The Spike: or, Victoria University College Review, June 1921

The Tennis Tournament

The Tennis Tournament.

The Tennis Championships, which were played on the Canterbury College courts, provided an interesting series of contests. On the whole the standard of tennis was not so high as in past years, but one can derive a certain amount of comfort from the realisation that we cannot always have the play up to provincial championship standard. Victorians went south without feeling unduly hopeful, and were not surprised by the performances of their team.

On the men's side, Otago secured the championship singles in the person of A. W. Sims, a young player with a style of his own. who has already represented the Dominion against the New South Wales team. His performances in Auckland left no doubts as to his ability to gain the title, and he disposed of Byrne in the first round without even exerting himself. Our other representative, M. C. Gibb, managed to lose to Lusk, of Otago, after having the match apparently all his own way; and Sims fought out the final with Johns, of Auckland—a player of greater steadiness and an occasional hard-hitter, but lacking the brains of the Otago man, who gained the decision in two sets (7—5; 10—8).

In the men's doubles we had little better luck, Broad and Byrne going down before the first Otago pair in the first round, and Gibb

Barlett, Photo

Barlett, Photo

Tournament Representatives

For Names see page 19

and Stainton, after winning an apparently lost match in a highly-creditable style from the second Otago team (Lusk and Slater), going out to Grant and Johns, of Auckland, 6—2; 6—2.

That there was little disgrace in this was seen when the victors over our teams fought out the final, which was won by Auckland. 6—3, 6—4—a surprise victory which resulted from Nash, of Otago, crumpling up under the nervous strain. Sims played a magnificent game, but could not pull the match from the fire.

The less said about the combineds the better. Worker and Willcox, of Canterbury, found little difficulty in putting out Gibb and Miss Waldie, and in beating Haigh and Miss Martin, Johns and Miss Knight, the championship winners, found less. The Auckland pair beat Canterbury in the final, in a most disappointing game. 6—3, 6—4.

With the ladies things were more hopeful. Misses Sievwright and Waldie won their matches in the first round, though Miss Fenton lost to Miss Valentine, who beat Miss Sievwright in the second round. Miss Waldie's staying power carried her to the semi-final, where Miss Knight defeated her after a game fight, 9—4. The Auckland girl had little trouble in disposing of Miss Archenhold in the final, emerging as champion by the margin of 9—2.

In the ladies' doubles, we may claim fairly to have had bad luck, Misses Martin and Myers losing to D. Archenhold and G. Willcox. this and last year's champions, after having a substantial lead, and Misses Waldie and Sievwright, in the third round, dropping an apparently certain victory to Misses Valentine and Smith when seemingly all was over bar shouting.

These two pairs, both of Canterbury, fought out an uninteresting finish, the laurels going to Misses Archenhold and Willcox.

This meant that Auckland holds the Championship Cup for another year, and that if Victoria is to see the Cup in the distance (which has not been for the past fourteen years), the tennis club must get some new blood and prove that it is alive and kicking.