LAWN TENNIS

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 78, 1 April 1931, Page 11

LAWN TENNIS

NEWS FROM ALL THE COURTS.

===== By

H. TILLMAN.

The Winter Competition. Entries are being called for a winter competition from teams of four men. Entries close on April 11 with Mr Browning. In the past a competition along the same lines proved very popular. Cashmere, Opawa, Linwood, Avonside, ist Albans and Fendalton had teams, and there were also two teams of representative suburban plavers. More recently the junior B players held a competition. In each case the matches were popular and the entries good. Last year there was scarcely a Saturday’s rain from Easter till well into the spring, and though there is no certainty of similar good weather this year, yet winter conditions in Christchurch, with its lack of strong winds and low rainfall, are so often good that all but the tennis-golfer will want to play. With Mr Hawkins’s offer of a. shield greater interest by the clubs should be shown, and one city club is talking of entering three teams. By dividing the teams into two sections teams of even strength could meet and, although the final between the section winners may be one-sided, yet this is an unimportant detail. The Inter-Club Tournament. Both R. Souter and H. W. Ogier, who are in the final of the inter-club championship singles, have developed a game of their own. Ogier plavs second for Wesley, his brother, C. R. Ogier, being above him. (C. R. Ogier went out to G. Webb in a closely contested match.) H. W. Ogier put out J. Mercej- by brilliant net play, and against Mahoney in the semi-final it was again his volleying and smashing that gave him the decision. Ogier can hit hard, but can vary his game within good limits and is master of a few delicate drop shots and stop volleys. R. Souter’s play is quite distinctive. He makes his shots as no one else does. No one concentrates on a stroke as much as he, yet his game is full of mistimings. Ilis backhand is hit hard with top and well placed, and his forehand is likewise good. He has a perfect smash from anywhere on the court and volleys well, and can always do the right thing when in difficulties. Although his first serve is hard hit, his second is not particularly easy. The final between Ogier and Souter is to be played on Saturday week, although if the association put it on in the Easter tournament it would provide a very interesting and popular match. Miss I. Poole, who won the final of the ladies’ singles, is certainly a great player. It is doubtful if there is a better backhand in Canterbury than he*s, and her ability to get to the net in a singles and to volley and smash is a great asset. Miss Bloor is disappointing in that she is not improving her game. She ( has a >good match spirit and judgment as to what to do, and could, with advantage, remodel her game completely. In the men’s doubles the position is that Woodward and Hawkins play Schmidt and Mahoney in the semi-final, and the winners play the Ogier brothers in the final. The Ogiers beat Souter and Deans in the semi-final in a good game on Saturday with all four at the net and bright volleying rallies. The final of the combined will be between O’Malley and Miss I. Poole and Mercer and Miss T. Poole. Si Si Si Notes.

Winter is upon us. Cathedral Club are holding their annual ball on Thursday, April 16, when the club prizes will be presented. Cathedral will start the season's big tennis dances. ti France has graded its players. No fewer than 1340 of them. What a task. The best known are H. Cochet, J. Borotra, C. Boussus, J. Brugnon. *.* ♦.* A suggestion has been made that the men’s winter competition shall be played on alternate Saturdays, one section to play one week and the other section the following one. This would enable club championship eveilts to be got off. The Easter tournament starts on Saturday, and will provide good tennis. Umpires will be needed, and anyone who will help is asked to communicate with the secretary of the association (Mr R. Browning), and complimentary tickets for the tournament will be forwarded. si si si On Saturday Redcliffs won thfc final of the B grade competition with the two men’s doubles unplayed. Addington was expected to have done better,

but Redcliffs has a strong team, and will be a good addition to the A grade clubs next year. At Linwood, in the men’s doubles, Bell and Maynard reached the semifinal. and Escott and Mansfield (owe 15 4-6) beat Chaplin and liaymes (owe 2-6), 9-2. In the combineds Prebble and Mrs Epps (owe 30) beat Whitcombe and Mrs Whitcombe (owe 15), 9-8. a: An English ranking: H. W. Austin, H. G. N. Lee, J. C. Gregory. J. S. Oliff, N. Sharpe, H. K. Lester, F. J. Perry, C. IT. Kingsley, Mrs Watson, Miss Mudford, Miss B. Nuthall, Miss Ridley, Miss Heeley, Mrs Whittingstall, Miss Round, Miss Fry. The final of the women’s championship singles was played at United yesterday afternoon, Miss Wake winning 2-6, 6-1, 6-4. The game was a particularly good one, and was very even all through. At 4-all in the last set it appeared to be anybody’s game, but Miss Wake secured the necessary games and the match. Miss Wake has seldom played better, keeping a length and going for the corners with fast, low-bounding drives. Miss Andrew played her usual attractive game. She did not come to the net as much as usual, and when she did she could do no more than break even, for Miss Wake’s passing shots were well directed. Miss Andrew scored several winners with fine backhand drives down the side-line. The match lasted nearly twob hours, but the standard of play remained good till the last. The final of the combined doubles at United between H. Dymond and Mrs Peppier and T. W. Patterson and Miss Andrew produced an exciting game. After going down in the first set, Patterson and Miss Andrew came to light and led 5-3 and 40-love in the next. They lost the three match points, and though they had the odd game and several set points to 13-all, they could not get the set, and lost the match, 2-6, 14-16.

Dymond dominated the play, but Mrs Peppier kept her end up, making few mistakes, and volleying at the net many crisp winners. She also lobbed well. Miss Andrew was not on her game in the first set, but in the second she did few things wrong and many things cleverly. The chief weakness of the match was Patterson’s lack of killing power overhead. On the contras, Dymond finished off anything loose overhead. The last three strokes of the game were short lobs, and Dymond buried them. The match was finished almost in darkness. At Union. The different club events at Union have all been completed. In the championship events neither J. Squire nor D. M. Hay competed. The former has not played since Christmas, on account of a bad knee, and the latter has been transferred to ‘Wellington. The women’s championship final has not been played, and will be contested by Miss D. Lockwood and Miss C. Taylor. The men’s championship was won by W. K. Burley. The men’s doubles championship went to W. Trusttum and H. S. Bowden, and the combined doubles to IT. J. Downs and Mrs Downs. The Union Cup, for the winner of the men’s handicap singles, was won by D. M. Hay, and the Morgan Cup, for the women’s handicap singles, by Miss C. Taylor. The junior women’s championship was won by Miss M. Lockwood, and W. Trusttum won the men’s junior singles. At Avonside. In the ladies’ doubles handicap, Mrs Ballan and Miss Thomas (owe 30 1-6) beat Mrs Hastings and Miss Hannibal (owe 3-6), 9-7, and Misses Gorten and Morland (owe 4-6) beat Misses Shaw, and Jowett by default. In the final Mrs Ballan and Miss Thomas beat Misses Gorten and Morland, 9-5. In the men’s singles final, T. Walls (owe 15 3-6) beat P. Burnett (owe 40), 6-2, 6-5. In the men’s doubles, Souter and Lee (owe 30 3-6) beat Noonan and Gardner (owe 15), 9-2. Good entries have been received for the championships, except in the ladies’ events. Among the men are C. Angas, D. F. Glanville, H. A. Barnett, H. Dymond, J. Arnold, IT. Eaton, R. Souter, P. Burnett, G. Pierce and G. Palk. Among the doubles pairs are Angas and Deans, Glanville and Barnett, Dymond and Arnold and Souter and Eaton. Si ti si At Cathedral. A combined handicaps tournament was recently played at Cathedral Club. In the first round Daly and Miss Hanrahan (rec. 15 3-6) beat Keating and Miss M’Kendry (rec. 15 3-6), 6-2; J. 11. O’Malley and Miss Mahoney (rec. 3-6) beat J. O’Malley and Miss Flanagan (owe 15 4-6), 6-o;Aspell and Miss Grimes (rec. 3-6) tfeat Galvin and Miss Hampton (owe 3-6), 6-3; Gillespie and Miss T. Poole won by default; Hickey and Miss Lynskey (scr) beat Rodgers and Miss Millard (rec. 30), 6-1. In the second round Mercer and Mrs Carey (owe 30 1-6) beat Pender and Miss F. Smith, 6-3; Ryan and Miss G. Smith (rec. 3-6) beat Gonley and Miss Hall (rec. 30); Daly and Miss Hanrahan beat. Toohey and Mrs Bamfield (rec. 3-6), 6*5; Asnell and Miss Grimes beat J. H, O’Malley and Miss Mahoney, 6-3; Hickey and Miss Lynskey beat Gillespie and Miss T. Poole, 6-5; Roche and Miss I. Poole (owe 15 3-6) beat Smith and Miss R. M’Kendry, 6-3; Galvin and Miss O. Smith (owe 15 1-6) beat Corbett and Miss Shamy (owe 3-0), 6-3; Mahoney and Miss Phillips (owe 15) beat Dobbs and Miss Corliss (owe 15 3-6), 6-5. In the third round Ryan and Miss Smith beat Mercer, and Mrs Carey, 6-5; Aspell and Miss Grimes beat Daly and Miss Hanrahan, 6-2; Smith and Miss R. M’Kendry beat Hickey and Miss Lynskey, 6-5; Galvin and Miss O. Smith beat Mahoney and Miss Phillips, 6-1. In the semi-finals, Ryan and Miss G. Smith beat Aspell and Miss Grimes, 6-3, and C. Smith and Miss M’Kendry 6-4. In the final Smith and Miss M’Kendry beat R3 r an and Miss Smith, 9-4. j Secondary School Tournament.

The second schools’ tournament was brought to a conclusion on Saturday—at least, there is but one event to play off. Lee has strained his knee and he and Rickard will play off the final on Thursday at Fendalton courts. The semi-final of the girls’ event provided a good game. N. Dick has splendid strokes, but falls into bad patches of errors. A Smith hits nicely, and both she and Norma Dick have more attractive Strokes than Noeline Bishop. Still the latter has the perfect match disposition and the great abilitv of controlling the ball. The player who can put the ball at will anywhere commands the game. The final was w’ell contested. The loser took the second set to “ 5-all.” and could she have got that might have won, as she appears to be the more robust build.

In the final of the junior girls’ singles M. Richardson, playing brilliantly, won n-3, 6-0. In the girls* doubles Bishop and Reese were too

superior to be handicapped out of it. In the combineds, Price and Clark, who had never played together before the tournament, were in' difficulties in the final against Smith and Duncan, both of Sumner Club. However, after Price and Clark settled down they made up the leeway and won. Mr R. Gartner, secretary to the Junior .Association, considers the standard of play this year a great improvement over previous years. It is a credit to the coaching of- the sports mistresses and masters of the various schools.