little courtesy’. It was one more instance of a player failing to make Miss Nicholls move and doing all the running against her. W. G. Robertson (South Canterbury) had a meritorious win in the boys’ final against R. R. Lees (Auckland). Lees stroked better and placed very’ well in the opening set. which he took fairly’ comfortably, but Robertson’s greater physique and stout net attack throughout the next two sets finally won through. Lees was never at home and found the wind a trial once Robertson began to hit out. In the boys’ doubles Robertson and Ferkins beat the Lees brothers, the latter never finding their game, though they’ reached 5 all from o—s0 —5 by’ rash tactics on the part of Ferkins in the first set. The second set was a walk-over for the winners. WAIKATO TENNIS ANNUAL TOURNEY BEGINS From Our Own Correspondent TAUPIRI, Today. The Lower Waikato Tennis Association commenced its annual tournament at Taupiri on Wednesday’, January’ 29. Play was continued on Saturday, when, in spite of interruptions due to rain, good progress was made, one final, the women's doubles, being played, in addition to several semi-finals. Following are the results to date: WOMEN'S DOUBLES Semi-finals.—Mrs. Charles and Miss Charles, 5, v. Misses I. Horwood and N. Wilson, 7; Misses Barclay and Brooks, S, v. Mesdames Henderson and Welch, 6. MEN’S SINGLES Menzies, 7, v. White, 9; Sampson, 9, v. Berry, 5; Miller, 9, v. Sampson, 7. WOMEN’S SINGLES Miss Waring, 7, v. Miss Charles, 5; Miss Welch, 7, v. Miss Horwood, 1. MEN’S DOUBLES Menzies and Miller, 7, v. Davies and Tapper, 9: Smith and Smith, 15, v. Sampson and Sampson, 13. WOMEN'S DOUBLES Final. —Misses Barclay and Brook defeated Misses Horwood and Wilson, the scores being 6—4, 2—6, 6—2. SUBURBAN TENNIS B GRADE COMPETITION Only one match was played in the outer suburban tennis inter-club competitions on Saturday. Details are: MANGERE EAST "S'. CLEYEDON At Mangere East, Clevedon won by 10 matches to four. Men’s Singles.—F. Taylor lost to A. S. Belle, 9—11; J. Paine lost to W. Alexander, 10—11. Women’s Singles.—Miss K. Reynolds lost to Miss J. McCullough, 4—11; Miss M. Garland lost to Miss Knight 2—ll. Men's Doubles.—F. Taylor and J. Paine beat A. Bell and Alexander, 11—10; L. Key and L. Kay lost to E. Dawe and C. Brown, S—11; J. Ivey and McNash beat C. Gore and R. Waterhouse, 11—7. Women’s Doubles.—Misses K. Reynolds and M. Garland lost to Misses J. McCullough and Knight, 1—11; Mrs. Coghlan and Miss J. Clark lost to Misses M. Stephens and B. Wells. 2—11; Mrs Duncan and Miss Thomson lost to Misses Dow and Hyde, s—ll. Combined Doubles.—L. Key and Mrs. Coghlan lost to E. Dawe and Miss Stephens, 5—11; L. Kay and Miss G. Clark beat Brown and Miss Wells, 11—10; J. Key’ and Mrs. Duncan lost to C. Gore and Miss Dow, 8—11: McNash and MiiS Thomson beat Waterhouse and Miss Hyde, 11—5. INTER-CLUB COMPETITIONS OTAHUHU V. VAUXIIALL At Otahuhu. Otahuhu won by* seven matches to three. Men’s Singles.—Muir lost to Elwarth. 6—5, 2—6, 6—l; Gardiner beat Storry, 6—5, I—6, 6—5. Women’s Singles.—Miss MeLachlan lost to Miss Bailey, I—6,1 —6, 3 —6; Miss E. Whiteley beat Miss Bonner, 6—2, 6—2. Men’s Doubles.—Muir and Gardiner beat Elwarth and Storry, 6—4, 6—-1; Russell and Latta beat Clark and Hogan by default. Women’s Doubles.—Misses MeLachlan and E. Whiteley beat Misses Bailey and Bonner, 6—5, G—2; Misses Goodwin and Mourant lost to Evans and Elwarth. 5—6. 6 —4, 3 —6. Combined Doubles.—Russell and Miss Goodwin beat Clark and Miss Evans, 5—6, 6—3, 6—3; Latta and Miss Mourant beat Hogan and Miss Elwarth by default.