Three Wanganui Tennis Titles Won By Visiting Players

Wanganui Chronicle, 6 January 1949, Page 2

Three Wanganui Tennis Titles Won By Visiting Players

Concluding Day's Play In The Annual New Year Tourney

The Wanganui Lawn Tennis Association’s annual Nsw Year tournament concluded at the Nelson Street courts yesterday. Visitors won three of the championship events. Play was of a high standard and many exciting and closelyeontested matches were seen. The courts were in good condition and the weather was perfect. Features of yesterday’s play were the consistency and allround ability of Poach, the steadiness and skill of Charters, the net play of Donkin, the competency of Miss Luxton, and the fighting qualities of Mrs. Wallace and Miss Jones.

The men’s championship singles was won by L. Roach (Waikato), the women’s singles by Miss D. Luxton (Canterbury). J. Charters and D. (I. Goodwin (Hawke s Bay) won the men’s championship doubles, and Mrs. Wallace and Miss Jones (Wanganui) won the women’s doubles. The combined championship doubles was won by Charters and Miss Kennedy (Hawke’s Bay).

In the men’s championship singles final. L. Reach (Waikato) defeated D. Goodwin (Hawke's Bay). 7-5, 6-0. Roach was the more forceful player and the consistent length of his drives wept his opponent on the backline. The winner’s flat backhand drive was functioning well and he cross-drove a great number of times to Goodwin’s backhand, thereby gaining numerous points. Roach’s service was more powerful and at times troubled Goodwin. The loser played steadily but was defeated by a sounder all-round player Goodwin lacked a consistent backhand drive but he made some excellent recoveries.

Goodwin broke through Roach’s service to win the first game but Roach equalised with some sound net play. The Waikato player went to a 2-1 lead with his superior service. Roach scored with a delightful backhand drive but lost the advantage by over-hitting his drives. Goodwin was executing well-placed passing shots and equalised the game score Roach kept at the net the next game but Goodwin’s passing shots had him in trouble. The Hawke’s Bay piaye" went into a 4-2 lead owing to Roach not hitting his shots cleanly. Roach picked up a game at the net to trail 3-4. However, steadier tennis by Goodwin saw Roach down 3-5. The Waikato player was stroking more confidently and took the next game. A superb angled cross-court forehand drive was the feature of the tenth game. Goodwin double-faulted and the score became 5-all. The vital game was won by Roach, who served powerfully to his opponent’s backhand. Roach again concentrated on Goodwin’s backhand and won th" game and the first set 7-5.

AN EXCITING NOTE The second set commenced on an exciting note and the spectators saw some excellent rallies. Roach recovered and his kick-service gave him a 1-0 lead. Roach’s shots in the second game, which he won, included a perfect drop-shot Goodwin rallied with accurate passing shots, but his backhand again proved his downfall and he trailed 0-3. Erratic serving by Goodwin gave Roach a 4-love lead. Two excellent serves helped Roach to win another game. Nevertheless, Goodwin was playing some sound shots but could not bustle his consistent opponent. Roach biok> through Goodwin’s service to win the game, set and match

Miss Luxton won a keenly-con-tested match to defeat Mrs. Wallace in the women’s championship singles fma 1, 11-9, 6-2. The first set. a marathon. saw the younger player stage a grand recovery and eventually won the match comfortably against her tiring opponent. Miss Luxton, after an erratic start, kept a good length with her drives and played some accurate volleys and smashes Mrs. Wallace had the better service bm lacked the consistency of Miss Luxton.

Mrs. Wallace’s powerful service gave her a 1-0 lead and she won the next Wlth accur ate length drives. Mrs Wallace won the third game without any difficulty and on winning th" next went into a 4-0 lead. Mrs. Wallace was stroking the ball confidently and appeared set for an easy win. Miss Luxton was failing with her first service and was hitting enatically. Miss Luxton secured the next two games which featured long base line rallies and trailed 2-4. Winning the next two games easily Miss Luxton evened the game score 4-4. The ninth game could have gone either way and Miss Wallace gained the lead o£ 5-4 after a number of exciting rallies

Each player won on their own services and after many long ralil? s „ the B ame score reached 9-9. Mrs Wallace, who was noticeably tiring dropped her service and Miss Luxton gamed an early lead end though her opponent played a number of fighting recoveries the Canterbury en,«nAuVS?n the m atch and set 11-9. With her opponent over-hitting and herself stroking confidently. Miss Luxton went into a 2-0 lead in the second set. Mrs. Wallace, trailing in the third game, scored with some excellent services to recover and win. Miss Luxton scored with short crosscourt drives to lead 3-1. but she lost the next. Excellent rallies which saw both players ti'ying all they knew, produced the best game of the match and gave Miss Luxton a 4-2 lead. Another good game saw Miss Luxton win with a net ball after a number of advantages had been plaved. stroking consistently. Miss Luxton won the game, set, and match. H.B. PLAYER DOMINANT.

The dominant figure in the men’s championship doubles final was the veteran Hawke's Bay player J. Charters. It was his heady and constructive play which gave him and Goodwin a win over Easton and Roach 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, in a game of fluctuating fortunes. The Waikato combination appeared the most impressive but their spectacular and at times brilliant tennis lacked th" necessary consistency. Roach did not produce the form shown in his singles play and failed to stroke his volleys cleanly. Easton played some

| excellent and powerful smashes but | was erratic. Charters’ spin service worried his opponents. Goodwin al- | though overshadowed by the three other playeis, was steady. The game was of a high standard and the result could have gone either way. . Easton and Charters settled down immediately in the first game won by the Waikato pair. The steadiness l of Easton and Roach gave th" Hawke’s Bay pair a 3-1 lead, which , was increased to 4 when Charters' service to Roach’s backhand gained I the necessary points. Roach was missing his volleys and the Waikato pair trailed 1-5. Charters and Goodwin I were teaming weh but a double lault by Goodwin made the score 5-2. I Roach was commencing to settle down and the Waikato pair picked up another game. However. Charters’ services settled the outcome of the | first set. ' Trailing one set the Waikato pair | jumped into an early lead and increased their score to 4-0. Roach served well and Easton was executing some brilliant shots. Roach's service gamed for them the next game but Charters retaliated in the next and the Hawke's Bay pair were down 1-a Easton’s powerful serving and smashing gave the Waikato pair the next game and the second set. The steadiness of the Hawke's Bay tu.ir gave them a one lead in the third set and the excellent placements of Charters increased their lead to two. The next two games saw Easton hitting accurately but Roach was falling into errors and the Waikato pair were down 1-3 Clever volleying by Easton evened the game scores at 3-all The Waikato pair with sound combination, broke through their opponents’ service to lead 4-3. but in the eighth game beth missed easy shots and presented the opposition with the game. Charters, who was putting plenty of work into his services, troubled Roach, and the Hawke’s Bay pair won the vital game to lead 5-4. The next game was evenly contested but Charters with two well-placed angle shots decided the result of the match. INTERESTING MATCH. , The combined doubles final was an interesting match in which some good tennis was seen, and resulted in a win for Charters and Miss Kennedy, | who defeated Donkin and Miss Luxj ton 4-6. 6-3. 6-3. The losers appeared the stronger combination and were perhaps unfortunate to lose. Donkin gave the best display of net play seen in the tournament and Miss Luxton drove attractively and forcefully. However, both players missed - number of shots by inches only. Charters ana Miss Kennedy were always steady. The Canterbury pair overwhelmed their opponents to lead 4-0 in the first set but the Hawke's Kay players recovered and some exciting play with all four contestants shining was seen. Donkin and Miss Luxton ran out winners 6-4. Charters' difficult, service und cunning placements helped materially in winning the second set. The Canterbury players had a number of opportunities to win the third set' and clinch the match but in their over-eagerness missed some easy shots and the steadier Hawke's Ba'y combination won the third set 6-3. The hardest earned victory of the tournament was the wonderful win in the women's championship doubles final, of the Wanganui pair, Mrs. Wallace and Miss Jones, who defeated their Hawke’s Bay opponents, Misses Kennedy and Board §-6, 8-6. 6-1. Displaying fighting ability and stamina the Wanganui players, down one set and trailing 3-5 m the second, staged a remarkable come-back to win the match when victory appeared impossible. Both Mrs Wallace and Miss Jones had a strenuous day's play but it was the Hawke’s Bay combination who were the first to become fatigued. The visitors, witn good combination and deadly net play, won the first set comfcrtablv and when they lead 5-3 in the second looked the certain winners. However varying their tactics, the home pair played excellent tennis and then in the third set ran out easy winners. Detailed results follow:

CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS. Men’s Singles. Final L. Roach (Waikato) defeated D. Goodwin (Hawke’s Bay) 7-5. 6-0. Women’s Singles. Final: Miss D. Luxton (Canterbury) defeated Mrs. F. Wallace (Wanganui) 11-9, 6-2 Men’s .Doubles. Final: J. Charters and D Goodwin (Hawke’s Bay) defeated I Easton and L. Roach (Waikato) 6-3, 1-6, 6-4. Women’s Doubles. Mrs. Wallace and Miss Jones I (Wanganui) defeated Misses Kennedy i and Board (Hawke’s Bay) 3-6 8-6 I 6-1. Combined Doubles. i Semi-final: Donkin and Miss LuxI ton defeated Bolton-Riley and Mrs. Wallace. 6-3, 6-4. Final: Charters and Miss KennetW (Hawke’s Bay) defeated Donkin and Miss Luxton (Canterbury) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. HANDICAP EVENTS. Men’s Singles. Final: Foster (owe 40) defeated Mclntyre (owe 30 3/6), 9-3. Ladies’ Singles Final: Miss Burtenshaw (owe 15) defeated Miss Jones (owe 40), 9-5 Men's Doubles Final:.Wham and James (owe 3/6) defeated Steel and Dashlield (owe 15). 9-1.