LAWN TENNIS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17571, 23 June 1925, Page 7

LAWN TENNIS.

WIMBLEDON RESULTS. MRS MELODY BEATEN. J. O. ANDERSON NEAR DEFEAT. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.— Copyright. Aus. &. X.Z. Cable Association. (Received June 23, 10 a.m.) LONDON. June 22. At Wimbledon, results in the All England Lawn Tennis championships were.— Miss Barnes beat. Mrs Melody (New Zealand) 6-2, 6-2, 6-1.

Scroopc beat 11. Utz (Australia) 6-4, S-G, 0-4. J. O. Anderson (Australia) beat Dr Andreae (India) 2-0, G-3, G-S, 6-3, 6-3. Andreae, at one time, with the score two sets ail, was leading 3-1, Anderson just escaping being eliminated in the first round. lie seldom revealed top form. Andreae was a pertinacious defender, retrieving brilliantly, while Anderson was mostly wild and erratic. God free, the British Davis Cup representative, was beaten by another Englishman. Sharpe, 2-6, 0-4. 0-1, 6-2. Gilbert (Great Britain - ) beat f be Indian Davis Cup representative, lladi. The Frenchman Cochet beat tho Yorkshire champion Gregory.

TWO NEW ZEALANDERS SCRATCH

By Telegraph.—Press A.*sn.—Copyright. Reuter's Telegrams. (Received June 23, 11 a.m.) LONDON, June 22. At Wimbledon, there was cool, cloudy weather, but a dusty northeast wind affected play. There was a large attendance for an opening day. 'Most cf the spectators concentrated on the centre court. Nicholson (N.Z.) and Salmond (N.Z.) scratched in the singles to Ilillyard and Foret, respectively. Miss Karnes's peculiar reverse service troubled Mrs Melody, who either overhit or underhit the high bounding ball.

NOTES ON THE PLAY.

The defeat of Mrs Melody in the first round must come as a disappointment to a]l Dominion enthusiasts. Last Christmas she won the New Zealand ladies’ singles championships; her form then was splendid, tnough many critics were prejudiced against her on account of a tendency to cut all strokes. In club tournaments at Home last month Mrs Melody was beaten fairly easily on several occasions. She will play with her husband, W. J. Melody, in the mixed doubles championships at Wimbledon, and with Miss S. George (Australia) in the ladies' doubles. If. Utz is not in the first flight of Australian players. ITis wife is a member of the Australian women's team now in England. J. O. Anderson, champion of Australia, had a narrow escape ir lie* first round. The report that his form was erratic bears out a statement made on June 10 by Mrs Wallis Myers, the tennis authority of the “ Daily Telegraph,” to the effect that the Australian’s ground shots in practice matches and at. the Beckenham tournament appeared out of gear. The “Daily Express” said: ” Scarcely anything came right for Anderson. 11 is forehand drives once again refused to function. llis volleying strokes found the net. and he scrv ed a sackful of double faults. Anderson is jeopardising his chances of the singles at Wimbledon by playing doubles now. He has a lot of leeway to make up to get his strokes in working order.” Dr Andreae, however, is a formidable opponent to meet in a first round. He is the present champion of India and has a reputation for steadiness and accuracy. In Davis Cup matches last month he was defeated bv Washer <Belgium) 7.5. 0-1. 6-1. Later he beat Watson, of Belgium. 0-0, 0-3, 0-0 and Count Saint, of Austria (a well-known figure in the lawn tennis world on the Continent'. It is plated that Anderson’s illness during Ibe rovago .affected him more than bo. thought. Tlie London “Observer'’ 5 said recently “One- is apt to overlook the devastating: power vf his shots, because of their ease of execution. Anderson's piny is so. casual, yet irresistible, when in normal form as to convey inevitability Moreover, be has the unique power of making eveu players look mere tyros. He achieves uncanny conceal* ment of direction by unorthodox stroke execution. His short swing and wrist actiau make it the lawn tennis parallel of a French ‘Seventy five,’ with its quick recoil. His graven calm and ruthlessness on the court are proverbial yet they mask a most human personality.” Like L. A. Godfrec, J. B. Gilbert is a British Davis Cup player. AgainstDenmark, ho beat K. Ulrich. 6-1. 9-3 1. 0-2. 4-6,'6-2. Previously he defeated Gobert, of Franco, in a tournament

match. Last week, in the inter | national, England v. America, Gilbert ! bent Bay Casey. 9-7, 9-7, 6-3. Ho l got to the fourth round sit Win.blei don in 1924. Cochet. n. member of *ihe French i Davis Cup team, is only twenty-four years of age. Though not as good , i as Borotra. or Lacoste, be is generally i regarded .as a first-class exponent of j lawn tennis. Ho has a drawback in the fact that he is temperamental. Nigel Sharpe will partner Miss Ak hurst (Australian champion) in the mixed doubles. Lately it was re ported that Sharp© is in excellent form. lie possesses all the necessary strokes, but his service is weak. He should greatly improve, though, a; j this is his first year in first-das** tennis.

TILDEN BEATS RICHARDS

By Tdegr^bh.—Frees Sydney " Sun ” C-able. (Received June 23, 1 p.m.) NEW YORK, June 22. Tilden is still tennis champion of U.S.A., having beaten Vincent Richards in the metropolitan cl a y court?, j championship, 0-3, G-3, 6-4.