LAWN TENNIS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13367, 8 January 1907, Page 7

LAWN TENNIS.

THIRD DAY. IThc annual tourney of the Taranaki Lawn Tennis Association was continued on Monday afternoon in idea* tennis weather, tiro attendance of spectators being again excellent. > CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS. During Monday afternoon several championship finals were decided, in which the play was of a very high order. MEN'S DOUBLES. Keith arid Grossman met Wallace and Dickie, and some fears were expressed that the match might , prove tame, as it was known that Keith .bad cracked up ; but he was in excellent form, only wearing out slightly toward* the end of t!ho match. Dickie served with great speed and strength, ami both he and Wallace •smashed continuously, though many ot the smashes were unsuccessful. Or the other hand, Keith and Grossman served softly and returned softly. The scores registered give an interesting indication of the tactics of the losers. They played rather badly at the beginning of the first set, but finally won it ; and' they made a hard fight for the second. They fell away again in the third, and by a great . effort •won the fourth to keep themselves in the game ; but the score in the last game Indicated tli'e fact that they had done their best and could do no more, The physical condition of their opponents had, perhaps, . a lot to, do with the defeat of Keith and Grossman, for the game lasted somewhere in the vicinity of two hours and a half. (For the clear understanding of tine following details it is necessary to state that the score of the winners of the set is placed first in each case.) First set : Wallace and Dickie won the first game .rather easily, o—l. The second game/ in which Grossman did s. lot of work, was won by his side, — I — l. Keith and Grossman f a iled to score in the next game (1~ 2) and the fourth game was* also lost by a large margin, ?»— 3. In the fifth game ; a clean neat piece of worK was seen, j Dickie sent out one of his- lightning serves. which was returned „ to the back line, the danger of letting Wallace 'get in net work being reeognisdd; but despite th"is, Wallace, managed to intercept a ball and tip it over the net. The effect of the pass-age was enhanced •by the fact that Keith 1 and "Grossman were both on their back line,, and were as useless as if they had been at the BreaWater. A succession of quick volleys followed, a nd the game was finally won by Wallace and Dickie, * I—4.1 — 4. Keith and Grossm-an won the sixth game, arid they also won the seventh, through Wallace anis-judging a smash, 3— ¥. The next two games were also 1 won" by Keith and . Grossman, some pretty work being seen in the ninth, 6—4. After a long game the set was won by Keith and Grossman at 5—4. , , . v Second set : Keith and Grossman won fhe first 'game (0—1) and their opponents the next two, - l i— 2. In the fourth game* the scores was equalised, and Keith and Grossm'am won the fifth. 2—3. Grossman out-W^laced Wallace in the sixth? game, beating the gTeat net man by neatly tipping a ball over the net ; but the game was finally won by Wallace and Dickie, 3—3. Keith and Gross/man won thQ seventh game," 3—4. The next game opened with a more than ordinarify exciting and brilliant .volley passage, Wallace and Dickie winning, 4_4. Ninth game, Keith and Grossman, I—s. A series of qjiiick, long lobs was the feature o$ the tenth game which was won by Wallace and Dickie, 5—5. Eleventh game, Wallace and Dickie, "f>~s. Keith and j Grossman won the twelvth game easily, 6—6. Wallace and Dickie' won the thirteenth and fourteenth games, 7— 6, 8-6. Third set : Wallace made the first score in the first game with ridiculous ease by a net . stroke, , but . the other side won the game,; ,1— 0- 1 I n the second game Keith' 1 badly* mulled a net stroke* proving rather deficient in this department throughout. The game was won by Wallace and Dickie, I—l. Third game, Wallace and Dickie, 2—l. The fourth game was a long one, Wallace • and Dickie finally winning, 3—l. jFtfth game, Keith sind Grossman 3— 2. In the sixth game (which was close) it was apparent that Wallace was not playing up to form, while Keith had warmed to his ■work. Wallace and Dickie won, 4-2. Keith was playing well and cleanly in the seventh game, which his side won, I—3. Eighth game, Dickie and Wallace, ft— 3. In the -ninth and last game Keith was again caught by one of Wallace's n et strokes, though he made a great effort to save the situation. Wallace and DioMe won the game a nd the set, 6—B. Fourth set : Wallace awl Dickie woe the first two games, o—2. In the third 1 game Grossman beat Dickie with a very fast ball—about, th« only one he piayetP— the, •game being won by the Aucklanders, 2—2. Th< fifths game was won by- Keith anc Grossman, Wallace failing, to **>*&* a winning net stroke^ 3—2. Th< sixth and seventh games were woi by the Aucklanders, who did son* hard hitting, 5-2. Keith and Gross man won the -eighth game and th set. 6—2. Fifth' set : First game, Keith and Grossman, o—l. Second game, Wallace and Dickie, I—l. The ! third o-amc was distinguished by a difficult stroke on the corner which Grossman successfully played. Wallace and Dickie won the game, 2—l. The same players won the next two games, the latter by an -easy strdke, 3—l, 4 — 1. They also won the sixth (s—l), but the hopes of Auckland sympath isera rosp when the Aucklanders wor the seventh, 5—2. In the eighth anc last game Grossman put in a fin< stroke, which >aueht the other sid< napping, but Wallace and Dickie fin

ally won the game, the set, &&A tin match, 6—2, " LADIES' SINGLES. Thti® contest was between! Hisses Udy a'n-d Powdrell, and for somt time it looked as if Jftiss Udy wouk win. l^arly in the game Miss Udy, who has played a great many games during the tournament.! looked as ii she were abemt to "give out," and later, when Miss Udy seemed to be getting fresher, Miss Powdrell appeared to bo in distress ; but both ladies-, stuck to the game, which was of a punishing, description, for the whole of its duration— nearly an hk>ur and a half. The match was punishing because it consisted for the most part of lobs from end to end of the court. Miss Udy was, no doubt, beaten to a large extent by the nimbleness of her opponent ; and the score in the game she won (7 — 5) hhows how hard she would have had Do work to win the match. First set : First game, Miss Udy, o— l. Secctad game, Miss Powdrell, I—l. Third game, Miss Powdrell, 2— 1. Fourth game, Miss Powdrell, 3—l.3 — 1. Fifth <*arae (a long one), Miss Powdrell, 4—3.4 — 3. In the sixth game Miss Powdrell was infinitefy quicker on her feet than her opponent and won s—?■.5 — ?■. Miss Udy won the seventh game after a long hard tussle, sr— 2. The eighth game was alsqf long and hard-fought. Miss Powdrell finally winning, 6—2.6 — 2. Second set : First game, Miss Powdrell, o—l. In the second game Miss Powdrell gave a double fault at the beginning, M)iss Udy scored on the second l stroke, and Miss Powdrell again* gave a double fault on the third, Miss Udy. thus winning, I—l.1 — 1. Third gam?, Miss Powdrell, I^-2. Play livened up in the fourth game. Miss Udy got the best of an exchange o"f" long shots -with, a very quick return, and she repeated the operation in a short time. "The score in the game was soon equalised, Miss Udy/ having hard luck in failing to return a net strobe. After a close contest Miss Powdrell won, I—3. The 'fifth game was won by Miss Udy with a well-placed ball on. the side-line, 2—3. Sixth game, (Miss Powdrell, 2—4. Miss Udy was considerably troubled in the seventh game by her opponent! landing balls on -alternate corners of the court, but finally won, 3—4.3 — 4. Two 1 good line shots in qx&ok succession gave Miss Udy the eighth game, 4—4.4 — 4. Ninth game, Miss Udy, 5—4.5 — 4. Tenth game, Miss Powdrell 5—5. The eleventh game was a fearful debacle as far as Miss Powdrell was concerned. She returned the first ball out, the second into the net, and the third out— all first shots. The fourth ball she returned out after a few strokes. Naturally, Miss Udy won, 6—5. Site also won the last game, 7—5.7 — 5. Third set : The first game, in which there was an invigorating long-dis-tance rally, was- won by Miss Powdrell, I— fl. Variety was. lent to the match by the play in the second game. The ball was kept going all over the cmirt in a very pleasing fashion, Ms«s Powdrell winauhg, < 2e-tf. Third and fourth game, Miss Powdrell, 3-0, 4—o, The fifth game iwas rsmarkaible for a long rally. It started with long sky lobs, which! gradually got tower, Miss Udy finally getting; a swift one past her opponent. The game was won !by Miss Udy with the shortest return of the match, 4— 1. Sixth. game, Miss Powdrell, s—l. The seventh game "Was a momentous one for both players, anty they, both played excellently. : The last passage started with a sky lob. .Then Miss Powdre 1 ! started to place her balls 1 on alternate sides of . the court and in a short time. wore Miss Udy 'down, winning the set at 6—l.6 — 1. COMBINED DOUBLES. In this game, which was contested by Miss Gray arid Pearse and Miss Powdrell and Dickie, the play was of a high order throughout, though- all the players, except Pearse showed signs of staleness. There is not much to record about the ♦ match beyond saying 1 that the play was frequently 1 pretty and always sound. First set : First game, Pearse, Or— l, Second 1 and third games, Dickie, \— j f o— t. In the fourth game » the prettiest and cleanest Incident of the tourney occurred!. Pearse served to DicMe,wh'o .quickly returned ta Miss 5 Gray. Miss Gray was just beside the net, and with a clean, swift stroke she lattded the ball past Miss Powdrell just inside the side-line. It is safe to say the whole passage did not occupy more than , three seconids, and the suddenness and precision of tl^ strokes almost' took tlhe breath away. The .game was won by Dickie, 3— \ Fifth game, Pearse, 33 1 — 2. Sixth, seventh and eigth games, Dickie, 4— 2, 5—2. 6—2. Second set : First game, Dickie, 1— 0. The second game was particularly bright and exciting, and therefore strenuous, and was won by Pearse, 1 —1. Pearse also won the next game, which was closely contested, 22. Fpurth game, Dickie, 2—2 The 'fifth game was won by Pearse with a, fine drive, 2—3. Sixth game, Pearse. 3—3. 'Seventh game, Dickie, 4r-3. Eighth game, Pearse, 4^-4. In the ninth game the ladies started teWMmr fromj corner to < corner Pearse intercepted a ball and short ened the play, 'but Miss Gray faile* , for once to land tjhe ball over th< net when it came back, and thi game was lost to Dickie, 5—4. Th last game ended rather suddenly Pearsel. missing a very easy shot Dickie won the set and the match 7-4. DETAILED SCORES. Following are details of the d&y'i play :— Men's Championship Doubles (pre vious champions, C. J. Dickie an< A. G. Wallace)— Final : Dickie an< Wallace beat ICeith and Grossman 4_6 t <^-6, g_-i3, 2—6, 6—2. Ladies' Championship Singles (pn vious champion. Miss Powdrell)Final : Miss* Powdrell beat Miss Udy, 6-2, 5—7, 6—l. Ladies' Championship Doubles—Sec-

ond round : Misses Dickie be a t Misses Thomson and B. Berry, fir-3, ii 11 — 3 ; Misses Gray 'and Udy beat Misses Powidrell and Payne, 5—7, 6—2. Final : Masses Gray and IMy be-a't Misses Dickie, 0-3, C-'O. Men's Handicap • Singles.— Fourth round : Fookes beat Keith, 60»-50. Final : Fookes beat Pearse, GO— sß. Men's Handicap D^tibles.^TMrd round : Medley and Weir beat Fookes atid KynH?, 70—49. Final : Itickie and Wallace beat Medley a nd' IVeir, 60-51. Ladies' Handicap Singles— Fourth rourid : Miss Gray beat Miss A. Dickie, 50—42. Final : Miss Gray, beat Miss Thomson 1 , 40—28. Ladies' Handicap Doubles— Final : Misses Dickie beat Misses Gray and Udy, 55—53. Combined Championship Doubles— Third round : Miss Gray and Pearse beat Miss Payne and "Caplen, 6—l, 6 —1. Fmal : Miss Powdrell and Dickie beat Miss Gray and Pearse, 6—4, 6— 2. Combined Handicap Doubles — Second round : Miss Udy and Brown bfcat Mrs Johns and Snxhn, 60—52. Third round : Miss Udy and Brown beat Miss Payne and N. Caplen, GO— s2.