LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 83, 4 October 1930, Page 23

LAWN TENNIS

SEASON OPENS

CLUB ACTIVITIES

COMING EVENTS

In some centres, Otago and Canterbury in particular, clubs when holding their opening day invite tho officers of the association to bo present, and niahy little points that are in doubt, not only in regard to" tho game, but about its management, a,ro often : cleared up when officers of tho association and those of the clubs have a quiet chat. After all, it is only a game and much good cau.be done by a talk out of business hours, as.it were. Opening days should be encouraged, as it allows the social, side- to have full swing for one day in th'o year at any rate, and attention to the social side undoubtedly makes a club popular, not only with its members, but with the members of other clubs fortunate enough to be invited. . .

Last week-end numerous clubs in and I around the city opened tho season. This | day is always quite an event with some clubs, while with member:? of some other clubs it is considered a waste of time. Speeches tako np time, and in consequence players do not get as many games in as they would like. Miramar Members. The Mirnmar Grounds Club will hold its opening day nest Saturday, commencing at 2 p.m. Four hard courts will be reserved for the club, and a Yankee tournament will be held. The committee appeals to all members to bo present iv order to make the tournament a success. The committee also wishes to make it clear that all players, whether associate, junior, life, or.ordinary members, will bo welcomed, and-as the committee wishes to play in tho inter-club competitions a good rally is looked forward to. New members ar» also asked to report, as well as all other members, to tho secretary, Mr. W. Stirling, on arrival at Miramar, bo as not to delay tho starting of tho tournament. The club is also now receiving entries "-for the club ladder competition and very successful contest* are expected. Challenges may lie issued.on and after next Saturday. Members are expected to acquaint themselves with tho ladder rules before issuing ft challenge. Tennis-in Japan. Quito rccontly at n meeting of the [New Zealand Association a delegate asked if it were not possible to arrange for a team from Japan to yisit New Zealand. Another delegate expressed the opinion that South African players would .be a better draw, and that the Japanese were not players of a very high standard. The writer is of the opinion that a representative team from Japan" would open.tho eyes of New | Zoalanders, and would bo harder to j-b'eat than South Africa's best. Members of the Australian, German, and Japanese Davis Cup teams competed at tho Dusseldorf tournament in .Germany last July, and readers can form some opinion as to tho rnorits of the Japanese players, by tho' following results:.; H. Satoh, who- played in tho doubles for tho Davis Cup, won the singles event, beating Hartz (Germanj-), ,6-4, 6-4, and Heydenreieu (Germany), 10-8, 840, 6-1. The latter had beaten J. WiUard

(Australia), 3-C, C-l, 0-3; In the fina^' Satoh beat H. O. Hopinan (Australia )* 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.1 Y. Ohta (Japan), defeated the German champion, 0-6, 7-5^ 6-4, but went out to Hopman, 7-5, 3-6^ 8-6. T. Abo and Satoh won the .doubles, beating Hartz and Prenn, 6-3, 7-5; Hopman and Willard, 6-2, 6-4; and Di> Dessart and E. Kourney, 3-6, 6-2, 3-6^ 7-5, 6-4 in.the final. The runnera-up , eliminated Borotra and Glasscr in the semi-final, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5. Abe, with Fraa, Friedlebon, conquerors of Hopman and Frau Keznicek, reached the final only; to he defeated, .Jjy Willard and Fran! Krahwinkel, 6-1, 4-0, 6-0. If the Japaneso players can deal with the Aus« tralians and the Gorman champions like this, then jSTe.w Zealand players would have to play better than they did against the British team to extend thd representatives of th« Uising Sun.

An Otago Loss. Tennis players throughout the Dot minion will regret to hear of tho death1 of. Mr. T. B. Fleming; of Dunedin. H<j was a keen follower of and worker.for tho sport, being a vice-president of the Otago Lawn Tennis Association. He took a great interest in junio? players^ and Wcllingtonians wiii rcme»*bei- the dashing play of his daughter, Miss Nancy Fleming, when she captured tha junior championship at the Wellington championship meeting. Tennis players generally, with "Huka," extend tk<% deepest sympathy to thoso left behind* General Notes. John G. Swainsoji hus a iceord thati is hard to beat. He is a member ot the Pahiatua Club, and held top place on the ladder of the club last season. Ho has been the recognised champion; of the club for 2S years, and tho question' is who will be tho first young player to displace the veteran from tin* position of honour that he.has held so long. . On appearances ho will hold his own for several years to come. Tho Management, Committee of tli» Wellington Association, it is believed, intends to request players to meet at certain periods during tho soason ia what might be ( termed challenge matches. The idea is a good one and should bo the means of improving tha play of Wellington's leading' players, as there is nothing like art official, match to produce keenness. It is tv In hoped that tho dates will bo made ftiblic so that followers of the sport. may sec these players in action.

Mr. H. G. Wake, of Canterbury, who; is keenly enthusiastic about junior tennis, was in 'Wellington during th<* week' to attend a sub-committee meet* ing of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, which is to bring down a report on junior tennis.' Mr. W^ka referred to the manner hi. which tho Junior Tennis Association" is flourishing in'Christchureh, and stated that junior, players wore very keen. It it to bt> hoped that tho wave of enthusiasm will extend to all associations throughout) New Zealand.