[Rollo]

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS


Dates: January 19-26
Venue: Adelaide, Australia
Surface: Grass

Dates: Janaury 19-26
Venue: Adelaide
Surface: Grass



Singles (Draw=17)

First Round
Gwen Griffiths d V Mathias 4-6 6-4 6-3

2nd Round

Daphne Akhurst [1] d Lorna Bollen 6-0 6-3
Meryl O'Hara-Wood [5] d Joyce Lillecrappe 6-3 6-2
Sylvia Harper [4] d Edna Lawrence 6-1 6-2
Mall Molesworth [6] d Griffiths 6-3 6-0

Louie Bickerton [2] d Anna Menz 6-0 6-1
Kath Le Messurier [7] d Syd Hocking 6-2 6-2
Marjorie Cox [3] d Dot Weston 6-3 6-4
Emily Hood d Birdie Bond [8] 11-9 7-5

Quarterfinals

Akhurst [1] d. O'Hara-Wood [5] 6-4 6-3
Harper [4] d. Molesworth [6] 6-1 6-4
Bickerton [2] d. Le Messurier [7] 6-0 8-6
Cox [3] d. Hood 6-0 6-1

Semifinals

Akhurst [1] d Harper [4] 6-3 6-1
Bickerton [2] d Cox [3] 6-1 6-3

Final
Daphne Akhurst [1] d Louie Bickerton [2] 6-1 5-7 6-2
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Doubles (Draw=12)


1st Round

Sylvia Harper/Meryl O'Hara Wood [2]-bye
Edna Lawrence/Flora Rowe-bye
Kath Le Messurier/Dot Weston [3] d. Eileen Rischbeith/Roma Wadey 6-4 6-0
Birdie Bond/S Hocking d. Gwen Griffiths/V Mathias 4-6 6-4 6-4

Daphne Akhurst/Louie Bickerton [1] d. Joyce Lillecrapp/Katherine Wemyss 6-2 6-0
Lorna Bollen/Anna Menz d. Bertha Kay/M Taylor 3-6 6-2 6-4
Emily Hood/Mall Molesworth [4]-bye
Edna Collinson/Joyce Hone-bye

Quarterfinals

Harper/O'Hara Wood [2] d. Lawrence/Rowe 6-0 6-1
Le Messurier/Weston [3] d. Bond/Hocking 6-4 6-8 6-4
Akhurst/Bickerton [1] d. Bollen/Menz 6-3 6-2
Hood/Molesworth [4] d. Collinson/Hone 6-0 6-1

Semifinals

Harper/O'Hara Wood [2] d. Le Messurier/Weston [3] 7-5 6-2
Akhurst/Bickerton [1] d. Hood/Molesworth [4] 6-2 6-2

Final
Daphne Akhurst/Louie Bickerton [1] d. Sylvia Harper/Meryl O'Hara Wood [2] 6-2 3-6 6-2

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Mixed Doubles (Draw=16)

1st Round

Marjorie Cox/Jack Crawford [1] d Emily Hood/Colin Cropper 6-1 6-4
E Day/P Hooper d Birdie Bond/V Page default
Mall Molesworth/Colin Gregory [4] d Kath Le Messurier/Don Turnbull default
Louie Bickerton/Rupert Wertheim d Edna Lawrence/F Hone 6-2 8-6

Meryl O'Hara Wood/ Pat O'Hara Wood [2] d. Syd Hocking/W Reynolds 6-0 6-3
Sylvia Harper/Ian Collins d. V Mathias/Cliff Harvey 6-0 6-4
Daphne Akhurst/Gar Moon [3] d Dot Weston/Ray Hone 6-3 6-1
Lorna Bollen/D'arcy Mullamphy d. Gwen Griffiths/James Black 8-6 3-6 8-6

Quarterfinals

Cox/Crawford [1] d Day/Hooper 6-4 6-0
Bickerton/Wertheim d Molesworth/Gregory [4] 6-2 6-3
O'Hara Wood/O'Hara Wood [2] d Harper/Collins 6-3 2-6 6-2
Akhurst/Moon [3] d Bollen/Mullamphy 6-3 6-4

Semifinals

Cox/Crawford [1] d Bickerton/Wertheim 6-2 6-2
Akhurst/Moon [3] d O'Hara Wood/ M O'Hara Wood [2] 7-5 6-2

Final
Daphne Akhurst/Gar Moon [3] d. Marjorie Cox/Jack Crawford [1] 6-0 7-5
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Draw notes:

D'arcy Mullamphy died gunshot wound in October of 1929. It is very liikely it was self-inflicted.

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Summary:
During 1928 Akhurst stamped herself as one of the premier players in women's tennis. Despite a lack of any regular competition internationally she travelled overseas to reach the quarters at the French. She then had a great run at Wimbledon to reach the semis, defeating Helen Jacobs 8-6 in the 3rd on the way. She met Spanish star Lily de Alvarez on one of her magical days and was beaten. At the end of 1928 she was rated by high ranking tennis authorities the no. 3 player in the world.She captured her 4th Australian title in 1929 defeating good friend and doubles partner Louie Bickerton in a final described as a 'rare treat'.

Bickerton had been in good form all week beating Le Mesurier and Cox to reach her first final. Akhurst breezed in the final also without the loss of a set.

The final was a match of long baseline rallies, but not of the sort of slow, safe play which sometimes characterised women's matches of the era. Both players hit out for the lines and, knowing each others games intimately, the level of anticipation was very high. Akhurst eventually triumphed 6-1 5-7 6-2, and fittingly the two women teamed up for the women's title. She teamed up with Gar Moon of Australia to win her third triple crown.
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Sources:
Results coutesy of Andrew Tas
Summary courtesy of Louloubelle