LAWN TENNIS.

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17008, 22 January 1927, Page 17 (Supplement)

LAWN TENNIS.

TEST WITH NEW SOUTH WALES. NEW ZEALAND TEAM’S VICTORY. The test match between New Zealand and New South WeleC, played at V’-'ctibiatoY resulted in a bellow victory for New Zealand | hy games to 3. Success was achieved with a team which was not by any means the strongest this country could field. Ailhough it was generally thought that New Zealand would win most of the singles, contrary to expectations, its doubles combinations (scratch ones though they were) rose superior, and defeated Hie New South Wales team in doubles, a department of tennis long peculiarly considered Australia’s own. Strangely enough, the only two doublesTriatches losL were by Knott and Sturt, doubles champions of New Zealand, who were included in the team merely for their doubles play alone. Their victories in the singles merely served to emphasise Hie weakness of Frank Peach and C. Brewster in singles, for neither Slurt nor Knott is as yet anywhere approximating to national standard, says Hie Dominion.

Ollivier Too Good for North.

Ef Ollivier always played wilh the same zest, steadiness, brilliance, and obvious desire to win as he showed against Norman Peach on Friday, and an Saturday against Dr. A. L. Norlh, •with a better success, it would he a pleasure to watch and impossible to blame him. Although he played great tennis on Friday, reaching at times to great brilliancy and sustaining it in dazzling fashion, lie was unfortunate enough to strike Peach right at the top of his form, which has earned lor him a place in an Australian Davis Gup team. On Saturday Ollivier was a shade below' liis form on Friday, but Dr. North was, except in patches, also off. The wonderful driving with which North took the first game—driving that had ihe accuracy, certitude and precision -of a well oiled machine at work —gave indications of a wonderful exhibition of play by the Australian. It was but a hash —a momentary showing of what North on his game could do. Ollivier settled into his stride, played his drives deep to either corner, or flashed his crosscourt shot short from the backhand, or lobbed judiciously as North came to the net, to win many points. The points quickly grew' into games as North outed over Ihe back line, netted badly through playing his drives too low, or mishit Oliivier’s lobs in trying to smash. Wilh Ollivier leading 5—2, North made his hid, and by a burst of sustained brilliancy, in which his wonderful volleying and smashing from the net left Ollivier standing, he quickly climbed to five all, and took the set 7—5. The last five games showed North at his best. His placing, his length, his volleying, anticipation, and overhead work were superb, and Ollivier was either made to run along the back-line, or to stand and watch the ball go by. North’s drives were clearing the net with scarcely an inch to spare, yet such was the pace that they very often raised chalk from the hack-line, and were hardly ever more than a foot away from it. But North had shot his bolt. He was faced now with the Ollivier who had frequently lost Wilding Shield matches and interprovincial matches lo greatly inferior players. lie played with a coolness, resourcefulness and confidence that brooked no opposition. With North tiring it was Olivier's turn to take the net, and when he volleyed, as in North’s period of domination, there was no return. Good length drives were tying up North's usually fine backhand with great consistency, while North’s forehand drive lost its steadiness. North chased valiantly, tried to get ihe net, strove lo pass Ollivier down the lines with hard drives or over his head with high lobs, hut all lo no purpose. The shots either did not come off, or when they looked like coining off Olliver was there in position lo deal with them decisively. Oliivier’s variation of pace and li is use of his famous cross-court backhand shots to Hie service line were not relished by North. Although beaten, North never despaired, and fought to win right to the end.

Andrews Beats Peach. Norman Peach Is either right on or lie is right, off. Ilis strokes, especially on the forehand and overhead, are far too severe to permit of his adopting a middle course or of playing ■ safe. Against Andrews, except in the first set and part of the second, he was well off. lie was mishitting his backhand badly, and putting the ball over the backline on. his forehand. At no time did he show the brilliancy which enabled him to beat Ollivicr on the first day. There were times, however, when the very severity of his drives caused Andrews to out, but Peach would nullify this advantage by bad play on his own part. The game was a baseline one between two hard bitters, and the harder bitter lost because he lacked consistent accuracy. Andrews gave a glimpse of his best form only in the third set, when, his hard forehand drives to the corners worked to perfection. Many times Peach, after guarding his backhand corner, would have to stand helpless and watch tire ball raise chalk in the forehand corner. In iiic third sot also Andrews took courage, and went to the net quite a lot, and always from there lie would neatly cut off Peach’s hardest drives, or volley, or smash to the side lines. Both players resorted a lot to lobbing, and in this respect the advantage in the first two sets rested with Peach. In the third set Ire was invariably too short, when Andrews would effect the kill, or lie would be 100 deep and out. Both players were weak in service, there being too many double faulls, while both were weak also on return of service in the ilrst two sols, and Peach alone In the third set. it was a case of Peach going off form, and Andrew’s corning on to form, which he struck in tire third set. Andrews started badly. The severity with which Peach returned his service forced Andrews into outing over the baekiino four successive times to lose him liis service to love. Because Peach made two loss mistakes than Andrews did lie took I lie second game after long deuces. Andrews hit in court for the first time, and Peacli lost the third game on absolutely forced errors. Andrews persisted with bis hard driving, which, because it was inaccurate, gave Peach a 3—l lead. Stiff driving to Peach’s backhand gave Andrews the next game. Peach, advanced to a

4 2 lead by varying his drives with chops and lobs, neither of which strokes Andrews appeared to have an effective counter for. In the seventh game, on the gelling of which lie led 52, l’earli put across his 1 crrilic fdrrhand drives to Andrews’ backhand and Iho New Zealander could mute nothing of them. Peach then gave Andrews no resl, but bustled him with severi! deep drives, and rushes to the not. to volley. Nor could Andrews accommodate himself to the chops, and I lie set was Pouch's at fi—2.

Andrews skirled out on Ihe second set in a most business-like fashion, hut so surprised was lie to find a 'terrific drive lo Peach's backhand come back Iliat In; ouled the volley. Peach, indeed, at' this stage found not 111 6 slightest diflicu'tr in returning Andrews’ “"Werest drives oil her by drivrnwu the backline or volleying from the net. It was on the easy shots when Andrews varied his pace and length that Peach most often, fell, and it was on those tactics that he got the first three games of the set. Andrews again resorted to hard hilling, a game that suits Peach admirably, and Peach advanced to 3 all by a mixture of returning harder drive for hard drive or by storming the net and smashing and cutting a drive off with a stop-volley. Andrews steadied with a consequent slowing up in the pace of his shots/and Peach again commenced io make mistakes so that Andrews led 4—3. Peach discarded his driving in the eighth game for chops, slower and shorter drive, and placed volleys. With Ihe score at 4 all Peach's backhand seemed suddenly to cease functioning, until it became a handicap and a hindrance lo him. However, allhough lie lost Hie ninth game, Andrews made sufficient errors lo give him the next two games and ihc set when lie pestered Peach’s backhand, and look (he net and dealt effectively from there with any return, lie was twice set point however, before lie clinched it with a fine smash and a great drive to Peach’s backhand.

After Andrews won Ihc first game on tremendous drives with the loss of but one point, and Peach led 2—l, by brilliant placing combined with great driving, Andrews jumped into form and swept to victory with tennis that was not to he denied. Peach’s backhand simply collapsed. He could not connect with the ball at all. ltis forehand drives never looked like keeping in court. His lobs were too short. Andrews swung his drives from corner to corner and then presented an impossible harrier to Peach chasing along the hack-line. An isolated brilliant passing shot or a lob only served to accentuate the marked difference between Peach on form and Peach off form. The end, when it did come, came on an ouled drive in an endeavour to pass Andrews at the net and a double fault.

Wilson Outplays Fitzgerald. Undeterred by the excellence of Fitzgerald’s backhand, N. 11. C. Wilson did not make D. G. France’s mistakes of the previous day and play to Fitzgerald’s comparatively negligible forehand to the almost total exclusion of all else. Instead Wilson played a fine forcing all-court game, the excellence of his placing and the speed of his drives working Fitzgerald hopelessly out. of position so that the formidable backhand functioned but rarely to good purpose. Scarcely ever shifting from the back-line and keeping Fitzgerald moving fast along the baseline Wilson took the first set G—o. with the loss of but a few points. Fitzgerald profited by Wilson’s unwise slackening in the second set and a consequent mistiming of his shots to win the second set 6 —4. But in the third set. Fitzgerald again ran the race that was set him, hut with all his running and spectacular recoveries he could not win a game.

The Extraordinary France. D. G. France is a most extraordinary player and does some most unaccountable things. He will rise to superlative; heights with a sustained period of brilliance when the ball will shoot from his racket with the speed of lightning/ Combined with the tremendous speed, of his drives or his smashing will be a deadly accuracy that leaves the opponent standing. Interspersed with the heavy artillery will be examples of dazzling net play in which the ball will be volleyed at short angles or gently dropped over the net. Then suddenly all this brilliance ■ will cease and without any warning France’s play will descend to ihe level of dull and drab mediocrity. So it was on Saturday in liis match with McCausiand. McCausland could make nothing of him at Hie start, Willi driving that Norman Peach might have envied, and volleying that Dr. North would nol have excelled France ran in!o a 5—2 lead. McCausiand had lo stand helploss and see hall after hall on either side go past him to hit just inside the line. Or himself on. the backline and France at the net lie had to sec many points lost to him by gentle shots lo just over the net. But McCausiand is nothing if not a fighter and he is most dangerous when furlhercst behind. He seems to have cultivated the habit of playing a trailing game. With France’s slackening came McCausland’s opportunity. lie won the next two games to trail 4—5. France held two set point at 40—to. McCausiand evened lo 5' all in games and France held the odd game from there to the fifteenth game, but the tenacily of McCausiand, and lack of it by France, gave the former the set, JO —8. Tills seemed lo rouse France from his lethargy, for he again came on to liis game and simply pulverised the defence offered by McCausiand lo take the next two sets with the loss of but three games. liis tennis in those last two sets was well nigh flawless and lie went, every lime, after the winner. Knott Beats F. Poach. The match between Knott and F. Peacli admits of no elaborate description. If Peacli was trying, be successfully bid the fact from the spectators, it is diilicult to account for his many absurd errors by any oilier way. Admittedly he was many times beaten by Knott, but there were others which, when he reached them, he 'dealt with in a most crude fashion. He seemed to have one of those days in which lie simply did not care and could nol lie bothered. Knott won, but lit Me credit attaches to a victory over a man whose manner of play suggested lie had no concern for Ihe issue. Knoll was merely an instrument on Ihe other side of the court for the purpose of lotting Peach defeat himself. Knott gave some help in the process with good drives, but not, much. A Poor Game. The match between Brewster and Sturt was a poor one, and the fault for this rested with Brewster. He lost heart, and gave up trying.. Belli indulged in a base-line game, in which the confidence of Sturt gave him Ihe greater accuracy, more sting, and better length. Brewster's display was far below even very average provincial standard. There was no go in his play at all. To merely call it. a drab and uninteresting match is to praise ik, _ _ ....... •