NEW ZEALAND TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 1, 3 January 1939, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

PLAY AT CHRISTCHURCH PICK OF DOMINION PLAYERS MISS M. BEVERLEY MEETS WITH MISFORTUNE t Per Press .’.ssocistion.) CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 2. The pick of the Dominion's tennis players turned their steps toward Wilding Park on Saturday when the first series of matches in the Dominion championships were played. The tournament, which will continue until next Saturday, has drawn a splendid entry, and, in addition to all the present titleholders, two leading Australian women players are competing. News that Miss Margaret Beverley, the champion woman tennis player of the Dominion, had been injured in a motor accident (reported elsewhere}, was received with keen regret yesterday. She will be unable to continue in the tournament and in the doubles event her sister, who was paired with her, has had t<f default also. Conditions were very sultry when a start was made with the men’s singles on Saturday. Later a brisk breeze sprang up and was welcomed by both players and spectators. Mould Have Extended the Australians Miss M. Beverley's defection is specially to be regretted as she, more than any other home player, had a chance of extending the visiting Australians, Miss M. Hardcastle (Queensland) and Miss T. Rice (New South Wales). The visitors obviously have much to teach New Zealand’s best players, but it is by no means certain that they will dominate completely the women's events. In a very fine doubles match to-day they were extended to the utmost by the Wellington pair, Misses E. Plummer and J. Douthett. Two lull days of perfect weather enabled the tourney to be advanced well toward the final rounds. Miss N. Beverley Beaten The standard of play was uniformly high and there were some brilliant individual matches. So far, there have been few major surprises, the most notable being the defeat of Miss N. Beverley, the third ranking player of jNew Zealand, by a young Canterbury player. Miss Heather Eirom. Results: There appeared to be possibilities of an upset when I. J. Corich, of Canterbury, took the first set to love against Roussell in his opening match. His volleying and smashing in this set were really brilliant, but Roussell’s steadiness and retrieving ability wore him down. A. R. Cant, Canterbury fourth ranked man, was taken to live sets by M. Ferkins, ot Wellington, who is almost as steady, but not as sound a stroke player as his brother. J. Roach, first man for Waikato, had a long game against hard hitting ot R. Howe, a former Wellington man now living in Southland. He played J. W. Gunn, the sixth seeded player, in the next round, and went down after a match of long rallies and good strokes. An Outstanding Game, One of the outstanding games ot the first day was that between K. W. Dyer. (Wellington) and C. F. Penfold (Canterbury), the first set of 26 games taking almost 90 minutes to play. Dyer is a left-hander with a delightful range of attacking shots, all of which are hit without any spin whatever. On this occasion he controlled these shots exceedingly well, and Penfold had a great deal of hard defensive work to do. The match might have taken a different course had the young canterbury player seized his chance in the first set, when he ic-d 6/5 and 40-love. Big Surprise So Far. The women’s singles event has been reduced to eight competitors and two seeded players, apart from Miss Margaret Beverley have been eliminated. The defeat of Miss Nessie Beverley this afternoon by Miss H. Eisom, was the biggest surprise of the tournament to date. Some indication of the capabilities of the latter player might have been gained from their match in the Canterbury championship, when Miss Elsome took a set from Miss Beverley with just the same forceful play that won for her to-day. She lost the first set and won the second, but this time she refused to surrender the initiative in the final session. Instead, she kept on shooting stinging forehand driver into corners. Miss Beverley was forced on to a defensive role in which she is never happy and her shots lost their sureness under this relentless barrage of drives. Miss Eisom, in fact, was a much sounder player when it caine to defence, and she han her full share of defensive work to do. The Australians. Great interest was taken in the ap pearance ot the Australian players. Miss Hardcastle, the only player with a bye in the first round, made a most impressive debut in the second when she beat Miss B. Gould (Canterbury) without the loss ol' a game. That speaks highly for the quality of her play, for Miss Gould has as severe and reliable an equipment of ground strokes as any player in New Zealand. Miss T. Rice, smaller in stature, but no less active on the court, beat two sound opponents in Miss Mavis Howe (Wellington) and Miss K. Armstrong (Canterbury). She is less severe in her shots than Miss Hardcastle, but is more subtle in her methods. She used the dropshot with skill and effect, and changes of pace and length were also brought into use to the undoing of her opponents. Miss Armstrong had a good chance of winning the second set, but her driving just lacked the necessary accuracy to take advantage of some promising openings. Effect of Miss M. Beverley’s Defection. The defection of Miss M. Beverley has given Miss Rebe Wilson, a promising young Southland player, an easy passage to the quarter final. Miss Wilson was more at home on the

courts, which had increased in speed since the Canterbury championships, but it was mainly her steadiness and some good retrieving which enabled her to beat Miss J. Senior, a player who is well up in the Canterbury ranking list. Miss Wilson appeared to have difficulty in timing her shots. One of the best women’s matches yesterday was that between two Wellington Nunneley Casket representatives, Miss E. Plummer and Miss J. Douthett. A strong driver and an active court coverer, Miss Plummer hit hard throughout, but Miss Douthett proved herself an indefatigable defender and rare opportunist on attack. Frequently she would fight out of desperate situations, and then turn the tables with shrewdly-angled backhand drives, or daring volleys. Miss Plummer had a slight advantage of driving pov/er. Miss D. Miller (North Otago), the second ranked player in New Zealand, was again too patient and tenacious for Miss I. Poole (Canterbury), who made a valiant effort to match her opponent's steadiness in the second set. Against Mrs. J. B. Beatson (Nelson), who had won convincingly over the promising young Wellington player, Miss J. Bedford, the story was the same. Good serves and drives all met with the same fate—they went back over the net. Often they went back into the most awkward places on the court. Play in Men's Doubles There were some brilliant contests in men’s doubles, a first-round match seeing the elimination of the third seeded pair, Sturt and Mayson (Auckland) by Dymond and I. J. Corich ("Canterbury). Sturt was below form and Mayson had not the solidity to hold what proved to be a shaky team together. The Canterbury men were on top all through. Another great match which nearly brought about the defeat of the New Zealand champions saw Ferkins and Roussell beat Pattinson and Penfold, after losing the first and second sets. The young Canterbury players were in fine form when the match was begun on Saturday evening, and not even the amazing lobbing and solidity of the Wellington pair could prevent them dominating the game at the net. Angas and Brown, the second seeded pair, had two straight-set wins, ihe second over a good pair in D. I. and J. C. Robertson. Dymond and Corich found themselves down two sets to one against the Souter brothers, but after anxious moments in the fourth set, won the fifth without trouble.

Edwards and Dyer, both brilliant smashers and volleyers, were concerned in two sparkling matches. In the first they beat the Waikato pair, Roach and Livingstone, but in the second they went down to Barnett and Cant, who were very resourceful in driving their opponents away from the net and in taking up. that vantage point themselves. Women’s Doubles The last four pairs in the women's doubles were found to-day. Misses Miller and Wilson, receiving a walkover from the title-holders, Misses N. and M. Beverley, joined the three remaining seeded pairs. They had had a good win in the first round against Misses H. and D. Eisom, the New Zealand junior champions. The outstanding women's doubles match was I bat in which Misses Douthett and Plummer, opponents in a long singles match just previously, combined splendidly to extend the Australians, Misses Hardcastle and Rice. The Wellington pair were unperturbed by the severe driving and volleying of the visitors and kept on getting the ball back and waited their chance for successful interceptions at the net. Abbreviations used in the following reports are:—Auckland (A), Canterbury (C), Wellington (W), Otago (O), Southland (S), North Otago (NO), Hawke's Bay (HB), Manawatu (M), Waikato (Wai). Nelson (N), Australian (Aust.). SATURDAY'S RESULTS. Men’s Singles. First Round.—J. W. Gunn <A) beat P. D. McGregor (C), 6-0, 6-1, 6-0; A. R. Cant (Ci beat M. Ferkins (W), 6-2, 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1; J. T. Mayson (A) beat L. Morris (C), 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; R. G. Pattinson (C) beat R. Ferkins <W), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3; F. H. Renouf (W) beat C. Robertson (O), 8- 6-3, 2-6, 6-1; R. V. Robb (W) beat W. V. Hobin (M), 6-4, 6-2, 6-1; B. E. Souter (C) beat D. Livingstone (Wai), 1-5, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; J. W. Arnold (C) beat T. Childs (West Coast), 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3; K. W. Dyer (W) beat C. F. Penfold (C), 14-12, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; C. H. Baird (S) beat N. Adams (C), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; J. Roach (Wai) beat R. Howe (S), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 8-6; E. C. Falconer (O) beat E. H. Orbell (A), 1-6, 6-3, 6-0, 1-6. 8-6; M. J. Corich (C) beat C. W. D. Hodgson (S), 6-2, 6-1, 6-1; E. A. Roussell (W) beat I. J. Corich (C), 0-6, 6-2. 6-3. 7-5. Second Round.—A. D. Brown (C) beat C. B. Beatson (N), 6-0, 6-3, 6-0; N. F. Bedford (A) beat A. Burke (C), 6-2. 6-1, 6-0; C. Angas (C) beat B. J. Kelly (W). 6-2. 6-3, 6-4; S. Watson (C) beat N. A. Morrison (W), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. 6-2; N. V. Edwards (W) beat R. .1. Donkin, 6-4, 6-4, 6-0; N. G. Sturt (A) beat J. R. Crawshaw (C), 6-3, 6-1, 6-0; M. J. Souter (C) beat R. J. D. Sharpe (HB), 7-5,•6-2, 12-10: W. J. Smith (O) beat H. Dvmond (C), 3-6 6-4, 8-6, 6-4. Women's Singles. First Round.—Miss B. L. Bishop (A) beat Miss M. Sexton IM), 6-0, 6-1; Miss M. Beverley (Wai) beat Miss M. Wake (L), 6-0, 6-2; Miss N. Beverley (Wai) beat Miss J. Bedford (W), 6-1. 6-0; Miss P. Rice (Aus) beat Miss M. Howe (W), 6-2, 6-4; Miss D. Miller (NO) beat Miss I. Poole (C), 6-1, 6-4; Miss T. Poole (C) beat Miss P. Cooke (A), 2-6, 6-4, 8-6; Miss K. Armstrong (C) beat Miss M. Glenny (HB), 6-1, 6-2; Miss E. Plummer (W) beat Miss J. Peake (C), 6-2, 6-4: Miss N. Edwards (W) beat Mrs. Herrick (HB). 6-0, 6-3; Miss B. Gould (C) beat Miss I. Morrison (C), 6-3, 6-3; Miss J. Douthett (W) beat Miss C. Chester (C). 6-1, 6-1; Mrs. Beatson (N) beat Miss J. Bums (W), 6-2, 6-2; Miss E. R. Brown (NO) beat Miss J. Pitcaithly (C), 7-5, 6-4: Miss R. J. Wilson (S) beat Miss J. Senior (C), 9- 6-3; Miss H. Eisom (C) beat Miss Miss J. Forrester (W), 8-6, 6-0. Men’s Doubles. First Round.—J. W. Gunn and N. F. Bedford (A) beat E. E. McKeague and J. A. Strong (C), 6-1, 6-0, 6-4; A. R. Cant and H. A. Barnett (C) beat N. A. Morrison and F. H. Renouf <W), 6-2, 6-3, 6-4; S. Painter (W)

beat D. I. Robertson (C), 6-3, 6-1, 6-4; , B. E. and M. J. Souter (C) beat C. H. Baird (S) and T. Childs (West Coast), I 6-4, 6-3, 6-0; N. V. Edwards and K. • Dyer (W) beat D. Livingstone and J. Roach (Wai), 8-10, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3. 1 Second Round.—C. Angas and A. D. Brown (C) beat R. J. Dunkin and S. ; Watson (C), 6-1, 6-2, 6-1. Mixed Doubles. Second Round.—K. W. Dyer and , Miss J. Burns beat J. R. Crawshaw and Miss I. Morrison by default. Women's Doubles. Second Round.—Misses P. Cooke ■ and B. L. Bishop (A) beat Misses M. Sexton (M) and J. Forrester (W), 6-0, 6-0; Misses J. Douthett and E. Plummer (W) beat Mesdames Browne and Teppler (C), 6-2, 6-4; Misses N. and M. Beverley (Wai) beat Mrs. Cotterill and Miss Gould (C), 6-2, 6-2; Misses D. Miller (NO) and R. J. Wilson (S) beat Misses H. and D. Eisom (C) 6-1, 6-2; Misses J. Morrison and J. Senior (C) beat Mrs. Edwards and Miss J. Burns (W), o-l, 6-4; Mrs. Beatson (N) and Miss K. Armstrong (C) beat Mrs. Herrick and Miss M. Glenny" (HB), 6-2, 6-2. YESTERDAY’S PLAY Men's Singles Second Round. —S. Painter (Wellington) beat D. I. Robertson (Canterbury), 6-3, 6-1, 6-4; Mayson beat Roussell, 6-2, 1-6, 6-0, 4-6, 6-1; Dyer beat Renouf, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, 6-2; Pattinson beat Painter, 4-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1, 8-6; B. E, Souter beat Baird, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3; Cant beat Fa'coner, 6-4. 6-3, 6- Gunn beat Roach, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1; Robb beat Corich, 8-6, 1-6, 4-6, 6-2, 7- H. A. Barnett (Canterbury) beat J. W. Arnold, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Third Round.—Brown beat Smith, fr-3, 6-1, 6-0; Edwards beat Bedford, 8- 6-2, 2-6, 8-6, 6-0; Stuart beat Watson, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4; Angas beat M. J. Souter, 3-6, 6-5, 8-6, 6-1. Women’s Singles Second Round.—Miss Wilson beat Miss M. Beverley by default; Miss Bishop beat Miss R. Brown, 6-1, 6-2; Miss Rice beat 'Miss Armstrong, 6-0, 6-4; Miss Plummer beat Miss Douthett, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; Miss Eisom beat Miss N. Beverley, 2-6, 6-3, 8-6; Miss Miller beat Mrs. Beatson, 6-0, 6-2; Miss T. Poole beat Mrs. Edwards, 6-3, 6-2; Miss M. Hardcastle (Australia) beat Miss Gould, 6-0, 6-0. Men's Doubles First Round. —R. J. D. Sharpe (Hawke's Bay) and E. H. Orbell (Auckland) beat T. W. Patterson and Nz Adams (Canterbury), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3; W. J. Smith and E. S. Falconer (Canterbury) beat A. Burke (Canterbury and B. J. Kelly (Wellington), 6- 6-4, 3-6, 0-6, 6-4; R. V. Robb (Wellington) and S. Painter (Canterbury) beat J. R. Crawshaw and F. D. McGregor (Canterbury), 7-5, 6-2, 6-4; H. Dymond and I. J. Corieh (Canterbury) beat N. G. Sturt and J. T. Mayson (Auckland). 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Second Round.—R. McL. Ferkins and E. A. Roussell (Wellington) beat R. G. Pattinson and C. F. Penfold (Canterbury), 7-9, 7-9, 6-4, 6-0, 6-4; J. H. Sheppard and L. Morris (Canterbury) beat M. Ferkins and D. Paterson (Wellington), 6-2, 6-3, 6-1; Cant and Barnett beat Edwards and Dyer, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1; Smith and Falconer beat Sharpe and Orbell, 6-1, 7- 6-1; Gunn and Bedford beat Robb and Painter, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5, 6-2; Dymond and Corich beat B. E. and M. J. Soutei 8- 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1; C. Robertson (Otago) and D. I. Robertson (Canterbury) beat J. Mercer and J. W. Arnold (Canterbury), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Third Round.—Angas and Brown beat D. I. and C. Robertson, 6-2, 6-4, 6-1. Women's Doubles First Round.—Misses Miller and Wilson beat Misses N. and M. Beverley, by default; Misses Cooke and Bishop beat Misses Morrison and Senior, 6-1, 6-1; Misses I. and T. Poole beat Mrs. Beatson and Miss Armstrong 6-1, 6-3; Misses M. Hardcastle and T. Rice (Australia) beat Misses Plummer and Douthett, 6-3, 6-8, 6-4. Mixed Doubles First Round.—J. Roach (Waikato) and Miss B. L. Bishop (Auckland) beat T. Childs (West Coast) and Miss E. R. Brown (North Otago), 6-1, 6-2. Second Round.—P. D. McGregor and Miss I. Morrison (Canterbury) beat J. W. Gunn (Auckland) and Miss M. Beverley (Waikato), by default; C. Robertson (Otago) and Miss R. J. Wilson (Southland) beat H. Dymond and Mrs. V. C. Browne (Canterbury), 2-6, 6-0, 6-2; J. T. Mayson (Auckland) and Miss T. Poole (Canterbury) beat J. H. Sheppard and Miss J. Senior (Canterbury), 6-4, 8-6; D. Livingstone and Miss N. Beverley (Waikato) beat R. G. Pattinson and Miss K. Armstrong (Canterbury), 6-4, 6-3; R. McL. Ferkins (Wellington) and Miss D. Miller (North Otago) beat M. Ferkins (Wellington and Mrs. J. Cotterill (Hawke's Bay), 6-2, 6-2; T. W. Paterson and Miss M. Wake (Canterbury) beat W. V. Hobin and Mrs, Hobin (Manawatu) 6-4, 8-6. ■