LAWN TENNIS TOURNAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 4 January 1929, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS TOURNAMENT

' TARANAKI CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY GOOD PROGRESS IN MOST EVENTS 7- • o RAIN CAUSES FEW ADJOURNMENTS < In spite of. several adjournments on account of rain squalls, good progress was made yesterday with the Taranaki Lawn > Tennis Association’s annual championship tournament on the New Plymouth Club’s courts. Most of the championship events are fairly well advanced, though constant rearrangements of the draw are necessary owing to outside players being delayed at other tournaments. Several well known Auckland players ar- / rived by the Rarawa yesterday morning, and others came at intervals during the day. The rain made the courts heavy, and play for the most part slowed up. as a result. After a particularly heavy show'er a long adjournment was taken during which all the courts were rolled '■ . imd re-marked. < Games on the whole were not as spectacular as in recent tournaments, but the arrival yesterday of a number of notable doubles players is having a brightening effect, and some stirring encounters are certain for the remainihg days of the tourney.

SEVERAL STIRRING GAMES RHODES-WILLIAMS BEATS ELLIS. H. WHJG BEATEN BY McPHERSON. 7 Several stirring encounters were seen in the 1 championship events. The match between T. Rhodes-Wil-liams (Wellington) and C. G. S. 'hlllis (New Plymouth) provided a very interesting game and some bright tennis was witnessed in a matoh which went the three' full sets. Williams was somewhat handicapped by the dead nature of the courts, having just come from playing on the fast Auckland courts, but his accurate placing, especially when he had his opponent out of position, won him the game. Ellis was inclined to rely too much on the chop stroke and might have done better had he varied his game. However, he quite' extended his opponent. Ellis won the first two games and xvas leading at 3 —l, \ Then Williams drew up and the score stood at 4 —3 against him with Ellis love —40 in the eighth game. At this stage rain compelled a temporary abandonment. On resuming Ellis drew up to deuce, but after deuce had been called three times Williams notched the next two points and the game, four all. Accurate placing saw Williams take the next two games and the set. Ellis established a lead in the next set to s—l, but Williams then won the’ next three 011 end, and in the tenth game made a desperate attempt to save the game off his opponent’s serve. There were tome magnificent rallies, and deuce was called five times before Ellis finally secured the game and the set 6 —4. In the final set Ellis won the first game off his opponent’s service. Williams evened up and went on to lead s—l.5 —1. The next game saxv Ellis make a great attempt to save the match, and he earned applause with some fine recoveries and splendid drives down the side line, but Williams was not to be denied, and emerged victorious after several deuces, 6— l, winning the match, 6 —4, 4 —6, 6—l. Webster played ■’.oo steadily for Berg in the men’s singles and always appeared to hold the upper hand, running ©ut a winner 6 —3, 6—l. Webster was first to settle down, and was placing his back and forehand drives perfectly. Jlis shots down the side lines were unerring, and kept Berg on the run throughout the match. Berg missed a lot of chances at the net, but improved in the second set and scored with several pretty’ volleys. One of the best matches of the afternoon was that between McPherson (New Plymouth) and H. Wills (Hawera). Ihe latter won the first set fairly easily 6—3, but McPherson then made a splendid recovery, and with accurate placement and strong driving and volleying took the next two sets 6—3, 6—3. Great interest was taken in the doubles encounter between H. Wills (Hawera) and L. Berg (Stratford) and the New Plymouth pair C. B. Webster and C. G. Ellis. Though keenly contested, the match was not of a brilliant order, being entirely alternate driving and lobbing, though’ Ellis frequently scored with real volleys at mid-court. Webster was playing erratically in the first set, but improved as the game went on. Ellis was mainly responsible for the New Plymouth pair running out winners by 7t05 in the first set. He scored many points xvith his cross-cut back-hand drives. The local players were more fully extended in the secondset, and after leading 3—l, the South Taranaki players improved to o-4. Ellis equalised off his service, but the next game saw four deuces and. Berg and Wills rallied to the good position ot o__s. Webster smashed through their defence with his service and a fine disnlay of concerted play on the side of the New Plymouth men saw Berg defeated on his own service. Ellis scored comfortably off his own service in the decidin 0, game- and the 1101 them pa Sn ou°t winners by the narrow margin 0 £ B—6, completing the match with two non-appearance of. L. Prance (Wellington), who is engaged at the Wanganui tournament, necessitated a rearrangement of the championship doubles, and A. H. Richards the local nlayer, took his place as partner for 1. Rhodes-Williams, the promising Weliin<rton player. This pair ran through their matches in the first and second rounds fairly comfortably, defeatin S. Judd and V. K C. Saxton m the first round in two straight sets 6—l, 6—L and T. Dickson and S. White m the second round in two straight sets,

brothers combined too well for Boon and Pickwell in the men 9 * double*, although there was not the dif-

ference that the scores, 6—2, 6—l, indicate. The match was not spectacular. The best display was given by A. C. Stedman, whose returns were-pretty to watch. He played w r ell at the net and in mid-court, and placed his shots cleverly. In the second round of the combined championship doubles A. G. Wallace, partnered by a thirteen-year-old niece, Miss A. Graham, accounted for E. G. Lezard (Wellington) and Mrs. Baxter in two straight sets, 6 —2, 6—l. The game served to show that the champion is still an adept at net play, where his uncanny precision and marvellous crossshots again and agaih baffled his opponents. His partner showed considerable promise. C. B. Webster (New Plymouth) and Mrs, I. Grant (Inglewood) defeated J. Charters and Miss Stevens (Whangarei) in a match that ran to three sets. The local pair took the first set 6 —4 after a very even game, But in the next set the Whangarei pair annexed six of the seven games played; the local pair winning only the second game. In the third set, however, the local pair held 'the advantage, and after leading 3—2, drew away to win the set 6—2, and the match 6 —4, I—6,1 —6, 6—2, POSITION IN EACH EVENT. In the. men’s championship singles all the first“round matches have been played, and 11 out of 16 second round matches. By his defeat of H. Wills, McPherson has reached the third round, and will probably meet Rhodes-Williams in the near future. In the top half of the draw Richards (New Plymouth) meets McCracken (Hamilton), Entwistle (Auckland) meets J. E. Stedman (Auckland) ■, and Rhodes-Williams (Wellington) meets the winner of the Simmons —Saxton match. With McPherson, these are the only players remaining in the top half of the draw. The bottom half is- not so far advanced, but on form it seems likely that the semi-finalists will be found amongst A. C. Stedman (Auckland), Webster (New Plymouth), Befg (Stratford), Hubble (Auckland), and A. L. France (Wellington), if the latter reaches New Plymouth in time. In the men’s doubles all the first round matches have been completed, and four pairs have reached the third round. Tn • the top half, it looks- as though the semi-final will be fought out between Webster and Ellis ('New Plymouth) and Hubble and Entwistle (Auckland), though Melody. (Wellington) and Major (Masterton) should be taken into account if they fill j)h eir engagement. The. probable semi-fina - ists in the bottom half of- the dra.w lare A. C. and J. E, S' dman (Auckland), and Richards (New Plymouth) and Rhodes-Williams (Wellington). Wallace (Waverley) and G. Wills (Hawera) are still in the running, and Are likely to meet Richards and RnodesWilliams. • « All the first round matches in tne ladies’ singles have been completed, and 12 out of 16 second round matches.,ine semi-finalists are still fairly well conIn the ladies' doubles all of the -11 • first round matches have been finished, and Miss Campbell and Miss McCrea have reached the third round All the first round matches have been played in the combined doubles, in the third round A. L. France (Wellington), and Mrs. R. P. Adams (nee Miss Anita Howe) meet Wallace and Miss Graham .(Waverley). Rhodes-Williams and MiM. Gibson (Wellington) are stillin, and Webster (New Plymouth) and Miss Grant (Inglewood) meet ,chard ® Plymouth) and Miss Mathieson ( garei). Other pairs who hare reached the third round ar. Pwkmere and Mis. Arncil, A. C. Stedman and Miss M. An drew, McCracken and Miss McCracken, Entwistle and Miss Ramsay, and McCarthy and Miss K. Goodson, but there are still a large number of second lound matches to be completed. The first round of the boy 3 sin o I • h:" not yet been completed. In the girls’ singles all the first round matches have been disposed of, ana Misses T. Balbarry, Joan Ward, M. ■Brodie and M. Hine have reached the third rounu The ladies’ and men’s handicap singles were well advanced yesterdaj, not much progress was made m the other handicap events. Following were the resu is of matches played on the second dav of the tournament: — CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS. MEN’S SINGLES. First Round. W. H. Simmons defeated Hart 3—6, 6—3, 6—2; L. Berg defeated J. 0. Charters 6—3, I—6, 6—2; C. Entwistle defeated- L. T. Pickmore 6-2, 6-4; J. E.

Stedman defeated A. H. McDonald 6 0, 3—6 6—4; E. C. A. Gaw defeated P. Smith I—6, 6—5, 6—4; E. Griffiths defeated G. Boon 4 —6, 6 —4, 11 9. Second Round. Entwistle defeated Nicholls 6 I, 6—l; Rhodeb-Williams defeated C. G. Ellis C 4 f 4 —o, 6—l; J. E. Stedman defeated Gaw 6—l; C. Webster defeated L. Bertr 6 — 3, 6—l; Christie defeated Middleton 6—l, 6—3; Pickwell defeated Wagstaff 6 —3, 6—3. Third Round. McPherson defeated H. Wills 3—6, o—3, 6—3. MEN’S DOUBLES. First Round. A. C. and J. E. Stedman defeated Boon and Pickmere 6 —2, 6 —l; Browning and Middleton defeated Beaehen and Drader G3 —6, 7—5; Hubble and Entwistle defeated McDonald and McCracken 6—l, 6—3; Rhodes-Williams and Richards defeated D. Saxton and Judd 6 —l, 6 —l; Sowry and Gaw defeated Wilson and Blundell 4 —6, 6—4, 6 —o. Second Round. C. Webster and C. G. Ellis defeated H. Wills and L. Berg 7—5, B—6; RhodesWilliams and Richards defeated T. Dickson and S. White 6—o, 6—o; A. C. and J. E. Stedman defeated Browning and Middleton 6—2, 6—l. LADIES’ SINGLES. First Round. Miss Pease defeated ®Miss Z. Gorrie 6—2, 6 —l; Miss M. Gibson defeated Mrs. McLean 6 —2, 6 —4. .— Second Round. Miss Ballantyne defeated Miss Buist g—5 } 6 —l; Mrs. Melody defeated Miss E. Goodson 6—l, 6—o; Mrs. Haase defeated Miss S. Hawken 6—5, 4 —6, 6—o; Miss Ramsay defeated Miss Mcßae 6—o, 6 —l; Miss Maggie Wilson defeated Mrs. W. J. Smith I—6, 6—5, 9—7; Miss McMullan defeated Miss Blundell 6—l, 6—5; Mrs. Ameil defeated Miss Smart 6—2, 6 —o; Miss Pease defeated Miss Dell 6—o, 6—l; Miss M. Andrew defeated Miss M. Knight 6—l, 6 —l; Miss Ramsay defeated Mies K. Goodson 6 0, 6—o. LADIES’ DOUBLES. First Round. . Misses Ramsay and Mathieson defeated Misses Wilson (2) 6 —o, 6—l; Miss Knight and Mrs. Dunbar defeated Misses Pepper and Gay ton 6 —4, 6—3; Miss Simpson and Mrs. McCracken defeated Misses Gorrie (2) 6—2, 6 —3; Mrs. Grant and Miss Rundle defeated Misses Gibson and Andrew 6—4, 6 —4. / Second Round. Misses Campbell and Mcßae defeated Misses Morrison and McMullan 6—5, 6 ~~ 3 - < COMBINED DOUBLES. First Round. W. L, Wagstaff and Miss Pepper defeated J. M. Hine and Miss E. Goodson 8— 0, 6—3; Pickwell and Miss Nutting defeated Beaehen and Miss O. Shaw 6 —3, 9 — 7? Ellis and Miss Blundell defeated Middleton and Miss Dunbar 6 —2. 3—6, 6—o- - Second Round? A. H. Richards and Miss Mathieson defeated Alexander and Misg Nutting 6 —4, 6—l; Charters and Miss M. Stevens defeated L. Christie and Mrs. W. J. Smith 6 —2, 6—2; G. Wills and Miss Pease defeated Wood and Miss Foreman' 6—2, 6 —l; A. C. 'Stedman and Miss Andrew defeated Dart and Miss Hine 6—o, 6—o; P. McCarthy and Miss K. Goodson defeated W., L. Fitzherbert and Miss Fitzherbert 6—l, o—2;0 —2; Pickmere and Mrs. Arneil defeated Wagstaff and Miss Pepper 7 —5, 6—3; A. G. Wallace and Miss A. Graham defeated Lezard and Mrs. Baxter 6 —2, 6 —l; C. B. Webster and Mrs. Grant defeated Charters and Miss M. Stevens 6 —4, I—6, 6—2. BOYS’ SINGLES. First Round. R. McCarthy defeated N. M. Johnston 6 —o, 6—o. GIRLS’ SINGLES. Second Round. Miss M. Hine defeated Miss E. Grover 6—4, 5—6, 6—4. HANDICAP EVENTS. MEN’S SINGLES. A Grade —First Round. J. E. Stedman (owe 5) defeated A. B. Wilson (rec. 15) 60—35; H. Wills (scr) defeated S. White (rec. 15) 60 —49; Entwistle (owe 5) defeated J. H. Boon (rec. 12) 60—48. Second Round. Christie (rec. 12) defeated Andrews (rec. 15) 60—49. B Grade —First Round. Meyrick (rec. 15) defeated Rocli (rec. 20) 60 —53; R. McCarthy (rec. 10) defeated W. E. Fitzherbert (rec. 12) 60 —3B; A. J. Dickie (rec. 3) defeated D. Saxton (rec. 5) 60—51. MEN’S DOUBLES. First Round. Simmons and Nicholls (rec. 20) defeated McHardy and P. McCarthy (rec. 22) 60—51; T. Dickson and D. Smith (rec. 25) defeated P. Smith and Wadsworth (rec. 20) 00 —38; Hubble and Entwistle (scr) defeated D. Saxton and Judd (rec. 20) 60 —39. Second Round. G. Andrews and J. H. Boon (rec. 23) defeated A. H. Richards and McLachlan (rec. 7) 60 —52. LADIES’ SINGLES. First Round. Miss Nutting (rec. 10) defeated Miss Baxter (rec. 18) 50—34; Miss Morrison (rec. 15) defeated Miss Blundell (rec. 15) 50—34; Miss L., Ballantyne (rec. 12) defeated Miss E. Pepper (rec. 17) 50—38; Miss Ritter (rec.’ 18) defeated Miss M. Nutting (rec. 15) 50—44; Mrs. L. Berg (rec. 10) defeated Miss P. Baker (rec. 12) 50—39; Miss Wright (rec. 20) defeated Miss B. Balharry (rec. 20) 50 —43; Miss M. Burke (rec. 15) defeated Miss G. North (rec. 20) 52—50; Miss D. Hawken (rec. 15) defeated Miss L. Gorrie (rec. 12) 50—31. Second Round. Miss D. Baker (rec. 12) defeated Miss Allen (rec. 25) 50—46; Miss Mathieson (scr) defeated Miss Brodie (rec. 15) 50 -44. . LADIES’ DOUBLES. First Round. Misses Ramsay and Mathieson (scr) defeated Misses Burke and Blundell, (rec.15) 50—34.

IWI' li'prnrffimr w 'inmni ■ -hi Second Round. Misses J. and J. Ward (rec. 15) defeated Misses Campbell and Mcßae (rec. 15) 50—44. .z PLAYERS FOR THIS MORNING. MATCHES TO START AT 8.30 AND 9. The first matches will start to-day at 8.30 a.m., ’ when the following players have been asked to be on the courts: Miss Ballantyne v. Miss Pease. Miss Hawken v. Miss Ritter. Mrs. Smith v. Miss Nutting. Hubble and Entwistle v. Wood and Dalmer. The following matches will commence at 9 a.m.: — " r / Christie v. Patterson (men's championship singles). Misses Gleeson and Clegg v. Misses Brodie and Hine. Miss McMullan v. Mrs. Arneil. Melody and Mrs. Melody v. Forbes and Miss Morrison. Judd and hire. McLean v. McLachlan and Miss McMullan. Mrs. R. P. Adams v. Miss L. Morrison. Pickmere and Charters v. Hubble and T? fl 4- nT- ? Q t'l "R. P. Adams and H.‘ G. Andrews v. L. Christie and Alexander. Miss M. Gibson v. Miss Higginson.. Miss E. Pepper v.-’ Miss Mathieson. Drew v. H. L. Thompson. Miss Stedman v. Misg Wylde.