LAWN TENNIS

REVISION OF RULES

MISS WILLS PRESSED

AMERICANS TO THE FOEE

The annual meeting o£ the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association will be held in the Chamber of Commerce Room, Dominion Buildings, on Monday, 2nd September, at 7.30 p.m. During the past week the delegates o£ the association have been iv committee considering ,the new rules of the association, and two nights were necessary to.complete the business. The resolutions regarding the new rules will come up for confirmation at the annual meeting. It is understood that the new rules have been most carefully compiled by the-Management Committee, but the secretary of the association has bad most of the hard work, as he has had the matter underway for nearly two years. It is not to be expected that all the new rules will be acceptable to associations, but as delegates become aware that the local control of the sport must be safeguarded rules whish at present may appear unwarranted to them will become law. It is much easier to fight to retain control than to regain it.

The Wightman Cup.,

The contest, for the Wightman Cup was first held in 1923 between teams composed! of lady players from the United States and Great Britain. The annual contest has been confined to the players of the above two nations, notwithstanding that efforts have been made to allow the players of other nations to compete. America won at Forest Hills in 1923 by 7 matches to nil, in 1926 by 4,matches to 3, iv 1927 by 5 matches to 2, and this year by 4 matches to 3. Great Britain won in 1924 by 6 matches to 1, in 1925 by i matches to 3, and in 1928 by 4 matches to 3. When the matches are held in America play takes place at Forest Hills, and when in England at Wimbledon. Last year 10,000 spectators attended on the second day at Wimbledon to witness the annual struggle for the cup. This year the contest was held at Forest Hills, America, and the United States team won by i matches to 3, 8 sets to 7, and 71 games to 76. The British team won both doubles with 'ease, but could only capture one of the five singles matches played. Miss Helen Wills beat Mrs. Watson, C-l, 64, and also beat Miss Betty Nuthall, 8-6, 8-6. The British player must have played a great game to extend the American champion to' such an extent. Miss Nuthall had a great chance to win 'the first set when she led 5-4, and again, when leading 6-5. In the second set Miss Nuthall again had her chance to take a set when she led 6-5, but in both sets Miss Helen Wills pressed at the critical stages and ran out a winner. Nevertheless, the stand put up by Miss Nuthall denotes a return to the form she showed last season and the promise that she could go one better. With more experience as she" gets older, it is on the cards that she will yet give the thousands the thrill they have been waiting for at Wimbledon, when she goes to victory in the All-Eng-land final.

Miss Heleu Jacobs, America's young champion, proved her worth, and saved the cup for America by defeating Miss Nuthall, 7-5, S-6. Hiss Jacobs performed better on her home courts than she did when abroad at Wimbledon. Ou the second day Mrs. Watson showed what a brainy player she is to beat Miss Jacobs 6-3, 6-2. Miss Edith Cross. clinched matters for America by defeating Mrs. P. Michell, nee Miss Peggy Saunders, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. America had now won 4 singles and as the contest consisted o£ 5 singles and 2 doubles, the cup was safe for America.

Mesdumes Watson and Michell beat Misses Wills and Cross, 64, 0-1, and Mesdames Covell and Sheppard Barron beat Mrs. Wightman and Miss Jacobs, 6-2, 6-1. America now leads with 4 victories to 3.

The supporters of the British players must be.very pleased to see what a great fight the English ladies put up' in the singles,- for it is only a few weeks since Wimbledon, where Miss' Wills almost made every lady think that she would be unbeatable £or a; number of years.

University Players.

The Cambridge and Oxford combined team has done very well against the American University players in 'varsity matches, and so far have won all the team contests. In the open invitation tournament at Meadowbrook most of the British players droppedk out early, but Normau Farquharson, of' Cambridge University, did well to reach the semi-final, where he was

defeated by Fritz Mercur, 6^o, 6-2, 6-4. Mercur now meets J. H. Doeg in the final. R. R. T. Young has not been mentioned in this tournament, but he has been playing well in America. In his match against ilangin, the American writer," Allison Danzig, comments as follows:—"The match started as a procession for Slangiu, but after the first set there were no more parades. Young, the Cambridge captain, had ceased beating himself with his errors, and from now on he exercised such excellent control over his strokes that Mangiu could count no point won that, was not earned. Young had not only control;"he had determination and concentration that often had llangin anchored in his backhand or forehand corner. It made no difference to Young'that in ilangin's backhand lay his strength. If it served his strategy in working for position to play to the backhand, Young kept attacking on that side until the opening was given iv the forehand court. Alangiri had to keep an eye for the openings right and left to give Young the chance to volley. The American made no such mistakes. He had faith in his ground' strokes, and when he did go forward it was only with the greatest discretion in timing his advance. The New Zealahder, although defeated, put up a great fight, and produced tennis of a hiph quality."

Americans Abroad,

Although John Van Ryn and Wilmer Allison ivon the doubles at Wimbledon and also the Davis Cup doubles, they did not escape defeat whilst abroad, but strange to say it was at the hands o£ Tilden and Hunter that the young champions had to bend the knee. " These pairs met in the final of the London doubles championship, and Tilden and Hunter won, 9-11, C-2, 7-5. The names o£ Tildeu and Hunter will be inscribed on the London singles championship cup. They were to have met in the final, but rain caused so much delay that the two finalists expressed the desire to hold the title jointly. Tilden and Hunter also won the double championship of Holland, defeating Nielsen and Ramberg, the Swedish players, in the semi-final, and Timmer and Coen in the final. Tilden beat Wilbur P. Coen, of Kansas City, in the semi-final of the singles, S-IQ, 6-3, 6-2, and Hunter, settled Haus Zinrmer, the Dutch champion, 6-8, 6-2, 6-1. Tilden and Hunter also competed in Switzerland. Tilden beat Hunter in the final o£ the'singles, after a brilliant five-set match, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1: Hunter beat Christian Boussus, the young French southpaw, 9-7, 7-5, in the "semifinal.

In the doubles Tilden and Hunter defeated Worm, of Denmark, and Don Fisher, the well-known New Zealand player, in the final, 6-2, 7-5,, 6-3. Fisher can still put up a great game, when he is so inclined, in a doubles match, especially when there is a good gallery. Miss .Helen Jacobs won the final of the North London championship singles by defeating Mrs. Holla Mallorsy6-0, (i-3.