WILDING SHIELD.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 663, 17 January 1933, Page 11

WILDING SHIELD.

Wellihgton Tennis Team Gain Big Lead. CANTERBURY MEN OUTPLAYED. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, January 16. In the Nunneley Casket competition for women, Canterbury and Wellington were equal with three rubbers all. The games were played in the hottest weather that Wellington has experienced this season. There was no wind. Wellington, at the end of play yesterday, were leading Canterbury by five rubbers to one in the match for the Wilding Shield. Results:— Wilding Shield. Singles. D. G. France (Wellington) beat C. Angas (Canterbury), 6-3, 6-4. C. E. Malfroy (Wellington) beat H. A. Barnett (Canterbury), 6-2, 6-2. N. R. C. Wilson (Wellington) beat T. Rhodes-Williams (Canterbury), 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. R. M’L. Ferkins (Wellington) beat TV. R. Robinson (Canterbury), 6-1, 5-7, 6-1. Doubles. France and Malfroy (Wellington) beat Rhodes-Williams and Robinson (Canterbury), 6-3; 6-3. Barnett and Angas (Canterbury) beat Wilson and Ferkins (Wellington), 6-3, 7-5. avannelajr Casket. Singles. Miss D. Nicholls ((Canterbury) beat Miss D. Howe (Wellington),' 6-4, 6-0. Mrs H., M. Dykes (Wellington) beat Miss M. Wake (Canterbury), 6-1, 6-3. Mrs D. G. France (Wellington) beat Miss E. Rudkin (Canterbury), 9-7, 6-0. Miss T. Poole (Canterbury) beat Miss M. Whyte (Wellington), 6-3, 6-2. Doubles. Misses Nicholls and Wake (Canterbury) beat Mrs France and Miss Whyte (Wellington), 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. Miss Howe and Mrs Dykes (Wellington) beat Misses Poole and Rudkin (Canterbury), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Motes on the nay. Starting scratchily against Angas, D. G. France lost the first three games, when he ctrnld not keep the Canterbury man from the net. Thereafter France raised his game to » brilliant standard and, taking the net behind deep drives, volleyed at sharp angles to the opposite side line and won the next nine games. If Angas took the net he was passed, cross court, with fast, dipping drives to the backhand. Forced on the defensive, he resorted to lobbing, but always France smashed to where Angas was not and had little hope of getting. In an endeavour to pass France at the net, Angas was hurrying his forehand drives and monotonously netting. Being footfaulted about ten times for standing on the line did not help him. Angas was outclassed. Malfroy had to do a great deal of running to return Barnett’s numerous lobs, but except on rare occasions Barnett could not, keep Malfroy from the net, and from the pet Malfroy dominated the game. His stop-volley was deadly accurate and he seldom failed to return the ball deep down the side lines with his ground strokes. Barnett was compelled to defend almost throughout and was netting his forehand drives a lot. Robinson,: in the first and third sets against Ferkins, could scarcely place the ball much beyond the service line and was slaughtered. Ferkins drove confidently down the side lines or swung the ball easily across court, in the second set Robinson played with better length and faster pace and won rallies on decisive volleying to take the set, with Ferkins defending on the back line. It was but a flash in the pan, however. Rhodes-Williams threw away a great chance of beating Wilson in straight sets. By brilliant stroking from the back line he allowed Wilson to make errors mainly in the net. When Wilson impetuously went to the net he was passed by beautiful drivea or was beaten by perfect lobs. Three times Rhodes-Williams was within a point of a 5-2 lead in the second set after winning the first, but caution deserted him and he came to the service line behind short balls and Wilson had no difficulty in driving to his feet or past him to win the set. In the third set Wilson drove brilliantly, with length, pace and accuracy, and Rhodes-Williams could not withstand his fast service or smashes. Rhodes-Williams’s failing confidence was seen in his serving double faults on vital points. In the doubles, France and Malfroy completely dominated Rhodes-Williams and Robinson from the net, the Canterbury pair, especially Rhodes-Williams, holding too far back and being caught with the ball at their feet. Ferkins was not in his best form and Wilson was worse in their match against Barnett and Angas, who were superior in driving and volleying and made far fewer mistakes. Wilson’s return of service was poor. Women’s Matches. In the Nunneley casket singles, Mrs Dykes completely outplayed Miss Wake in a base line duel, the Canterbury player not over-exerting herself. By playing to Miss Nicholls’s backhand, Miss Howe restrained the Canterbury player from consistently using her stinging cross-court drive from the forehand corner. Miss Howe netted too often from an attacking position and in the second set was outplayed, Miss Nicholls forcing her to scratch in the corners, principally forehknd, for deep, fast drives. Hitting hard ahd deep. Miss Poole outplayed Miss Whyte, who was unable to get a grip on the game, scarcely driving beyond the service line. Mrs France gained a 4-love lead on Miss Rudkin, but the steady play of the latter, who placed to keep the stonewalling Mrs France constantly on the move and forcing her into errors, only surrendered the set at 9-7. Too great a toll had been taken of her strength and In the second set Miss Rudkin was mowed down by a more aggressive Mrs France. Most of Miss Rudkin’s errors were in the net. Miss Nicholls’s drives and chops, ably seconded by Miss Wake’s net play, proved just too good for the back line defence of Mrs France and Miss Whyte. .Miss Wake found holes between the Wellington pair when Miss Whyte went to the net. The lobbing of the Wellington pair was accurate and gave them the first set. The hard driving of Miss Poole, ably backed up by Miss Rudkin, forced the more versatile but erratic Dykes-Howe combination to three sets. Miss Poole threw valuable points away by rashly over-driving in the third set. Mid-week Competition. The following matches set down by the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association in connection with the women’s mid-week inter-club competition will be played at Wilding Park to-morrow, beginning at 2.15 p.m.:— Fifth Round—North Linwood v. Cashmere, South Christchurch v. Edgeware, Shirley v. Elmwood No. 1, Sumner v. Avonside, Woolston v. Elmwood No. 2, Opawa v. Addington Catholic.