LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 70, 21 March 1908, Page 12

LAWN TENNIS.

FIXTURES. ITarch 10th and 20th— Hawke's Cay Champioiiaiiips and Handicap Tournament at Napier. Marcii— Ashburton School Championships. March—(Jhristehureh School Chammon snips April 17th, ISth, and 20th—Brougham Hil! Open Championship and liaudicup Touruameiit, at Brougham UiU courts, Wei lmgiou. April 17th, IStli, and 20th—Gisborne Open Championship and Handicap Tourua nietit, at Kaiti,, Uisburue. April 17th, lsth, aud :ioth—Canterbury Championships and lluuuicap Xouruik uieut, at Liv wood Clubs courts, L'urisr church. April lsth and 20th—Hamilton Club's open Champiuuship aud liaudicap Tour uuuiuut. Huiuutun. April laai aut i 21st—Inter-Univorsitj Lnauipiouihips, at Kaituua Clubs courts, Diiucuiu. April 17th, 18th, and 20th—Otago Chainpiousiilps aud Handicap Tournament ai bSu. liaUUUa ' aUd a " jllCe,Jl co " m ' Easter v.'eek — MarlboiougU Champion su,ps, at liicuheim. A fine Saturday allowed a good deal or play to bo got through last week, though the courts were generally soic and -low. It is becoming clearer'every week that the various committees must hurry on the different club events as rapidly as possible if they do not mean the finals to ba spoiled by dull autumn weather. At West End, Grossniann played Upton rathe championship singles, and was decisively beaten. The fact that the court was soft and dead certainly took pace oil his cut stroke, and enabled Upton to run round everything and execute his tremendous forehand drive with great effect. But even after allowing for this, there was no possible doubt about the relative merits of the two players. The score was 6—2, 6-2, 7—3 in Upton's favour; and though Grossman at one time might have won the third set, he never looked like coining through the match victoriously. His volleying was weak, and his oil the ground play patchy Cpton rarely attempted to volley but played some fine passing shots, and got in his favourite drive from the left side of the court to his opponent's backhand at a furious pace. It is a beautiful stroke, rather like Miss Xunnelly's famous '•killing*' shot in its general character, and certainly one of the most deadly shots practised here If only Upton would learn to volley at the net he would be a very hard man for anybody ra this country to beat. I almost forgot to say that his service—mostly reverse screws—was very effective and he placed it with good judgment. He will now aave to met Dr. Keith in the final, and though I still think that if the doctor is in good condition, his superior skill and experience will carry him through the match ought to ba worth goinjfa long way to see. At the Eden and Epsom courts the most interesting of the c-lub matches during the past week was the champion ship single between the two Browns. W A. Brown beat A. S. Broun in three sets straight, o—7. U—3. (3—3; hut the match was a hard struggle, and W. A. Brown had to play his best to win \ S Brown served well, and occasionally smashed vigorously. But he was too sow to cut off W. a. Brown", .hots when h2 had got up to the not; in fact vv. As passing shots practically won him the match. \V. A. Brown i≤ playing in good form now. and !:-is prnwd himself to be the best man at the Eden and Epsom courts, with the possible exception oi Grossmann. There ou-ht to be a good contest between these two players if they meet in the final

! The following notes on soma of the ! more important Devonport matches should interest my readers: \ The final for the Men's Championship Singles will bo played on Saturday bej tween T. Maeky and Robson. Robson who defeated Sherriff earlier in the tournament, is a young player, who should certainly have a future before him. He is exceedingly accurate and has particularly severe ofr-t he-ground strokes His principal faults are that he is inclined to volley too far back in the middle of the court, and uses the cut-stroke mucii too often. Maeky should give Robson a very good game, but I am afraid he ! will ho found lacking in severity and in staying power. The contest should provide some excellent tennis. The Ladies' Handicap Singles have

once more been won by Mrs. Cooper from the owe 40 mark. Until the other lady members of the club improve it seems impossible to handicap Mrs. Cooper out of this event. The ladies' doubles fell to Misses Taylor and Caldwell; the combined to Miss Taylor and Taylor; the men's doubles to Young and Taylor. Both Miss Tay- i lor and R. Taylor are new members of, the club and are to be heartily con-' gratulated on their success. Miss Taylor _. plays an exceedingly steady game, and has shown great inx-' provement during the last year. R. Taylor, who. besides winning "the above events, is still in the final of the handicap singles, is another young player who show great promise. He is ex- ; ceedingly steady and severe on the fore- '■ hand and finds the side lines with great j consistency. He will, however, have to ' cultivate a better backhand before he I can go much further. He shows promise of being an accurate volleyer, and should give more attention to "that department of the game. Young, who partnered Taylor in the doubles, is a greatly improved player. He still, however, lacks consistency. The Men's Championship Doubles provided, perhaps, the most interesting contests of the tournament. In the first round Young and Brabant defeated A. and K. Howarth. A. Howarth was unfortunate to injure his shoulder before the commencement of the match, which necessitated him scratching from all events in the tournament. In the semifinal Young and Brabant were defeated by Maeky and Hall somewhat easily. The final was deemed ; 'a good thing" for the former pair, but a surprise was effected by Shirriffs and Miller defeating them handsomely by 3 sets to 0. Shirriffs played excellently, while Miller excelled himself by playing the best gamej

of the four. It is unfortunate that Miller, who is. perhaps, better known as an Auckland hockey representative, cannot get opportunities for more consistent practice, as his play last Saturday I showed that he is capable of reaching a very high standard. la view oi what I have- written recently about the Canterbury veteran, K. l>. iiarman, 1 am glad to near thai he has won the champion grass singles at Christchurch, beating in the final in three sets Straight, .iiere is the "Canterbury lunes' " coniment on the game: Harmaii piayed a great game, anving hard on botn hands and placing with unerring precision, it was a≤ good a game as he has played for years past, and with the form lie showed in tins match he is-a long way iroin displaying any signs oi being a back number. When he wiU bogin to show signs oi deterioration is a moot point,, for some hold the o]7mion that Harman, when a centenarian, will be found "'battling' to maintain his position in the first flight of Canterbury tennis. Nobody, not excepting the loser, begrudged the veteran his meritorious win.' it certainly seems as if Quill had been overrated for allowing for a high wind and a soft? , court, ho ought to have done better. However, Christchurch critics think that he is absolutely stale, and will be all the better for a good rest. Quill's progress to the front rank has been due to sheer hard practice, and this year he seems to have had too much of it. Tennis players throughout the world, and niLuu especially in Australasia, am now looiuiig lorward to mc coming contest for in a Cup. it sliouid be j.viayed some time about the end of this year or the beginning of next, and \ tnuugh the field ot uaaie will probably be .ueibourne, nothing dehnite has been settled about it. As Jirookes is a Victorian, none of the other centres is likely to dispute claim. Only two challenges have been received—from England and America; and it is quire; possible that the two challengers may' play off at Homo, and that the winners' only will come out to Australia for the •■challenge! rounds." However, the Australasian Association several months ago expressed the hope that ali the ujutclieo played in the Cup contest would : Uke plate in Australia; and 1 hope, in j the interests of the game, that tins will] be arranged. The ttgiit between America and England would be an object-lesson in tennis that most of us would walk half round the world to see.

J The question of the choice of tennis ! balls has been raised again in rather an j acute form in Australia. The Commonwealth Association has asked the State Associations to express an opinion as to i the relative merits of " Ayers' , and "Slaienger." iho New South Wales and Westralian Associations ha\e already declared in favour of "Ayers"; though I must say I can't see why. Norman ' Brookes has just stated that the ".Slazen- ! ger" ball is rather better for Australian j u=c, because of the heavier rubber of j i which it is made. The "Ayers" ball may j I possibly wear better than the "Slazen- | [ ger," but it costs more, and being softer it bounds quite differently, and needs j special practice to got accustomed to it. J Last season a requisition was sent to j2l of the leading British players, asking i them to name the best tennis ball, and 10 oi them—unless my memory is at . i lault—declared for "Slazenger." At the \ price I don't think there is much doubt that '"Slazenger" is as good a ball as ! )ou can find. I see that the "Sykes" : ball is now being pushed in Xow Zea- ; land, aad it may to some extent strike ! popular favour. It is a little softer than i the "Slazengrr," and beiiutifullv sev.n, j and my experience of it after playing ! a goad many sots is that it wears re- ! markablv well. However, until the "Sla- ! zonger' is superseded by the. chief associations by some other ball for use at tournament.'. I hardly expr>c.t that ''Avers*' or "S-'ykes" will make much impression upon the tennis playing public in these colonies. I

Rather an amusing illustration of the j •iilficully that always arises in appoint- j my a selection committee has just oc-, j cuvred at Homo. Tiff trouble of course j iis that if you put leading players ou j selection committees, they are placed In ; ■ the invidious position of having to j cheese themselves in representative teams; and if you drop the leading j players out of your selection committees' the second-rate players are, as a rule, j poor judges of play and form. Well, the' j Council of the Lawn Tennis Association! of England recently resolved that it I I was desirable that no player likely to be' selected to represent the British Isles in ! the international match for the Davis' I Cup should be selected as one of the I International Match Committee. It then I J proceeded to elect its Match. Committee,! and the first live names read as follows: j —U- L- Doherty, S. H. Smith. F. L. Rise- j : ley. A. W. Gore, li. Roper Barrett. Now, i these are without doubt five out of the' first six men who would be chosen to re-[ present the Old Country, if all were fit! and well. Which proves that it is by do! means so easy as it looks to decide "how; a selection committee should best be' constituted; and the difficulty that England experiences in this respect may bej seme slight consolation to the Auckland- j ers who have not always been satisfied | with the choice of such committees or the work they have done. An exceptionally interesting double \ was played recently in Melbourne on a j private court at Kew. at which Madame Melba, by the way. was one of the spectators, Norman Brookes and J. K. Frasei played A. W. Dunlop and 11. Heath, the present holders of the doubles championship of Victoria. Fnuer is a first-rate doubles man, and usually partnered Brookes before one world's champion first wont on his pilgrimages after the Davis Cup. But Dunlop is really a sounder double player than Brookes, and in the cud the local champions more than held their own. Brookes and Fraser won the first two sets: 6—4, o—2; but then Dunlop and Heath asserted themselves, ! and after a fine struggle won the three following sets: 7—5, 6—4, 7—5. From the caliore of the. players and the level I scoring, this must have been one of the finest doubles matches ever witnessed in Australia. The following clipping from the "Australasian" may interest local tennis players, though tew of them are likely to be in England next year to see the matches referred to: ''Details arc to hand by the mail of the tennis tournament to be played in connection with the Olympic games. Singles', doubles', and ladies' singles' championships will be played on the covered court at the Queen's Club, London, on the 6th i'av and fololwing days, entries closing "on tho 25th April next; while similar events wiil be played at Wimbledon on grass on the 6th July and follovvinsr days, entries closing on the Oth June. _ At "the latter meeting what is termed the champion- ■ ships of the world will be played, but as ' the All England singles' championship al- I ready carries the title of champion of ! the world, it is a matter of doubt as to what value will be placed on the title won at the July tournament.