A. L. FRANCE DEFEATS MALFROY EASILY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18407, 8 March 1928, Page 4

A. L. FRANCE DEFEATS MALFROY EASILY.

TENNIS STRATEGY AIDS OLDER PLAYER TO WIN IN EXCITING CONTEST. In a tennis match played in Wellington last Saturday, A. I*. France defeated C. E. Malfroy, 6-1, 6-5. In view of the fact that the Wellington provincial selectors, Messrs W. G. Morgan and G. Penlington, did not consider it worth w r hile to play off France and Malfroy in a trial match before putting Malfroy (who has not yet beaten France in a match) above France, great interest was manifested in the result of this meeting (says a writer in the “Dominion”).

In the first' set Malfroy was quite outplayed, the only game he got being the second to love on his own service. France scored 25 points to 14. One only of the games went to deuce, the sixth, when on his own service Malfroy pulled up from 15-40 only to lose the game in the next two strokes. France, when he took the net. played in closer than was usual with him, going to that position on balls heavily cut to the corners and within inches of the back line. In doing so he covered Malfroy’s passing shots with remarkable consistency, and. volleying short and at sharp angles, had Malfroy always running, forcing him into (Cut-shot Expert) .errors. Malfroy played 'in that set only as well as he was allowed. France, too, was helped in two games by net cords that Malfroy had no chance of getting to. The short shots Malfroy, frequently netted, or, if he cleared the ! net, France was always there to cover it. and volleyed to the other line or lobbed with fine judgment and accuracy to the back line. The very few lobs France put out were only so by a very small margin. It must also be said in Malfroy’s favour that on some beautiful placing shots he missed his objective also by the merest fraction, one down the backhand line in the last game made as he was falling being a great shot. Nor did Malfroy know how to gauge the light southerly when playing with it as France did. In going for length, many of Malfroy’s shots cleared the back line with plenty to spare. Both served well, yet neither's service gave trouble to the other. Time after time France would send over his heavy cuts successively to the backhand corner in the same rally, causing Malfroy to quickly retrace his steps (he was usually bound towards the other side) until Malfroy would net. In other cases France would follow in unexpectedly to the net and cut off the return. Other times he would cause Malfroy to run fast from side line to side line. Malfroy, too. frequently had France moving fast, but in returning balls in these cases the players showed a marked difference. Malfroy went for the. passing down the line, while France preferred to lob deep. France's proved the better strategy. The Second Set.

The second set was much more even, due principally to a noticeable, even if unwise, slowing up of France. This is a bad tendency of France’s lately. I do not think it can be altogether attributed to lack of physical fitness, especially

when the match is best of three sets and not five. With this slowing up of France, and a consequent lead by Malfroy of 3-2 after being love-2, Malfrov became more confident. In some cases it seemed that his mistakes were due to over-confidence. Certain it is that he outed or netted shots that he might have been considered to have had a reasonable prospect of getting. In this second set, which France won, 6-5 after the scores ran (France mentioned first), 2-0, 2-3, 3 all. 3-4, 4 all, 4-8, 5 all. 6-5. France scored 42 points to 40. Of the eleven games played, four were deuce ones, the second having three deuces, and the seventh five deuces, the servers winning in each of the four.

The tactics pursued in the second set were much the same as the first except, as I have stated, France foolishlv indulged his habit of easing up It was noticed also that when he set his mind to it he generally won the game he wanted. The last two games he won with the loss of two points in each game. France’s persistence compelled Malfroy into forcing, which led to errors.