TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1930, Page 7

TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

■EXCELLENT PLAY PROVIDED GREAT STURT-MALFROY CONTEST RAIN INTERRUPTS' TOURNAMENT By Telegraph.—Proas Association. Wellington, Last Night. ' Interrupted by a thunderstorm this morning to New Zealand lawn tennis championships were later played in bright, windless weather. The match of the day in the singles was Sturt’s magnificent fight against Malfroy, which revealed the young . Aucklander once again as a player capable of great flights of brilliance. Mal- ? froy seemed to have Sturt’s measure when rain fell. He was 7 —5 and 2 —o, but .when play resumed two hours later • Sturt started in with-.a streak of form ’ which left -the result in doubt till the last set. Malfroy was completely outplayed in four games at . a stretch. If • he served Irkely balls for aces they were sent flashing away far. winners. ( If he . crowded the net he was passed by shots he did not even see. If he . entered upon a driving duel he-.was . usually outpointed by an opponent who • was playing for. all possible speed and . placement' and had reached -a peak he may not again attain for years. The ' match showed Malfroy as a great defensive man arid-Sturt as a, player of • genius 'in attack. Not until Sturt. was ■ two sets ‘'to oiie did Malfroy 41 nd him- ,' pelf. • ' . '• .'.The thunderstorm ■ was’ the luckiest thing in' the'-world for Angas, for \vith- ’ in an hour of • it- he was carried into - the pavilion suffering froiri Illness. Had; - the rain held off Angas must -ha ve had' ■ a seizure on the court and defaulted • to" his opponent,-Wilson. That player • was not happy-at the beginning of their • encounter. He was down' 2 —5 and ran to 4 L /5 just before 'the rain. - When plriy was resumed' he qnillcd ahead . against -a lethargic -Angas ' to lead 6—5 and holdfiyc set points which he failed to follow iip.'-'Hd waver, Wilson' -struck a patch within the'next few games and held the set decisively. Angas was doing all,-the running and Wilson, was frequently forcing ; him far out of the court but failing to take full advantage of his opportunities. Angas, played more and more accurately, digging up everything and often scoring placements by quick, returns of volleys which f ' Wilson failed to put away. It .finally. became a test , of accuracy and. there could be only one ending to it, the runner-beating the hitter. Angas, playr ing more and more confidently, won the match which was studded with doubtful decisions. . -. , Against Don France. Stedman discov- ; cred his nerves, and though he gained . many points with careful drives he did . not relish the dead courts. France was the more, accurate throughout. FRANCE DEFEATS WALLACE. L-en France gained a comfortable win bver Wallace from his unfinished match of two days before and found Seay starting slowly in tho next round. After. Seay got going there was only one man in it, for France was dropping over ' a lot of short stuff which was meat and drink to Seay. Only in the final set did France begin taking the net and forcing Seay. Two favourites for the ladies’ singles, Misses Nicholls and Knight, met in a match which was Miss Nicholls’ all the way. Miss Whyte, who has • won laurels for herself at the meeting. made a splendid fight against Mrs. Melody and was beaten only by more consistent form. She missed the first set. through a slightly greater margin of errors than her more experienced opponent, but continued in the vigorous hitting which she favours, always playing an attacking game and always go- . ing for her shot when the opening presented itself. She won tho second set by a good margin, leading 4 —o and 5 — 1 and never looking likely to be defeated. After the interval Mrs. Melody played-"a stronger game and her spun drives troubled Miss Whyte, who could not deal with them over long rallies. Mrs. Adams started confidently against Miss Myers and faded, being forced from her usual strong game and entering upon a contest of steadiness in which she had no scope of winning. In the men’s doubles Don France and Malfroy had a walk-over from Len France and' Lampe, and in the other semi-final Wilson and Stedman showed great form against Angas and Sturt. ’ Wilson posted Stedman right on top . of tho net instead of tho position he , generally favours, and the pair were always attacking. Another easy win went to Mesdames Adams and Thomson in the ladies’ - doubles semi-final. They have been the ■ only pair consistently to take the net and against Mrs. Stunnan and Miss Lloyd they were always leading and forcing the pace with aggressive volleying and judicious positional play. Misses Wake and Andrew on the contrary, had to work hard against Mes- ■ dames Melody and Scott, who ran into a good lead in the second set and dis- ' played great steadiness. Miss Wake was ’.the backbone of her team and her clean ■ and accurate hitting from the baseline carried the team through, while Miss Andrew when she intercepted at the net, ' usually scored an outright win. This made just the difference in a very closely fought game. - The final of the girls’ doubles saw Isohel Morrison and Clair Longmore ■ much too consistent for their young opponents, both in driving and volleying. To-day’s results are; — MEN’S SINGLES. Third Round. —A. L. France (Wellington) beat Wallace (Taranaki), 6—U, ’ (i—3? 6—2. Fourth Round.—D. G. France (Wcl- . lington) beat Stedman (Auckland),? —5, • o—6 —4; Seay (Canterbury) beat A. ■ L. France (Wellington), 4—6, 6—3, ■ 6—2 6—3; Malfroy (Wellington) beat • Sturt (Auckland), 7—5, 2—6, 4—6, 6—l, 6— Angas (Canterbury) beat Wilson (Wellington), SZ-l'O, 6—2, 6—2, 6—l. MEN’S DOUBLES. Semi-finals.—Wilson (Wellington) and Stedman (Auckland) beat Angas (Canterbury) and Sturt (Auckland), 6—4, 7—5, 6—l; D. G. Franco and Malfroy (Wellington) beat A. L. France (Wellington) and Lampe (Wanganui), 6—l, 6—o, 6—3. LADIES’ SINGLES. Third Round.—Miss Marjorie Mac-Far-Jane (Auckland) beat Mrs. Thomson (Wellington), 6—3, 6—4; Mrs. Melody

(Wellington) beat Miss Whyte (Wellington), 6—l, 2—6, 6—3; Miss NichoLs (Wellington) beat Miss Knight (Auckland j, 6—3, 6—2; Miss Myers. (Wanganui) beat Mrs. Adams (Wellington), 4-6, 6—2, 6—l. , . '. - --■ iL'ADIES’.'DOUBLES. . • 'Adams and Mrs. Thomson-(Wellington): beat Mrs. btur-' man q Wellington Dand -Miss Lloyd (tNcw‘ South Wales), 6—3, 6—l; -Misses Wake and Andrew (Canterbury) - beat Mrs. Melody - (Wellington) and Mrs. Scott .(South Canterbury), 6 —3, 5—7, 6 —3. MIXED DOUBLES. First Round. —E. Howell (Rangitihi) and. Miss’Fleming (Otago)- beat Ferkins .(Wellington). and Miss. Wood (Marlbor.ough), .6—4, B—6. Second Roiind.—Stedman (Auckland) and Mrs? Adams (Wellington) beat Morrison (Canterbury) and Mrs.-Smith .(Wanganui), 6—l, S./Ji (retired); Glanville' (Canterbury) and Miss Morrison (Canterbury), won froni Griffitns (Auckland) and Miss. V r hyj.e. (Welliigton) -by default; Wallace ( l.’aranaki) and Mrs. Scott (South .Canterbury) 'beat' Lampe and Miss Myers.(Wanganui), 6 : '.-2, G—l. NEW ZEALAND PLATE. First Round.—Fenkins (Wclliigioni beat Griffiths .'Auckland), 6—-3. 6—l; P. Howell (Rangitihi) beat Purvis (Canterbury), B—6,8 —6, 7 —5. ‘ BOYS’ SINGLES. Third Round.—Heenan (Mid Canterbury) beat Anne'.t ; (Waikato), 6—l, 6—l; Robertson (South Canterbury) beat Davys (Wellington), 6—-3, 4--6, 6—4; Lees (Auckland) beat McGibbon (Canterbury), 6 —l, C —l; Vender .Wellington) beat Mvrison (Wellington',, 6-3, 6—4. GIRLS’ SINGLES Semi-final.—l. Morrison (Canterbury) beat S. Phillips (Wellington), 6 —5. 6—2; M. Howe (Wellington) beat Al. Eliot (South Canterbury), G--2-, 6- 3. BOYS’ DOUBLE-!. Semi-finals. —Lees and Lees (Auckland) beat Morrison and Bedford 'Wellington), 6—l, 6 —4; Robertson (South Canterbury) and Ferkins (Wellington) beat Heenan (Mid Canterbury) and Doherty (Canterbury), 6 —5, 6—l. GIRLS’ DOUBLES. Final.—l. Morrison (Canterbury) and C. Longmore (Wellington) beat M. Eliot (South Canterbury) and M. Howe (Wellington), 6—l, 6 —3. JUNIOR MIXED DOUBLES. First Round. —R. R. Lees and Barbara Stedman (Auckland) won.from J. Wylie and Juliet Nathan (Wellington), by default; A. J. Dickie (Taranaki) and Amy Graham (Wellington) won. from H. Winnie and Jessie Burns (Wellington), by default; M. Heenan (South Canterbury) and Isobel Morrison (Canterbury) won from Wycherley and Gretchen Hume (Wellington) by default; Annett (Waikato) and Stella Phillips (Wellington) beat Bush and A. Kean (Wellington), 6 —0,-2 —6, 6—l; Robertson and M. Eliot (South Canterbury) beat Davys and D. King (Wellington), 6—3, 6—2. Second Round. —Ferkins and C. Longmore (Wellington) beat Lees and Stedman (Auckland), 6 —3, 6—3; Heenan and I. Morrison beat Dickie and A. Graham, 6 —3, 6 —l; Annett and S. Phillips beat Young and Joan Wallace (Wellington), 6—l, 6-3.