TENNIS TITLES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 305, 30 December 1935, Page 3

TENNIS TITLES

NORTH ISLAND TOURNEY STURT WINS MEN’S SINGLES MEN’S DOUBLES TO CCfK AND UDY BEVERLEY SISTERS TAKE WOMEN’S EVENTS CO3IIBINED TO STURT AND MISS N. BEVERLEY The concluding stages of the North Island tennis tournament played at Wanganui produced several keen games. The weather, which threatened rain towards mid-day, cleared and the afternoon was bright and sunny. In ajl events results were In accord with expectations. The 1935-36 title-holders for the North Island are:— Men’s .Singles.—N. G. Sturt (Auckland). Aten’s Doubles.—H. C. Cox and L. W. Udy (Wanganui), Women’s Singles.—Miss N. Beverley ’ (Matainata). Women’s Doubles. —Misses N. and Al. Beverley (Alatamata). Combined Doubles.—N. G. Sturt aud Alias N. Beverley. TOPICAL COAIAIENT ON THE PLAY Men’s Singles L. W. Udy (Wanganui) and N. G. Sturt (Auckland) played the top-half semi-final in the men’s singles to decide who was to meet N. Bedford (Wellington). Udy did not play with his customary vigour and there was just a suggestion about his display that he was thinking more of the prospect o£ facing two strenuous doubles encounters in the afternoon. He and Cox were scheduled to meet., the Robertson Bros, to determine which pair should face the Dickie Bros, in the final. A hard match with Sturt in a singles in the morning might have told an unhappy tale in the afternoon so far as Udy was concerned, and to beat Sturt he knew he would have to play all out. Sturt had a rather easy victory, taking the match in two straight sets in which the Wanganui player only won two games. He •commenced making errors early and was only afforded one game point in the first set, in the fifth game, which went to deuce twice, Udy taking'it with a cross-court shot which caught the Auckland player out of position. Udy conceded the sixth game without scoring a point and the next, from his own service, was taken by Sturt from 15 —40. Udy livened a bit at the opening of the second set. The first game was Sturt’s service and this is how it went: Love —15, 15 —all, 15 —30 (beautiful side-line shot caught Sturt out of position), 30 —all, 40 —30 (Udy netted a shot he should have put over to take the lead). An overhead shot gave Udy a vhance to even again, the game going to deuce twice, but Udy’s length was at fault when the ’vantage was against him, and he lost the point. Sturt led 2—love, but in the third game Udy again found himself with the game point. Sturt called on tht Wanganui player’s backhand, however, and took the point away—deuce. Sturt eventually took the game and led. 3—love. Sturt took Udy’s service game from 15 —40. Udy retaliated in the fifth game, Sturt only gaining one point. The Aucklander then led 4 —l. Udy made a hard fight of it in the sixth game, and got to 40 —15, but Sturt came out of quick net play with his flag flying, reducing his opponent’s lead and finally winning the game after it had been to deuce twice, once through Sturt double faulting Udy lost the game by misjudging length and putting an overhead shot wide out. In the crucial seventh game Sturt had match point at 40—30, Udy conceding that position by netting. Sturt aced his opponent to win the game, set and match 6—l, 6 —l. The Aucklander deserved to win. His control of the ball was better than Udy’s. Sturt under-cut the top spin and thus gave his racquet more mastery as it followed the natural flight of the ball in motion. Sturt Beats Bedford Sturt and Bedford played four games to find the title-holder. Sturt won 6 —2, 65—7 —5. Bedford was disappointing. He appeared loih to approach the net and a good deal of the play was from the baseline. Sturt came out b?st after occasional sorties at the net. Bedford lacked good length and Sturt was the more aggressive player except in the fourth, set, which Bedford led 3 —love and later 4 —l. Sturt had the- Wellington player on defence for ihc major portion of the match, the Ami-lander’s "omering and side-line shots bring accuiate'.v jiacea, whereas Bedford, when trying for position cither lacked length or went wide. The first two sets were very much the same in character. Sturt won the first game of the second set and Bedford the second —service for service. Sturt then won five games on end, the first from 40—15, the next 40—30, the third 40—15, and the fifth after going to deuce four times. Sturt took the deciding game of the set from 40 30 after leading 40—love. Bedford was much nearer his true form in the third match, which produced the best tennis of the encounter. Both players showed more inclination for net play, and the gallery waas -entertained by several sharp sorties at the net in which forehand and backhand replaced each other with that rapidity of movement which invariably awakes demonstration. Bedford also developed better length. He "won the first game off his own service and then the game went service for service until the pair were five all. Bedford won rather easily in the 11th. game, getting game point at 40—15. The final game of the set went to deuce once after Bedford had been down love —40, and he won from the first ’vantage point to take the set, 7—5, Sfurt two sets in. Bedford opened the fourth set aggressively and led 4 —l, all but the first game being taken easily. Sturt came back into the picture again at the sixth game, however, and won four games on end, two of them going to deu‘ee. The pair were then five all. Sturt took the last two games, both of which went to deuce. Sturt had the sendee in the vital 12th. game and

got match point at 40 —15. Bedford, after netting badly at first, made a stand and came out of a couple of rallies at the net with two more points, thus robbing the Aucklander of match point. There was another sharp exchange at the net and Bedford won another point and gained the game point. He netted in the next exchage and lost it. He smashed at an overhead ball and missed the baseline to give Sturt the advantage and match point again. Sturt aced Bedford in the next service and won the set and match 6—2, 6 5—7, 7—5. Women’s Singles The specta'cle of seeing two sisters playing for honours in the women’s singles intrigued the gallery. There was speculation as to whether “they had made it up beforehand.” Aliss N. Beverley is ranked second in New Zealand, and her sister, Aliss Alargaret Beverley, is the junior champion. Wonderful positional play and a keener sense of anticipation won the match for Afise N. Beverley, the older of the two, 2—6, 6—l, 6—3. The older girl began with less confidence, Alargaret outplaying her with long, hard driving. The younger gill was right on her game in this set, and after leading 3—l, only conceded one game point from there to the end of the set, Alargaret winning 6—2. In the second set Alargaret was outplayed. She took the second game, but her older sister only once allowed her a game point after that, taking the remaining games after reaching 40 —love, 40 —15, 40—15, deuce onte, 40 —love. The pair reached 5—2 in the third set. Alargaret then took her sister’s service game from 15—40 and Aliss N. Beverley led 5—3. The final game went to Miss N. Beverley from 40—15, Margaret netting to concede the game, set and match to her sister. A little better placing on Margaret’s part, and more experience in court craft, with its attendant sense of anticipation, would have made this match much more even. The younger Miss Beverley is one of the coming players of the Dominion. Women’s Doubles Mrs C. Smith and Aliss T. Greaves (Wanganui) did not stand much thance against the Beverley sisters in the final oi the women’s doubles. It was a case of perfect understanding versus a rather unbalanced combination which displayed less vigour. Afr,s Smith’s lobbed shots were of little avail against the strong driving of Margaret Beverley, or the keen sense of positional play shown by Aliss N. Beverley. Aliss Greaves played in better shape than her partner and her inclination to drive hard was a pleasant contrast to the seemingly universal practice of Wanganui women players to play monotonously from the baseline with slow, curving shots, whKh form such easy prey to anybody on the alert at the net. Aliss Greaves lacked sense of anticipation, however, and was often caught on the wrong .foot. The Matamataa players defeated the Wanganui combination 6—l, 6 —4. It was interesting to wa-tch the quick changeover of positions which the two Beverleys resorted to to meet urgent need when the service was in the opposite court. They did it without any misunderstanding and there was one exhibition of poaching only. The Wanganui pair won the second game of the first set, and from that on the two visitors were aggressive and had the home combination on defence. It looked as though the second set would take the same shape as the first, but the Wanganui pair showed better form, Airs Smith improving greatly, especially in getting back her two-handed backhand shots, which Aliss N. Beverley was playing to as much as possible. The Beverleys led s—*25 —*2 and Aliss Greaves won her service game from 40 —30, making the game 5—3 in favour of Alatamata. Aliss N. Beverley threw away her service game from 15—40, double-faulting once, and Wanganui led 5 —4. The next game went to deuce three times after the Beverleys had had match point at 40 —30. Airs Smith misjudged length and finally gave the game to the Beverleys, who took the set 6 —4. Men’s Doubles Undoubtedly the best tennis of the day was played in the men’s doubles, particularly in the semi-final between Cox and Udy ( Wanganui) and the two Robertson Bros. This went to the full three sets and each set was of 12 games. It was a match in which net play was a deciding factor, and because Cox was on his game, victory went finally to the Wanganui pair. Combination told its tale, also. The Robertson Bros, played well and took the middle set 7 5 by being aggressive. There were many sharp rallies at the net, but the match gave honours to Cox, and the Wanganui pair came through with a score of 7 —5, 5—7, 7 —5. The Final The public settled back in anticipation of some great tennis in the final between A. and E. Dickie (Waverley) and Cox and Udy. They were not disappointed in the sense that the match produced several lightning encounters at the net in which almost impossible shots were accepted and returned so quickly as to deceive the eye. But the Dickie Bros, met their match in net play. Cox was again right on his game and Udy played with his usual vigour and supported the partnership with that perfect understanding which has made this pair the solid doubles force that they are. There was a note of disappointment, however, in the understanding between the two Waverley players. One is a left-hander and the other a right, and on occasions their racquets clashed in search of the same ball. Those occasions, though they may have been few, gave a rather accurate line on the relative form of the opposition sides. Cox and Udy were playing well together and had the other combination split into a divided force. When the match opened the Dickie Bros, suggested that they would outplay the other pair with as much ease as they defeated Sturt and Lampe in the semifinals. They won the first four games on end, Cox and Udv never getting above 30. Cox and Udy, suggestive of a force which had lain in wait to “see what guns the other side had,” then came to light and won three games, two of them going to deuce twice. The Dickie Bros, annexed the next two and won the set 6—3. Cox and Udy won the first and second, fourth and fifth, seventh and ninth games of the second set, only two going to deuce, both of them throe times. The Dickies repeated their first .set form at the beginning of the third and took three crimes en end< but Cox

and Udy took four on end, the first a love game, the second from 40 —15, the third from 40 —15, and the fourth from the first ’vantage point. The Dickies won tehir fourth game in the set from 40 —15, but Cox and Udy were too good in the next two and took the third set 6—4. The fourth set was one which gave the Wanganui pair complete mastery, the Waverley combination never winning a game. Combined Event Hay-Campbell and Aliss Alary Purcell made a great showing against Bedford and Aliss Ramsay in the top-half semi-final of the combined event. HayCampbell was right on his game, but was inclined to poach too often. Aliss Purcell also showed good form and the Wanganui pair actually had match point twice in the second set. r lhcy won the first 6 —4 and in the second the players were five all. Hay-Campbell won the next game from 40 —30 and led 6_5. He and Miss Purcell, from Aliss Ramsay’s service, gained match point at 40—30, but Hay-Campbell’s backhand failed him and lost the point, the game going to deuce three times. A double fault by Miss Ramsay gave match point back to the Wanganui pair again, but Aliss Purcell developed a “hole in her racquet” when stooping to scoop up a low-driven shot, and the game came back to deuce. The visiting pair had the advantage twice after that, but wore frustrated and a cross-court shot beat Hay-Campbell to give Bedford and Aliss Ramsay the right to play two more games, which they did and were successful from 40— 15 in both instances, taking the set B_6. The third set went to Bedford and Aliss Ramsay rather easily, 6—4. The Final Bedford failed to back Aliss Ramsay up in the final to as full a degree as possible. That was a big factor in the win which Sturt and Aliss N. Beverley gained 6—B, 6 —l, 6 —2. Aliss Beverley double-faulted in her first service game and lost it, Bedford and Aliss Ramsay taking the lead 3—l. The games went to five all, Sturt and Aliss Beverley trying to retrieve the position, with Bodford outplaying Sturt. The last three games went to Bedford and Aliss Ramsay, largely because of the Auckland girl’s play, and they took the set B—6.8 —6. The second set brought Miss Ramsay’s effective chop shots into action. She and Sturt duelled from the baseline but Bedford failed at the net, the set going to Sturt and Aliss Beverley f,—j. Something the same happened in the remaining set, Aliss Ramsay not getting the support she expected from her partner. Sturt and Aliss Beverley gained match point at 40 love, but the final game went to 40—30 before Aliss Ramsay netted a return to lose the game, set, 6—2, and niaVch (r—B, 6—l, 6—2.

DETAILS OF RESULTS

MEN’S SINGI.ES.—Se-m ; -finals: N. G. Sturt (Auckland) beat L. W. Udy (Wanganui), 6—l, 6—l; N. Bedford (Wellington) beat I). I- Robertson (Palmerston North), 6—3, 3—6, 9—7. Final: Sturt beat Bedford, 6 —2, 6 1, 5 7—5. . : r . WOMEN’S SINGLES—FinaI: Miss Beverley (Matamata) boat Miss M. Beverley (Matamata), 2 —6, 6 —l, 6—l. MEN’S DOUBLES. —Semi-finals: 11. C. Cox and L. W. Udy (Wanganui) beat Robertson Bros. (Palmerston North and Otago), 7—5, 5—7, 7—5; Erie and Arthur Dickie (Waverley) beat N. G. Sturt (Auckland) and M. L. Lampe (Wanganui), 3—6, 6 — 4, 7 —5. Final: Cox and Udy beat Dickie Bros., 3—6, 6 —3. 6 —4, 6 —o. WOMEN’S DOUBLES.—FinaI: Miss N. and M. Beverley (Matamata) beat Mrs C. Smith and Miss T. Greaves (Wanganui), 6—l, 6 —4. COMBINED DOUBLES. Third Bound: N. Bedford (Wellington) and Miss J. E. Ramsay (Auckland) beat D. Robertson (Palmerston North) and Miss T. Cox (Wanganui), 6 —4, 2—6, 6 Semi-finals: N. G. Sturt (Auckland) and Miss N. Beverley (Matamata) beat 11. Cox and Miss T. Greaves (Wanganui), 6—l, 12—10; N. Bedford and Miss Ramsay beat N. Nay-Camp-bell and Miss Mary Purcell (Wanganui); 4 —6, B—6,8 —6, 6 —4. Final: Sturt .and Miss N. Beverley beat Bedford and Miss Ramsay, 6 —B, 6—l, 6 —B. HANDICAP EVENTS The results in the handicap events were as follow: — Men’s Singles Semi-final: A. C. Rogers (ser.) beat M. Pidwell (rec. 4/6), 9 —6; J. Foster (owe 5/6) beat N. Gordon (scr.), 9 —7. Final: Foster beat Rogers. Women’s Singles Final: Mrs D. Evans (owe 30) beat Miss M. Alexander (rec.’ 3/6), 11—9. Men’s Doubles Third Round: Cavaye and Powdrell (owe 30 3/6) beat Hooper and Hooper (owe 15 3/6), -9—5. Semi-finals: Franklin and Christie (9cr.) beat Couchman and Dennison (owe 2/6), 9—5. Final: Cavaye and Powdrell (owe 30 3/6) beat Franklin and Christie (scr.).

Women's Doubles Final: Misses Purcell (owe 40) beat Mrs Wright and Miss Pownall (scr.), 9—5. Combined Doubles Third Round: Hooper and Miss M« Beverley (owe 30) beat O’Toole and Miss Margaret Purcell (owe 15 3/6), 9 —B; Meuli and Miss Latham (rec. 15) beat Dickie and Miss Griffiths (owe 40), 9 —6; Smaller and Miss Cox (owe 15 3/6) beat Swan and Alexander (rec. 4/6), 9 —6; Fennell and Mrs Fennell (rec. 3/6) beat Evans and Mrs Evans (owe 3/6), 9 —7. Semi-finals: Hooper and Miss Beverley heat Meuli and Miss Latham, 9—4; Smaller and Miss Cox beat Fennell and Mrs Fennell, 9—2. Final: Smaller and Miss Cox beat Hooper and Miss Beverley, 9—5. WANGANUI PLATE The Wanganui Plate, which absorbefl players who lost the first match of their championship series and were thus eliminated, was won by Livingstone, who beat Foster in tho final 6—l, 6—l. McGRATH DEFEATED ANGAS BEATS AUSTRALIAN CANTERBURY CHAMPION’S WIN [ Per Press Association. J CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 23. The Canterbury tennis champion, C. Angas, beat Vivian McGreJh, the visiting Australian Davis Cup player, in a at Wilding Park this afternoon. Results of garne-s were (Australian names first): — Singles.—E. F. Moon beat A. R. Cant 6 —2, 6 —3; V. B. McGrath lost to C. /ingas, 4 —6, 6—2, 4—6. Doubles.—McGrath and Moon beat Angas and Cant, 6 —2, 6—2. Angas played the game of his life in the single with McGrath, returning shots from almost impossible nositions. McGrath, on the other hand, made many errors. Cant fought hard aainst Iloon but the Australian had the upper hand always, beating Cant with very fast services and well-placed nct-rkimming drives. In the doubles the Australians returned everything and were much too clever for the Canterbury men. Angas played a sound game, but Cant was not so snre. In tho final of the women’s singles championship, Miss Irene Poole beat Miss Edna Rudkin 4—6, 6 —2, 6—2. Misses T. and T. Poole won the ladies’ doubles final, defeating Miss Wake and Miss M. Sherris, 6—o, 12—10. TIRED OF TENNIS CRAWFORD AND DAVIS CUP PARTICIPATION UNCERTAIN SYDNEY, Dec. 29. The Sun reports that Jack CrawfoM declares in an interview that he is very tired of tennis. He has lost his keenness and, unless he displays improved form in the forthcoming Australian championships, will not participate in the next Davis Cup. He suggests that Bromwich shduld be given his chance, along with McGrath and Quist. CASE OF HEART STRAIN SYDNEY, Dec. 28. It is now revealed that Crawford is suffering from heart strain. He said that he had been warned on several occasions by medical men that he could not maintain the pace and stay healthy. According to views expressed by the Davis Cup selectors, it is unlikely that an Australian team will be sent overseas next year if Crawford drops out.