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The Spike: or, Victoria College Review, June 1912

Tennis Finals

Tennis Finals.

Tuesday opened in the perfect glory of a cloudless sky, and the canny Scotch folk about us took the risk and bragged immodestly of the weather. With a twofold victory to its credit, Victoria College betook itself light-heartedly enough to the tennis court, but our hopes were sadly reduced when Miss Tennent and Miss Cook fell before the prowess of Miss Cross and Miss Jameson, an undoubtedly stronger pair. At this stage Victoria's page 27 chances were generally estimated at nil, and even the old sport, de la Mare, refused to have "a bit on."

Meanwhile the big black clouds had been gathering from the south, and the weather outlook was becoming more atrocious every minute as Miss Cross and Miss Tennent took the field in the finals of the Ladies' Singles. Miss Tennent was in fine form, and annexed the first three games with great expedition. Down came the ugly drops, and the match had to be temporarily abandoned.

All the morning the rain patterned merrily on the roof of the pavilion, and after lunch there was no sign of abatement. As it was absolutely impossible for some of our players to wait another day in Dunedin, it was decided to go through with the tournament. The match between Miss Tennent and Miss Cross was resumed, and the latter, playing with great accuracy and fine judgment in adverse conditions, succeeded in wiping off her deficit at six all. Miss Tennent played up well, but the rain militated against her. In the previous rounds she had indulged in some awe-inspiring tosses, but on a wet court it is undoubtedly the long sweeping drive that is peculiarly noxious. Miss Cross adapted herself admirably to the conditions, and gained a well-deserved victory, 9—6. That ended the matter as far as the Tennis Cup was concerned, but Canyerbury College had not yet completed the destruction of her enemies. Parker and Cleghorn were the next victims. Jenning's drive was as powerful destructive as of yore, and T. D. Smith was quite up to the standard required. The Canterbury pair ran out easy winners at 6—2, 6—3

By this time Miss Cross and Miss Tennent were ready to renew hostilities in the finals of the combined event, but again the Canterbury pair proved themselves immeasurably superior to our combination. Jennings was everywhere, Cleghorn was anywhere, while Miss Cross was as sound as ever, So ended the Tennis Tournament. For five years L. S. Jennings has maintained an unbeaten record, and as a fitting memento of page 28 his triumphs, his College has, in the last year, succeeded in winning all five championships. Next year Canterbury will be without her warriors of the past; Miss Jameson and Miss Cross will participate in no more Colleges will be fairly leaping at Canterbury's throat. As for ourselves, we should like to have beaten Jennings (confound the fellow).