LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 166, 13 July 1907, Page 12

LAWN TENNIS.

Norman Brookes, the Auktraliin r fiei' nis champion, made his £ist in public in the Old Com>try : this«&•' son at the Xeicester champioßsiiip toir« nament yesterday. Says onrTioofiiu correspondent on" May 31st: "Eaii'W' vented much progress being made "wi& the programme, and Brookes was only called upon to play in. the first round of the Open Australian crack was opposed by : a j&fr crate played named Bennett. He.6t<w» no chance with the Antipodean, wljo beat nim by two sets to love and,J3 games to one. .i , .'^; In the opening service of the Douum Brookes and V. Eaves had an easy task to beat Jeniuiisoii and '.-*)».■ Rev. B. Patten, who only won one.gape out of the 13 played, and retired 4e-,' feated, 6—l. 6—o. ""~

In the Mised Doubles Brookes .will have as Ms partner Mrs. HiHyard, who as far back as 1889 won the ladies Singles Championship ol England _and has repeated the feat four times since., her last victory being in 1900. Brookes' Gentlemen's Doubles partner is also, an " old hand," for it is ten years since ;f? vron the Irish championship angles./ y R. F. Doherty and A. W. Gore 'are among the players engaged at Leicester so Brookes trill hare something BUST? formidable to encounter in the lifer stages of the tournament. . i~.' The Australian competitors ,ia V-ft*. Surrey Championships, Dr. G. G. ' Stej? and S. K. Doust, though failing ts> Mfi in the Singles, made a really fine.sbw in partnership in the Doubles, and. Ij»4 hard luck in not securing premier-lo*-ours. They fought their way info lie final round, beating several excellent couples quite easily. In the .final &? Australian pair, were opposed to JL'-jpl; lard and J. B. Ward. It was an.eidting and strenuous contest that went i*! e whole five sets, and curiously «noßgi the losers credited themseles -with /top more games than the ■winners. ' ■ ■-.■» Neither pair was "J>UV Sharp did some things, hi ß , sharp cross-volleying, -which dropjs .*& ball just over the net, being worthy , « Norman Brookes. When he has .fota». his top form, Dr. Sharp wfll promt.*/tough nut for the best of Home p&yi

Messrs. Sharp and Doust aieipMk" cipating in the Middlesex ChampionsEj 3 , being played at Chiswick Park -4fln9 week. In the first round of the Gentlemen's Open Singles Dr. Sharp was indulged with a walk over, and Mr. Dcmst whipped his opponent decisively, &-3j 6—2. In the second series Sharp b»4 to meet J. B. Dufall, who surprised everybody by beating the Antipodean by sis games to three fn the first set Sharp however found his form in/tie nest, and administered a 6—l to his opponent. Dufall, however,; - *** by no means done with, and was .only beaten 6— i m the third. Doustr-alsQ survived the second round thanks:to* bye, but was decisively beaten in fl" 8 . third series by A. E. Beamish, 6—2, 6rr*Dγ. Sharp managed to get tbrouga<into the fourth series after a tough.ga«oe with H. Pollard. The latter fine form, and beat the Australian in the first set, 6— 3. In tl» second Sharp played up much tetter, and after " 5 all" had been called, at 7—5. The decider showed PoUaxS falling off considerably, and he was heaten at 6 —3, the Australian thns •winniO? the match by 2 sets to 1 and 16-games to 1-1. " ■ .!" The Doubles found Sharp and Doust jo ' partnership, and after a bye in the &** round they were called upon to : i^ B what looked like really serious oppoa« tion in the person of Mr. J- G. RitcttM and D. P. Rhodes. As it turned onfe the latter pair were by no means wefl mated, and playing admirably together, the Australian couple defeated the Au-glo-American combination with surpnsJ ing ease, the match, by 3 **Lr! [teee, said i≥ .games i&§» ft-« 3**** J