LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 172, 20 July 1907, Page 12

LAWN TENNIS.

Norman Brookes was very much in evidence at the Leicester" Tournament this week, says our London ccrrapphdV ent on June 7, and but for thkintemn-' tion of rain bade "fair to securepremier honours in all the three events ?for which. he entered. As it was he had to b» content with-a ira. in. the;.Gentlem.en> Doubles and x division of the spoils in the Mixed Doubles, -for on Tuesday tha courts at Leicester were in such _a state that the executive and' the ,-playera agreed to abandon the tournament.

In the second round of the ~.Genti«» : (men's Singles the., Australian; crack had ' a harder fight with the 'veteraiiDr. -Eaves i (he ?is also -of Australian origin though domiciled in the United Kingdom for many years) than wag.ahticipated. On a dead, rain-soddeif court, the. Victorian's- deadly service lost soine ot' its sting, but he won the" first .'set ia| brilliant fashion,- outplaying the doctor at every point and taking six games off the reel. Then Dr. Eaves pulled hunsetf together, and to the surprise of eyerjv I body he won the second set at 6—4,'hjl .'■ I adroit passing down the lines being thY main factor in his success. ." "

Brooks had-to play for all he-waa worth in the deciding set, for the doctor held him well and won three, games era Brookes took the set at; 6—3 .: ~M this stage the Singles were abandoned. ~ln the second round of the iMixed Roubles Brookes and Mrs. Hillyard »*.re opposed to A. W. Gore and MiSa,Green. This pair put up a decent .fighirM-rthnv first set, but were defeated.'by 6-J* 3. In the second they were, outplayed every way. Brookes' service was often practically unplayable, and with him and' Mrs. Hillyard playing together. "like * book" they won the set by 6 to'-love "and with it the match. In the semi-final they had tougher material to contend with in R. F. Doherty and Miss'Eastlake Smith,' but triumphed'■■ after 'a : wellfought match by two-sets' to one and 19 games to 16, the scores being .6—3, 7—5, B—6 in favour of the Australiaa and his partner. In the'final, they -had to meet Dr. Eaves : and Miss' Lowther, but as already stated rain prevented the match .being played, and-the prize", divided. : "■ ~'T, •'.;'.

In the Gentlemen's Doubles Brookes' and Eaves proved a good partnership, and it was not until, reaching the «?™- ---final round that they had really serious opposition to encounter in the shapa of Gore and BalFGreene. The Austra-. lian pair smothered the opposition in.this first set and won by 6 games to-love, but in the second the Gore-Greene combination put up a really fine fight, and it was not until 12 games had; been played that Brookes and partner won at 7 —5. In the final' the victors wera opposed by R. F. Doherty and G. W. Hillyard, who put up a very good gain* against the Australian pair. It was chiefly owing to Brookes' servicel that victory rested with the Antipodean* by two sets to love and 12 games to 7, the first set falling to them at 6—3, and tha second at 6—4. . /; ;/; ,

The Australian, Dr. G. G. Sharp, who took part in the Middlesex Championship tournament, did not come quite empty away, though, thanks chiefly to the machinations of Jupiter Pluvius, he ' failed to gain premier honours. In the semi-final of the Gentlemen's Singles, Dr. Sharp put paid to the account of r the American, D. P. Rhodes, whom he beat by two sets to one, and 15 games to 12, after an interesting match, but on a rain-sodden court he failed to repro- v duee his best form when pitted against Mr J. G. Ritchie, the holder, who beat him somewhat easily. Ritchie won the first set at 6—4, his service and back-' hand play being excellent. Sharp rur*ed the tables ia the second, playing admirably all round. Then, however, he fell off in an unaccountable fashion,- and lost the next two sets at 6—o and .6—l respectively, his play being very poor indeed. Ritchie thus kept his hold on the title by three sets to one and 22, games to 11. Owing to rain, the final of the Gentlemen's Doubles between Sharp and Doust and Thomas and McNair was postponed, and the Doubles Handicap, in which Sharp and Captain D'Apica (2—6) were partners, was divided, aitee the Australian and his mate had resd* ed the final stage. ..." *- • - v ; » '-