TIMARU TENNIS TOURNEY FINALS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19269, 5 January 1931, Page 9

TIMARU TENNIS TOURNEY FINALS.

BARNETT WINS SINGLES IN MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP. (Special to the "Star.”) TIMARU, January 3. The finals in all events of the South Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association’s New Year tournament were to have been completed at Maori Park to-day, 3>ut steady rain whiclv began to fall shortly after four o’clock this afternoon caused a cessation ot play. Champions have been found in three of the five events, and arrangements are being made for tho two remaining fixtures to be completed, both of which are through to the Tho three events decided each resulted in a victory for visiting players. The men’s championship singles was won by H. A. Barnett, the Christchurch youth who was runner-up in the New Zealand singles championship, and the women’s singles events went to Mrs M. Thomson (formerly Miss May Tracy), of Wellington. This player, partnered by Miss D. Howe, of Wellington, also carried off the women’s doubles championship. Play in the handicaps was not so far advanced as in the open events, and these will be finalised during the coming week. As a result of the hot sunshine yesterday and on the previous day, the courts played much faster than has hitherto been the case, and this proved helpful to the players, especially those used to the faster turf in the north. In the early afternoon, when the heat, was most intense, conditions were very trying for tho remaining players, who showed some fatigue after hard games in the morning, while the wind which preceded the rain did not improve Fatigued after a long game with A. C. Barr, of Christchurch, J. H. W. Sheppard. the Canterbury ranked player, defaulted to W. G. Robertson in the semifinal round in the men’s championship singles, the latter consequently entering the final unopposed. As was expected, H. A. Barnett, of Christchurch, entered the final of the men’s singles championship at the expense of G. Sumpter, of Oamaru. Although 110 was obviously tired after a hard battle in the previous round, the North Otago player made a wonderful bid for the first set, producing some of his best tennis. Barnett, as usual, waited complacently for his opponent to play himself out, and Sumpter obliged, obviously being fatigued after his earlier game. Both played some good shots in the first set. Barnett sending back several wonderful recoveries of seemingly impossible shots. In the second set Sumpter made a fight of it until the third game, and then he appeared to lose interest, probably with a view to saving himself for the final of the doubles, in which event he partners Robertson. Barnett Wins Title. After a game which saw many changes of fortune, Barnett won the South Canterbury mens’ singles championship, defeating Robertson, first player for South Canterbury, in a liveset encounter. The score was 6-3, 7-5, 3-6. 2-6, 6-0. The conditions were far from good. A gusty nor’-westerly wind played all sorts of tricks with shots in the air. and then rain began to fall while the fifth and final set was in progress. Barnett’s greater physical fitness and his ability to adapt his play to the prevailing conditions won him the title, for Robertson, although he erred too frequently, played much the better tennis of the two, and at one stage looked as though he might pull the game cut of the lire. Barnett captured the first two sets by solid play from the back of the court. His forehand was not working very well, but he offset this by changing t.o a chop stroke on both wings, which had (he effect of putting the Timaru man off his drive. Women’s Singles Final. In the women’s singles final, Mrs M. Thomson, of Wellington, defeated Miss M. Gibson, of Timaru, in straight sets. | 6-3, thereby annexing the title. Playing with beautiful precision, Mrs Thomson looked a winner all the wav. Her clever placements drew forth round after round of applause frfcm the gallery, and she gave the impression that she invariably had the measure of her opponent. Miss Gibson fought stubbornly in every game, but the result was usually the same. Playing continually to the backhand wing, Mrs Thomson would wait until she sent over a good length ball or one acutely angled and then advance to the net, where she volleyed with severity to the exposed court.. Miss Gibson started well, taking the first game on her service, Mrs Thomson outing two consecutive shots. Then she won her service to 30 and captured that of Miss Gibson after some beautiful driving for a 2-1 lead. At this stage Miss Gibson appeared to be nervous. Her driving lacked the pi nch and sureness which was a feature of her game against Miss Doris Howe. Following are the results: Championship Events. MEN’S SINGLES. Fourth Round. Sumpter heat Thomson. 7-3. 11-9: Sheppard beat Barr, 0-3. 7-5. Semi-Finals. Robertson beat Sheppard by default; Barnett beat Sumpter, 7-5, 6-0. Final. Barnett beat Robertson, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 1-6, 6-0. WOMEN’S SINGLES. Final. Mrs Thomson beat Miss Gibson, 6-2. MEN’S DOUBLES. Semi-Final. T Barnett Sheppard beat Innes-

WOMEN’S DOUBLES. Semi-Final. Misses Hart and Gibson beat Misses Cowan and Percy, 6-4, 6-4; Miss Howe and Mrs Thomson beat Misses Ballantyne and Quill, 6-3, 6-3. Final. Mrs Thomson and Miss Howe beat Misses Gibson and Hart, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. COMBINED DOUBLES. Second Round. Innes-Jones and Miss Howe beat Burdon and Miss Rolleston by default. Third Round. Russell and Miss Cowan beat Oxford and Miss Dick, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Innes-Jones and Miss Howe beat Renton and Miss Bridges. 9-3 1, 7-5, 6-0; Mackay and Miss Hart beat Deaker and Miss Ballantyne, 6-2, 6-3. Semi-Finals. Robertson and Miss beat Innes-Jones and Miss Howe, 7-5, 6-0; Mackay and Miss Hart beat Russell and Miss Cowan, 6-2, 6-2. Handicap Events. MEN’S SINGLES. Third Round. A. N. Leslie beat Satterthwaite, 9-4. Fourth Round. Bryant beat. Brown, 9-3; Burdon beat Souter, 9-7; Barr beat A. N. Leslie, 9-7- . . , Semi-Finals. Watkins beat Burdon, 9-6; Barr beat Bryan, 9-3. WOMEN’S SINGLES. Final. Miss Smythe beat Miss Callaghan, MEN’S DOUBLES. Fourth Round. Leslie and Leslie beat Hammond and Temple, 9-5; Mac Kay and Lee beat Cosgrove and Smith, 0-5. Semi-Final. Ogier and Satterthwaite beat Mac Kay and Lee, 9-2. WOMEN’S DOUBLES. Semi-Finals. Misses Cowan and Percy beat Misses Rolleston and Cossins, 9-5; Misses Graham and Kelly beat Misses Bridges and Rolleston, 9-7. COMBINED DOUBLES. Second Round. Renton and Miss Bridges beat Burdon and Miss Rolleston, 9-6; Ogier and Miss Mathew beat N. P. Robinson and Miss Brown by default. Third Round. Ogier and Miss Mathew beat M’Donald and Miss Bonnington by default; Brown and Miss Percy beat Burdon and Miss Rolleston, 9-7; Renton and Miss Bridges beat Oxford and Miss Oxford, 9-4; Carlton and Miss N. Cowan beat Russell and Miss T. Cowan, 9-S. Fourth Round. Brown and Miss Percy beat Ogier and Miss Mathew 9-5.

ADDITIONAL RESULTS. (Special to the "Star.”) TIMARU, January 4. When rain caused a cessation of play in the New Year tennis tourney on Saturday afternoon, the Tournament Committee of the South Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association conferred with the players left in the events to be completed, and as a result these, with the exception of the men’s doubles championship, were finalised by private arrangement during the week-end. The combined doubles championship was won for the second time in succession by W. G. Robertson and Miss M. Gibson, who defeated J. L. Mackay and Miss 1». Hart in the final after three sets had been played. Mackay and Miss Hart played spectacular tennis in the first set, in which their opponents could not get. going, but once Robertson found his range there was a different story, the title-holders losing but one game in the two remaining sets. Following are the additional results:— Championship Events. COMBINED DOUBLES. Final. Robertson an.l Miss Gibson beat Mackay' and Miss Hart, 1-6, 6-1, 6-0. * Handicap Events. MEN’S SINGLES. Final. Barr beat Watkins, 9-4. MEN’S DOUBLES. Semi-final. Russell and Carleton beat Leslie and Leslie, 9-3. Final. Ogier and Satterthwaite beat Russell and Carlton, 9-5. WOMEN’S DOUBLES. Final. Misses Cowan and Percy beat Misses Graham and Kelly, y-4. COMBINED DOUBLES. Semi-final. Carleton and Miss Cowan beat Renton and Miss Bridges, 9-5. Final. Carleton and Miss Cowan beat Brown and Miss Percy, 9-8.

NUNNELEY CASKET WON BY WELLINGTON

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, January 1. By eight matches to three the Wellington women’s lawn tennis representatives beat Auckland in the match for the Kathleen Nunneley Casket. Flay was resumed at Miramar on Saturday in a very strong wind, which played all sorts of tricks with the ball, while at times? the players had difficulty in keeping tbefr feet. Good tenuis was impossible, but on the day’s play the Wel-

lington players were decidedly superior, winning three out of the four singles and one double, the other double being abandoned after Wellington had won the first set 7-5 and were leading 4-3 in the second set. Towards the end of the day the wind blew down a scrim shelter at the southern end of the courts and scattered a number of empty petrol cases which were used as sets for the line umpires and others. The casket was presented to Mr W. J. Melody, manager of the Wellington team, by Miss Nunneley, ex-New Zealand women’s singles champion from 1895 i to 1907, who was introduced by Mr J. C. Peacock, president of the Wellington Association. Results were as fol- j lows, Auckland players being mentioned first:— Singles—Miss Whitelaw lost to Miss North, 3-6, 1-6; Miss Knight lost to Mrs Adams, 7-5, 4-6, 4-6: Miss Macfarlane lost to Miss Nic-holls, 1-6, 2-6; Miss Ramsay beat Mrs Melody, 6-4, 6-4. Doubles —Mrs Adams and Miss Nicholls beat Misses Macl'arlane and Ramsay, 6-3, 6-2. The match between Misses Knight and Whitelaw and Mrs Melody and Miss North was abandoned after the Wellington pair had won the first set 7-5 and were leading 4-3 in the second set. Wellington won a total of 8 matches and 3 39 games to Auckland’s 3 matches and 97 games, one match being unfinished. WANGANUI TITLES. Per Press Association. . WANGANUI, January 4. The Wanganui Lawn Tennis Association's New Year tournament was concluded during the week-end. Championship match-winners were:— Men’s singles—M. L. Lampe (Wanganui). Women’s singles—Mrs C. Smith (Wanganui). Men’s doubles—A. C. Stedman (Auckland; and N. R. C. Wilson (Wellington). Women’s doubles—Mrs C. Smith and Miss M. Purcell (both of Wanganui). Combined doubles—N. R. C. Wilson and Miss S. Todd (both of Wellington). Stedman, Dominion singles champion, was not a competitor in the singles.