NORTH TARANAKI TITLES

Taranaki Daily News, 25 March 1935, Page 9

NORTH TARANAKI TITLES

STROMBOM’S FINE WIN S. CLIFFORD-JONES BEATEN. MISS .TAYLOR WOMEN’S CHAMPION GOOD FORM IN DOUBLES EVENTS. After being beaten four times this season by S. Cliff ord-Jones, C. H. Stromborn defeated him yesterday in three sets to win the North Taranaki residential men’s singles tennis championship. Although the sky was overcast at times, fine weather prevailed and some splendid tennis was witnessed. The winners of the men’s doubles, L. Torrens and J. Shaw (Inglewood), gave impressive displays, while Misses J. Medley and W. Webster, the young Pukekura Park pair, did well to win the women’s doubles event.

This year’s title-holders, with those for last year in parentheses, are:— Men’s singles: C. H. Strombom, New Plymouth (C. H. Strombom). Men’s doubles: L. Torrens and J. Shaw, Inglewood (C. H. Strombom and C. B. Webster).

Women’s singles: Miss O. J. Taylor, j New Plymouth (Miss O. J. Taylor). _ Women’s doubles: Misses *J. Medley ’ and W. Webster, Pukekura Park (Misses O. J. Taylor and D. Simpson). [ Clifford-Jones knew too much for Bens nett, who in the first set was unable to cope with the slashing attack of his • opponent. In the second set Bennett j rallied and forced Clifford-Jones to long , rallies, in which the latter invariably succeeded with a carefully placed shot. Clifford-Jones ran to 4—love before Bennett took two games in a row. CliffordJones won off Bennett’s service and t clinched matters off his own service. In . the next set Bennett ran to 2—3, but , Clifford-Jones took four games . before i being checked, Bennett scoring off his opponent’s service. Cliff ord-Jones won the set and match from 30—30 in the next game. STROMBOM PLAYS WELL. ' Although Christie won only three games in his two sets against Strombom he played better than the score would indicate. Strombom was stroking well, clipping the sidelines with remarkable , accuracy. On the other hand • Christie drove with force and treated anything overhead to severe punishment. Christie won the opening game and Strombom ran to 3—l before being checked, Christie winning a deuce game off Strombom’s service. He dropped his next service to love and Strombom won his own and the next. Strombom always held the upper hand in the second- set, Christie taking only the third game despite long rallies and bright tennis. The men’s singles final was characterised by a remarkable change in the form of Strombom, who eventually won I—6, B—6, 6—3. Clifford-Jones was always in form and in the first set he outclassed his opponent, who was hitting rashly and netting and outing frequently. The second set found both men at their best. Clifford-Jones drove with uncanny accuracy from the baseline, finding the corner on both sides of the court. Strombom gained the ascendancy by excursions to the net. Prettily angled shots and fierce smashes to all parts of the court won him points. Cliff ord-Jones won the first game but Strombom, playing magnificent, tennis, ran. to sr-rlnnd although he held set point on several occasions, Clif-ford-Jones evened at 5—5 from deuce. He won his service and-after-three match points in the next game conceded the game to Strombom for 6—6. Strombom won the next game from 40—15 and the set with the next, from .40—30. Both men were playing good tennis in. the final set, but Strombom had more opportunities to score at the net. He varied his game from the baseline considerably and forced his Opponent out-of position. From 2—2 Strombom took the score to 4—2, but dropped the next. However, he took the next two games from 30-T-30. NOT A SINGLE GAME. After losing the first set by two games Strombom and Christie outclassed Clif-ford-Jones and Bennett in the second and third sets, the latter pair failing to register a single game in either set. Shaw’s service was the undoing of Leggat and Nash in their match against Shaw and Torrens. The Inglewood pair . combined well and displayed remarkable courage. They were always accurate at the net and excelled overhead. Nash was off colour and gave his partner. little assistance. Leggat appeared unable to return Shaw’s service anywhere but in the air, with the result the opposition reaped a harvest from telling smashes. Waiwaka took the sixth game for 3—3 but dropped the next three. Leggat and Nash were not in the picture after taking the first game in the second set, the Inglewood pair taking five games in a row. Leggat won his service and Shaw lost his for 5—3, after having match point. The final game went to three deuces.

Long rallies, smart net play and delightful overhead work was seen in the doubles final in which Torrens and Shaw accounted for Strombom and Christie. As in earlier games, Shaw’s service was a source of/trouble' to the opposition. Each side won its service until 3—3. Torrens then dropped his from 40—30, but the Inglewood pair evened by taking Christie’s service from love. Shaw won his service and Strombom failed to win his, and Inglewood won the set. Torrens won the first game in the next set but Strombom and Christie rallied and, lobbing with accuracy, took four games in a row. After four deuces Christie lost his service for 4—2. The next two •games fell to the New Plymouth pair after long tussles. ’ Christie and Strombom collapsed in the next set, the latter making many mistakes. Inglewood won the first five games but lost the next two from 15—15. Strombom lost his service and the set 6—2. MISS WYLDS FIGHTS GAMELY. Although fighting gamely and covering the court well, Miss Wylds was no match for Miss O. J. Taylor, who by sheer force broke through her opponent’s defence and won in two straight sets, Miss Wylds winning one game only. • Miss Wylds and ■ Miss Medley gave a fine display, the superior physical condition of the former winning the day. Miss. Medley after losing the first three games settled down to fine hard tennis. Miss Medley was weak on the backhand during the earlier stages and dropped many points as a result. However, as the set progressed she \yon with well executed shots from both backhand and forehand. She took six games in a row and the set 6—3. In the next set Miss. Wylds kept her opponent on the move and from 4—4 broke through her opponent’s service from 30—30 and won her own service from love. In the final set Miss Medley could not do better than I—l. Miss Wylds, playing from the baseline, kept her opponent on the run and won 6—l. Mrs. Sole offered Miss Taylor no mean opposition and some good tennis was seen, but Miss Taylor’s forceful tactics won the day. Miss Taylor lost her first service but won off Mrs. Sole’s; The pair fought point for point until 3—3, when Miss Taylor took the set with three games in a row.. Miss Taylor won three games before dropping her service. She

then went on to s—l, but lost the next two ‘games after holding match point on several occasions. She clinched matters off her opponent’s service from'! 15—15. Miss Simpson played splendid tennis as partner to Miss Taylor in a win over Mrs. Webster and Miss Thompson. The Park pair played forceful tennis but to no avail, the opposition combining well. Miss Taylor was not at her best in this game. s Clever tactics and bright tennis were responsible for the win of Misses Med-', ley and Webster over Misses Taylor and. Simpson, the former titleholders. Concen-; trating bn the backline, the Park pair , kept the opposition on the run, Miss Tay- ; lor doing the bulk of the work. At the net all. four did well, but Miss Webster’ won points with well-directed smashes. Miss Medley was sure with her backhand and forehand shots. The pair combined well and thoroughly disorganised the opposition, Miss Simpson being cut out at the net time and again. From I—l Park ran to 6—l. The second set saw ; little alteration in the play. Misses Medley and Webster were easy winners. The results were:— Men’s Singles. Semi-finals: C. H. Strombom (New' Plymouth) beat L. Christie (New Ply--mouth), 6—2, 6—l; S. Clifford-Jones (New Plymouth) beat P. Bennett (New Ply-' mouth), 6—2, 6—3. Final: C. H. Strom-’ bom (New Plymouth) beat S. Clifford--Jones (New Plymouth), I—6, B—6, 6—3. Men’s Doubles. Semi-finals: Strombom and Christie • (New Plymouth) beat S. Clifford-Jones and Bennett (New Plymouth), 4—6, 6—0,.6—o; Shaw and Torrens (Inglewood) beat, Leggat and Nash (Waiwaka), 6—3, 6—3. Final: Torrens and Shaw (Inglewood). beat Strombom and Christie (New Plymouth), 6 —4, 2—6, 6—2. t Women’s Singles. Semi-finals: Miss O. J. Taylor (New Plymouth) beat Mrs. Sole (Rotokare), 6-3, 6-3; Miss Wylds (New Plymouth) beat Miss Medley (Pukekura Park), 3—6,-6-4, 6-1. Final: Miss Taylor (NewPlymouth) beat Miss Wylds (New Plymouth), 6—l, 6—o. . . Women’s Doubles. Semi-final: Misses J. Medley and W.' Webster (Pukekura Park) beat Misses E. Griffin and P. Wykh (New Plymouth),. 5—6, 6—4, 6—2; Misses D. Simpson andO. J. Taylor (New Plymouth) beat Mrs. Webster and Miss*R. Thompson (Pukekura Park), 6—3, 6—3. Final: Misses. J. Medley and M. Webster (Pukekura, Park) beat Misses O. J. Taylor and Miss D. Simpson (New Plymouth), 6—l, 6—2.