TENNIS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 18761, 27 December 1930, Page 5

TENNIS.

NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIPS. D. FRANCE DEFEATED. By Telegraph—Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH. December 26. The New Zealand lawn tennis championships began at Wilding Park in very warm weather. There was not a breath of .wind for the opening rounds. Four of the principal events were got through, all the arrangements working smoothly, despite the large number of \ competitors. The greatest surprise of the day was the defeat of Don France, of Wellington, by the youthful H. A. Barnett, of Canterbury, in four sets. France won the doubles championship last year with C. E. Malfroy. Barnett won the boys’ singles championship in 1927 and 1928. He was too steady and accurate for France to-day. C. Angas, holder of the singles title, advanced to the third round, defeating H. J. Pollock, of Otago and J. R. | Johnston, of Canterbury. Johnston, ; in the first set, was strong enough to j give the champion excellent stroke I practice. J. H. W. Sheppard carried A. L. 1 France to four sets, but did not have pace enough to make the result doubtI ful. Other well-known players defeated included T. Rhodes-Williams by A. C. Johns and M. L. Lampe by H. Dymond. There were three scratchings in the men’s singles event, Dr J. T. Laurenson, who was to play E. S. Dixon, H. S. P. Andrews, of Christchurch, who was ill, and A. G. Wallace, the Taranaki veteran, who was drawn against T. W. Patterson. No upsets occurred in the ladies’ singles in which leading the contestants Mrs Dykes (nee May Speirs), Misses Marion and Marjorie Macfarlane, M. Myers, D. Nicholls and Mrs Adams are all unbeaten. Mrs Adams, however, lost the first set to Miss Rudkin, a i young Christchurch player .of promise. The third round of matches in this section should be exciting, i The best pairs in the men’s championship doubles appear to be Wilson and Stedman. the France brothers, and i Angas and Seay. ; In the ladies’ doubles, the holders of the title, Misses Wake and Andrew, will be troubled most by Mrs Melody and Miss Myers. Mrs Adams and Miss Nicholls and Misses Marjorie and Marion Macfarlane. The form shown in this event to-day was high. Results:—

MEN’S SINGLES. First Round. T. Rhodes-Williams beat J. R. Crawshaw, 6-4, 5-7, 6-0, 6-3. C. Angas beat H. J. Polldck, 6-1, 6-2, 6-1. D. F. Glanville beat W. G. Robertson, 6-4, 6-3. 6-1. I W. R. Robinson beat G. D. H. WhitI combe, 6-0, 6-0, 6-1. A. C. Johns beat T. W. Field, 6-1, 6-0, ( 6-1. ! H. G. Searle beat R. A. Court, 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. A. L. France beat J. H. W. Sheppard, 6-4. 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. W. S. Anderson beat G. A. Pearce, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. 6-2. R. A. Young beat J. N. Mitchell, 6-2, 6- 6-4. H. Dymond beat M. L. Lampe 2-6, 4-6, 8-6, 6-3, 6-2. Second Round. A. C. Stedman beat N. G. Munns, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2. W. S. Somerville beat W. J. Melody, 7- 6-3, 2-6, ' 1. E. H. Orbe.i beat C. A. K. Deaker, 6-1. 4-6, 6-4. 6-2. V. K. J. Hayr beat R. A. Row, 6-2, 6- 6-0. E. S. Dixon beat J. T. Laurenson by I default. T. W. Patterson beat A. G. Wallace by default. D. Young beat H. S. P. Andrews by default. H. A. Barnett beat D. G. France 1-6, 6-0, 6-1, 7-5. J. R. Johnston beat W. Pearse, 3-6, 7- 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. L. Johnston beat E. A. Pearce, 2-6, 9-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. N. R. C. Wilson beat A. R. Cant, 6-1, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. A. L. France beat W. G. Morrison, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1. Glanville beat Anderson, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. Johns beat Rhodes-Williams, 6-3, 6-2 6-1. W. R. Robinson beat R. A. Young, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. Angas beat J. R. Johnston, 7-5, 6-0, 6-0. Dymond beat Searle, 6-1, 6-1, 6-8, 6-2. WOMEN’S SINGLES. First Round. Miss D. M. Nicholls beat Miss M. Rankin, 6-2, 6-1. Mrs H. M. Dykes beat Miss M. Gibson, 6-1, 6-2. Mrs N. Thomson beat Miss B. Cotterill, 6-3, 6-2. Miss D. Hart beat Miss I. Poole, 6-4, 6-3. Miss M. E. Andrew beat Miss D. Howe, 6-4, 6-1. Miss Marion Macfarlane beat Miss M. Sherris, 4-6, 11-9, 6-3. Mrs R. P. Adams beat Miss E. Rudkin, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2. Miss Marjorie Macfarlane beat Miss N. Smithson, 6-2, 6-3. Miss M. Myers beat Mrs W, A. Scott, 6-4. 6-3. Miss G. Rankin beat Mrs N. M. Fleming, 6-2, 6-0. Miss J. E. Ramsay beat Miss N. Hoare, 6-4, 6-4. MEN’S DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP. First Round. A. C. Johns and K. J. Hayr beat W. G. Morrison and R. A. Row, 6-0, 6-1, 6-0. P. E. Allison and T. W. Patterson beat E. A. and G. A. Pearce, 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. J. H. Sheppard and W. G. Robertson beat H. S. Andrews and A. R. Cant by default. C. Angas and I. A. Seay beat H. J. Pollock and C. A. K. Deaker, 6-1, 6-0, 6-2. W. R. Robinson and H. G. Searle beat P. H. Jones and T. R. Hogg by default. Second Round. N. R. Wilson and A. C. Stedman beat W. S. Somerville and E. H. Orbell, 6-1, 6-3. 6-3. N. S. Anderson and H. A. Barnett beat Warne Pearse and W. J. Melody, 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-8, 6-0. Glanville and D. Johnston beat S. W. Field and R. A. Court, 7-5, 4-6, 1-6, 8-6, 6-2. LADIES’ CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES. First Round. Miss S. Goss and Miss E. Rudkin beat Miss E. Melvin and Miss M. Wade, 6-4, 6-2. Miss B. Gould and Miss B. Macdonald beat Mrs Stedman and Miss M. Scott, 6-2, 6-4. Mrs R. P. Adams and Miss D. Nicholls beat Miss N. Blunden and Miss C. Reese, 6-3, 6-0. Second Round. Misses M. Sherris and E. M. Johnston beat Misses J. E. Ramsay and D. Quill, 6-2, 10-8. Mrs Adams and Miss Nicholls beat

Mrs W. Peppier and Mrs R. A. Giles, 6-4, 6-2. Mrs N. Thomson and Miss D. Howe beat Misses G. and M. Rankin, 6-1, 6-0. Misses N. Fleming and D. Hart beat Misses I. Morrison and I. Poole, 2-6, 6-3. 6-4. Misses M. Wake and M. Andrew beat Mrs W. A. Scott and Miss M. Gibson, 6-1, 6-2. Mrs W. J. Melody and Miss M. Myers beat Misses L. Ballantyne and D. E. Scott, 6-1, 6-0. Misses M. and M. Macfarlane beat Misses B. Cotterill and N. Hoare, 7-5, 6-3. BOYS’ CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES. First Round. E. Kean beat D. A. Highet, 5-6, 6-4, 6-3. Second Round. A. A. Macgibbon beat D. E. Harwood, 6-1. 6-0. E. G. Young beat E. F. Healey, 6-2, 5- 6-0. G. C. Reid beat R. Bell, 6-1, 6-4. H. Davys beat G. D. Rich, 6-1, 6-0. P. Hawksworth beat M. Rickard, 6-3, 6J. D. Coward beat E. Kean, 6-2. 6-3. A. H. Meikleham beat D. B. S. Lee, 2-6, 6-4, 12-10. J. Aspell beat G. R. O’Malley, 6-3, 6-5. GIRLS’ JUNIOR SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP. First Round. Miss Celia Reese beat Miss D. Stephens, 6-2, 6-3. Second Round. Miss V. Livingstone beat Miss F. Cowper, 6-2, 6-1. Miss I. Poole beat Miss D. Gerard, 6-1, 6-2. Miss S. Gillanders beat Miss A. Smith, 6-2, 6-2. Miss M. Mathieson beat Miss B. Olphert, 6-0, 6-2. Miss N. Bishop beat Miss H. Hervey, 6-4, 6-1. Miss M. Howe beat Miss M. Pyne, 5-6, 6-2, 6-1. Miss N. Blunden beat Miss D. Dickey, 6- 6-4. INTERMEDIATE OPEN SINGLES. First Round. H. A. Barnett beat T. W. Walls, 6-1, 7A. R. Grant beat L. Armstrong, 1-6, 6- 6-3. R. A. Court beat J. G. Langrish, 6-4, 6-2. N. J. Daly beat G. D. Whitcombe, 7- 7-5. W. G. Robertson beat L. N. Larsen, 6-0, 6-1. BOYS’ DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP. First Round. G. C. Reid and M. Rickard beat J. F. Healey and G. R. O’Malley, 2-6, 6-3. 8A. A. Macgibbon and N. Davys beat J. D. Coward and D. E. Harwood, 6-3. 6-3. GIRLS’ DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP. First Round. Misses Dick and Poole beat Miss M. Howe and Olphert, 4-6, 6-0, 7-5. Misses Blunden and Reese beat Misses Gerard and Pyne, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

NOTES ON THE PLAY. SOME INTERESTING GAMES. Brilliant tennis gave Barnett his victory over Don France, and there were many exciting rallies. Barnett was erratic and drove out a good deal in the first set, which went to France with the loss of one game only. France went to the net in the second, where he scored heavily, but Barnett soon got the measure of his play and forced him off the offensive. Barnett gained confidence with each game and was equal to the best France could produce. He recovered the most difficult shots, and often finished off a rally with a stinging drive, which left no chance for a return. France fell into errors at critical times, but on the day he was outplayed. He made a great rally in the fourth set, equalising the score at 5-all, after being down 1-3, but Barnett could not be shaken and finished the match in decisive fashion by taking the game to love. One of the most interesting games in the opening round was that* between H. G. Searle of Canterbury and R. A. Court of Otago. Court, who in 1927 won the English junior championship, gave a splendid display, and went down to Searle 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 only after a very hard struggle. Searle’s service was the deciding factor. W. G. Robertson has improved since last year, when he won the boys’ championship singles, but he was unable to win a set in the first round encounter with Glanville. There were some good rallies of hard driving, and Robertson put in effective work at the net. He was a bit erratic, however.

The match between A. L. France and J. H. W. Sheppard was a strenuously contested one, with little separating the play of the competitors. It was something of a battle of wits. Both players chopped a lot of short shots and tried to angle one another out of position. France was steadier, Sheppard often falling into errors at crucial periods. Dymond and M. L. Lampe had a gruelling five set matGh, which was marked by rallies of baseline driving. Lampe took the first set 6-2, and led 4-love in the next. Dymond rallied and ran the score to 4-3, but his opponent, who was driving well and showing steadiness, took the set 6-4. The next session saw many long drawn-out and strenuously contested games. Dymond scored well from the net, and drove more accurately. Lampe tired and dropped the set 6-8. It was the turning point in the match, Dymond going on to win the next two sets 6-3, 6-2. Later on, Dymond, who is a possible Canterbury Wilding Shield representative, easily defeated Searle and entered the third round. A. R. Cant, another young Canterbury player with stylish strokes, took the New Zealand representative, N. Wilson to four sets, but never looked like troubling him greatly. Wilson is by no means producing his best form. Only in one or two cases did the women’s singles matches much sparkle. Intense heat affected many of the players. Miss D. Nicholls (of Wellington), holder of the women’s title, had an easy passage in the first round • against Miss M. Rankin, of Canterbury. There were some good rallies, but the champion was too strong all round. Mrs Dykes who was New Zealand champion in 1927 as Miss Speirs, showed good form in her first round meeting with Miss M. Gibson, of Timaru, whom she beat 6-1, 6-2. Mrs Dykes out-drove and out-placed her opponent. Miss M. Myers, of Wanganui, scored a good win by defeating Mrs W. A. Scott (nee Jean McLaren), in two sets. She out-manoeuvred her opponent, and placed with great judgment. For a time in the second set, it looked as if Miss M. Sherris, of Canterbury, would defeat Miss Marion Macfarlane. She won the first set 6-4, and led in the second, but her opponent got a better grip of the game and equalised at nine all, and won

11 to 9. After a further hard tussle, Miss Macfarlane took the third set 6-3, and the match. MARLBOROUGH TOURNAMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association BLENHEIM, December 26. The Marlborough provincial tennis tournament opened on Christmas Day. The entries totalled 230, an increase of 50 over last year. Owing to the large entries, it is doubtful if the finals in any but the championships will be completed by to-morrow. Competitors are present from Wellington, Masterton, Carterton, Christchurch, Lower Hutt and Murchison. Present indications are that the Christchurch contingent comprising J. Arnold, J. O’Malley and J. and A. Mercer will be prominent in the finals. Arnold and O’Malley are in especially good form. Miss Walters, of Hutt, and Miss Haggitt, of Christchurch, are prominent on the ladies’ side, while of the local men, Rex Bagge, Dr Smyth Bonnington and A. C. Coull are playing well.