SPORT and SPORTSMEN

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 380, 23 March 1932, Page 11

SPORT and SPORTSMEN

Tawn Tennis. The recent success of V. M'Grath in taking the first set off Hopman, the Davis Cup player, in the final of che Melbourne has got the Australian public wondering whether two hands had not better be used by all players in making a backhand shot (M’Grath also has victories over t Moon and Dunlop). The ease with which he controls the ball is excep- # tional and the direction of the stroke is so disguised that no one has yet discovered where the ball is going until it is under way. The fact of the matter is that no one has decided ■which is the controlling hand of *he two. Some even say that M’Grath plays the ball with his left hand and others say it is an ordinary backhand with the left hand for a support. This latter opinion is probably correct, because if the ball is too far from his body he releases the left hand and uses the ordinary backhand. It is possible that the reason the shot is so well disguised is that for a crosscourt hit the left hand is given greater prominence, and for a hit down the side line the right hand takes control. There appears to be no doubt that M’Grath has discovered something good and if a stiff wrist is necessary in a good backhand (and D. F. Glanville insists that it is the secret), then * two wrists must be stronger than one. :: vt * At Linwood, P. Bell has reached the final of the junior championship, beating S. Cordner In the semi-final, 6-4, 6-1. In the women’s handicap singles, Miss X>. Clarkson (owe 5-6) beat Miss C. Dickson (owe 30), 9-7.

The Avonside Club has arranged a ladies’ day each week, and c-n Tuesdays matches are arranged by the ladies’ committee so that everyone will get a game. It is the intention of the committee, provided there is sufficient support, to hold a tournament on the afternoon of April 6. Two players in the inter-club tournament were unlucky in their partners. Miss Bishop, who had N. H. Barlow, for a partner and had a good chance of winning the combined doubles, was forced to scratch. Barlow had been asked to take an aeroplane to Auckland, and he flew north on Thursday. Miss N. Reed had for partner the Canterbury champion, Miss M. Andrew, and again it was a possible winning combination. Miss Andrew, however, had to undergo a slight operation and could not play. 22 22 22 The “old-timers’” tournament at United has almost reached a conclusion. A. Borrows and P. R. Harman have played off all their matches and finished up with seven wins and one loss. W. Goss and G. L. Berry are in the same position. It is understood there is to be a play-off. It is hard tp say how the match will go, but Borrows and Harman’s one Goss and Berry. The secondary schools tournament was concluded on Saturday with some of the finest games yet seen in school tennis. It was in the doubles matches that the best work was witnessed. These doubles chaippionship matches, which have been a feature of the tournament, have not been run previously, and the change was justified. The championship doubles have replaced the combined handicap events, and the latter can well go. It was always difficult to handicap and little combination was shown with partners belonging to different schools. The semi-final between Helen Hervey and Dorothy Gerard (St Margaret’s) and Joan Senior and Mavis Halcrow (Girls' High School) was well fought. Gerard’s net play was good and the openings were made by Hervey, whose serve was a strong attack. The latter also kept

a good length. In theory, length does not matter in doubles, but it is wonderful the number of points it collects. Right up or right back is a golden rule, and the good length finds out the player who stands way way up. The final between Hervey and Gerard and the Rangiruru pair, M. Talbot and P. Price, went to three sets. P. Price hits a wonderful drive—several of hers would have done credit to Miss Hartigan. Either of these pairs could defeat the best pair in most clubs. A well-known player who sat on the benches said that he did not miss a stroke of the match and enjoyed every moment. The finals between Penfold and Colwill in the boys’ junior event were not marked by any brilliance, Colwill (Boys’ High School) winning from a schoolmate. The final of the junior sinyles between Joan Peake (Girls’ High School) and Helen Dalziel (Rangiora) was also a game of steadiness. Credit is given to the good work of the secretary, Mr R. Cartner, and thanks are expressed to the committee of the Linwood Tennis Club for the use of courts. The inter-club tournament made good progress on Saturday, and D. G. Silvester, J. O'Malley, W. J. Deans and C. N. Franklin are left to fight out the singles. A surprise was Deans’s defeat of J. Mercer. The match was played On , one of the sheltered courts and the heat was intense. As long as Mercer forced the pace he collected points, but even then the rallies were long. He took the first set and had two match points at 5-all —both missed the line by inches. Deans played very steadily, made some fine passing shots and showed an allround improved game. He has wins to his credit over two of the others in the semi-final. He beat O’Malley in the inter-club competition, 9-8, and Silvester, 9-4. O’Malley beat F. H. Howard in a game marked by few rallies. Howard did not have a drive with sufficient punch to keep O’Malley back. The latter can place a ball anywhere at will, but his main attack is at the net. C. N. Franklin is a newcomer to the championships and his game has no weakness whatever. He can retrieve everything and he cannot be caught on the