LAWN TENNIS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18847, 9 April 1931, Page 13

LAWN TENNIS.

SNAPSHOTS. (By “Umpire.”) The Easter wind-up of the season has seen local players very much to the fore in outside tournaments, and at the South Island hard court championships, held in Dunedin, the Timaru representatives figured in all the finals. Mrs W. A. Scott captured the women’s championship singles with a smashing victory against Miss Miller, of Oamaru, and W. G. Robertson came home in the men’s singles against C. Deaker, of Dunedin. In the doubles events, Mrs Scott, in partnership with Miss Cox, of Dunedin, reached the final, in which they got the better of Misses Pattison and White in a three set match. Robertson, playing with Sumpter, of Oamaru, had ! a great duel with Cox and Boddy, the i Otago couple, before the latter got the 0 * * j Mrs Scott was unfortunate not to land the triple crown, the mixed doubles event going to Miss Partridge and Guy, Mrs Scott’s partner being W. G. Robertson* This tournament suffered a good deal from an overdose of the watery elements, rather a frequent occurrence in that part of the Dominion. The entries were mostly confined to local players, and the expected stars from the North and Canterbury did not make their appearance. Stedman confined his activities to the University tournament, in which he had a fairly comfortable journey in the course of a successful defence of his title. The holder of the women’s title, however, failed to cope with the challenge, and Miss Sherris, of Canterbury, -was displaced by Miss Robertson, of Auckland, from the premier position. The semi-finals of the girls’ championship singles produced some good tennis at Maori Park last week, the expected winners, Misses Brewer and Smythe, both getting home, although their opponents, Misses Scaife and Shirtcliff respectively, made them work hard all the way, especially Miss Shirtcliff, who only succumbed at 9-8. This match went with service with almost monotonous regularity, and the final game was no exception in that’respect. If anything Miss Shirtcliff was the harder hitter of the two, and her chief errors were made by “outing.” Miss Brewer was too strong all round for Miss Scaife. Although the latter played a very nice forehand shot, her backhand had no strength whatever, and the winner had no mercy upon it. On the form displayed in the semifinals, Miss Brewer would appear to be favourite for the title. In the Canterbury hard-court events, held in Christchurch, the finalists in the men’s singles event were C. Angas and H. A. Barnett, and the former won in two straight sets, though Barnett forced him to 7-5 in the second. In the doubles final Barnett and Sheppard went down to Angas and Dymond, but the second set was a marathon of twenty games (11-9). Barnett gave evidence of having made much improvement in his volleying, and also in making his game more enterprising. Miss M. Wake lost her singles title to Miss Johnson, who played a strong driving game, whereas Miss Wake seemed to play listlessly. Miss Mary Bridges, of Timaru, playing with I. Watson in the mixed doubles handicap event at Christchurch, reached the final where they had to owe 15 3-6 to their opponents, Miss Macpherson and Macpherson. The handicap proved just too much, the two Macs, getting home by 9-6. Pat Houlihan was the runner-up in the tennis section of the tournament held under the auspices of the Federated Catholic Clubs of New Zealand. The Highfleld Club closed their season on Saturday and held a very enjoyable Yankee tournament, in which two visitors were successful in winning the prizes, Mr F. Ellis and Miss N. Orton respectively being one point above their nearest opponents. The scoring all round was very close. In the evening a social and dance was held in the Highfleld sports pavilion, and was well patronised, the pavilion, through the courtesy of the Bowling and Croquet Clubs being converted into one large hall, and providing plenty of floor space. In the Davis Cup, Argentine meet Chile in the South American zone finals, having beaten Uraguay. Britain have an easy first round in being drawn against Monaco.

A remarks,ble example of the wonderful skill shown by some veterans is that afforded by the victory of E. M. Eaertein in the open final of the real tennis championship held in London in February, when he beat W. Groom the professional at Lords after being down two sets to one, and 1-5 In the next. This was the first open championship held, and sets the seal on Baertein's fame, as he has held the amateur title since the war, excepting the year 1928, when he did not compete. Bartein is in his fifty-second year, Real tennis, of course, is by no means lawn tennis, the latter being a comparatively modem derivation dating back only some 80 odd years. The writer knows

of no real tennis in New Zealand. It is a game of tactics and volleying, and 'is exhaustively strenuous, "