LAWN TENNIS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 30, 5 February 1935, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS

NUNNELEY CASKET WON BY CANTERBURY WELLINGTON DEFLATED Canterbury won the Nunneley Casket at Miramar grounds, Wellington, on Saturday by seven matches to five, the last doubles match deciding the issue. The games were played in hot weather with a light southerly breeze, and the courts were much drier and better than on the first, day. Results were; Miss M. Sherris (Canterbury) lost to Miss D. Nicholls (Wellington), o—6. Miss E. Rudkin (Canterbury) lost to Mrs N. St. C. Dickson (Wellington), 6—l, I—6, 4r—6. Miss T. Poole (Canterbury) boat Miss F. Fornie (Wellington) 6—3, 6—3. Miss I. Poole (Canterbury) beat Miss F. North (Wellington) 4 —6, 6—3, 6—o. Misses T. and I. Poole lost to Miss Nicholls and Mrs Dickson, 11—13, Misses Rudkin and Sherri; beat Misses Fornie and North, 5—7. 6 4, B—6. A Heavy Defeat Miss D. Nk-holls gained Wellington’s first win of the day by heavily defeating Miss M. Sherris. The Canterbury girl was reduced to helplessness in the first set, in which all her best shots came back and in which she had to watch sharp winning chops and strong drives whip down the- sidelines. Miss Nicholls looked as if she would not lose a game, and she continued in this winnfng vein throughout the first six games. After this there came a dramatic change which looked certain to give Miss Sherris a set. The southerner played with greater vim and control, opened a highly successful attack on Miss Nicholls’ backhand, and displayed such control and depth with her shots that she ran through game after game. By the time Miss Sherris reached T —l she seemed to have Miss Nicholls definitely on the defensive, and when she was 5—2, with two service games in the next three, a set to her appeared merely a matter of time. But Miss Nicholls used spin cleverly, and though Aliss Sherris had worked into a winning lead she had bought it with an expenditure of energy which crippled her at last. Miss Nicholls came slowly back to her old strong attacking game as Miss Sherris’ hard hitting lost accuracy, and at the close the Wellington girl, having pulled up to s— all, took two love games by confident and strong play.

Miss E. Rudkin seemed to have the measure of the play of Mrs Dickson when they met, for the Wellington girl was missing the sidelines with her drives and chops, and the better placing and low forehand of the visitor gave her a great advantage which was used to the full. Miss Rudkin placed neatly at the net, winning any points she wanted, and served with excellent control throughout the match, taking many points by clean aces. But Mrs Dickson gradually struck form and as she came on to her game her opponent was troubled in dealing with her spin and especially her steady backhand. Miss Rudkin had no chance iu the second set, iu which she was completely outplayed, but after the rest it looked as though she ipust take the deciding set in which she led 4—2. Mrs Dickson, however, revealing a backhand which resisted all pressure applied to it, and catching Miss Rudkin with low, shooting drives, forced her into errors which finally turned the match her way at a moment when a win was much needed. Superior Form Aliss T. I’oole outdrove and outmanoeuvred Miss F. Fernie, who was not able to take an attacking position at any stage, though when making up heavy leeway in both sets she revealed streaks of excellent form in which her hitting was guided by more discrimination and her drive was employed with accuracy. Miss Fernie forced the pace all the time, but Miss Poole reserved her hitting for moments when she had a point in hand or was forced to take a risk, while the volleying of the Canterbury girl was accurate and gave her a marked advantage, Miss Fernie taking the net with trepidation and not scoring well there. The match was full of bright exchanges, and for several games together the Wellington player would make her Canterbury opponent look inferior, but these moments were only after Miss I’oole had moved into a useful lead, and did not continue long enough to influence the result. Miss I. i’oole continued the sisters’ unbroken series of successes when she defeated Miss F. North after losing the first set. Miss North was playing very steadily, and by her use of heavy chops to the forehand corner, when playing with the wind, she often caught Miss I’oole at a disadvantage. It was a contest. of very different styles, Miss Poole alternately driving hard into the corners or lifting the ball back on to Aliss North’s backhand and rushing the net. Often Aliss Poole was caught, but often she scored outright wins, while when Aliss North attempted to attack her opponent’s left court the Canterbury player frequently won clean winners with backhand drives straight down the line. This use of the backhand to hit winners was what turned the tide in the second set, in which Aliss North had a chance of leading 4 3 and just missed it when a winner was netted, and once the match entered a third set, the Wellington girl, who was exhausted by the heat, had no chance. A Long Fight Iu the doubles the Misses I'oolc made the error of concentrating too exclusively upon Mrs Dickson, who al the end of th.: first set was playing better Ilian any of the others in Ino kind of game '.hat. was being fought. The Canterbury gir.s took the lead and were 5 A and 40 —15 and 'heir net attack failed, just a- it failed again at s—l5 —1 and 40 —15. Wellington then settled down to patient warfare, a struggle of altr.‘i<.!i. i nd alter holding live setpoint.’, one of whTli Miss J. Poole saved with a net-cord, Mrs Dickson eventually sci’.ed her way to victory. That, got lost, the Poole sisters’ game collapsed, and both began to drop service while the Wellington team’s confidence grew. The match followed in short order. In the other double, the Misses Fernie and North were down I—s1 —5 in the opening set. vet won it and led 3 —o in the second. They played pati-

the errors which the southerners made when attempting to take the net, but the Canterbury girls proved slightly the better in the baseline duel from then on. Wellington pulled up from 2—5 in the. third set and held a matchpoint, which would have given Wellington the Casket if it liadjieon won.