COMMENT ON PLAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 28, 3 February 1938, Page 8

COMMENT ON PLAY

FRANCE AND STEDMAN. LADIES’ QUART ER-FINALS. [Per I'less Association.] AUCKLAND, Feb. 2. In the mens singles Stedman began poorly and was erratic for lour games against France, but he settled down in the fifth and began a formidable attack with fast, good-length drives to the back corners uf the baseline. Stedman was down O—4(J on his own service and then collected two aces but not game. France kept an erratic length but placed skilfully and at four-all neither had much advantage in the rallies. Stedman, however, hit harder in the next two games and gave France little jhance to place, taking the first set, 6—4. The second set was in the nature of a procession, the Wellington veteran being unable to cope with Stedman s attack. Six games of the set were a series of fast placements hit with a flick of the wrist and making speed off the court. In the third set France battled gamely but could only take two games.

The Auckland champion, Brown, the day before strained his abdominal muscles by overreaching on a smash and for the first set against Gunn today was inconvenienced to a small extent. However, Gunn hit out splendidly, winning three games in a row by the excellence of his overhead work and continued to attack on Brown’s backhand. Brown hit harder in the eighth game in an attempt to retrieve the set but made two errors and could not return a beautifullydirected lob. The second set was more evenly contested, both playing well, but with Brown steadily becoming more severe. The games alternated to 5—4 as each took a turn in the ascendancy. Gann kept the ball admirably under control but his weaker second service gave Brown many easy balls with w'hich to hit winners. A close set ended in the favour of Brown, 6—4. Brown hit hard in the third set, but although he took it at. 6—l it was by no means one-sided. Gunn appeared to tire and did not put the same v. : m in his shots as in the first two sets. I Ater the interval Brown ran to a twolove lead but, refreshed, Gunfi then collected two games to even the score. Some brilliant forehand placements gave Brown the next two games, but again Gunn fought well ana managed to cancel the advantage a 4-all. The match went to five-all when Brown collected the 11th. game to love on his own service, a splendidly retrieved lob or an apparent a-:e being the chief feature. Brown had match point at 6—5 and made no mistake with a passing shot dow n the side-line to win.

Misses M. Beverley and I*. Cooke. Special interest was taken in the match between Misses M. Beverley and P. Cooke in the quarter-finals of the ladies’ singles. Miss Cooke had given her opponent a hard match in the Auckland championships last week and repeated the performance to-day. With a set each Miss Cooke won the first two games of the deciding set but she then lost her grip on the match by continuing to try for winners when a more careful policy a that stage would probably have paid her better. The contest between Misses Miller an I Macfarlane \yas one of steady driving from the back lines, a succession of rallies and long games almost entirely devoid of pace. Miss Miller made some strong drives on her forehand, and her variation of direction caused her opponent a great deal of running about.

Miss N. Beverley scored a meritorous win over Bishop, but it was only after a prolonged struggle. Miss Beverley had two match points off her own service at 5—3, in ihe final set but was foiled with her net attack by safe lobbing. Playing a fine uphill game Miss Bif.hop drew to 5all. From then on the games were wot alternately, with Miss Beverley always holding the lead in the edd game She lost another match point a: B—7 on her own sendee and two more at 9—B before clinching the set and the match. Miss Plummer (Wellington), scored a good win over Miss I. Poole (Canterbury) in a spectacular game in which both demonstrated cleverness in variation of direction and length. Nearly every game was keenly contested and although Miss Poole used every endeavour she was unable 1o manoeuvre her opponent out of position to end most of the rallies.