LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 105, 2 May 1908, Page 14 (Supplement)

LAWN TENNIS.

A short time ago I dealt -with the question of "seeding the draw." It appears that the New Zealand Association has appealed to the English authorities for leave to employ this method of arranging contests at championship meetings. On this subject the -"Dominion" tennis column has the following remarks: —"From an English exchange it appears that the Xew Zealand Association has made an interesting application to the Lawn Tennis Association of England, which will be duly considered at the next council meeting. It appears that the New Zealand Association is asking that the Lawn Tennis Association shall sanction the "seeding of the draw" at open meetings. The requesi is equivalent to a demand that Regulation 17. ordaining the manner in which the draw shall take place, shall be altered. Such a drastic change with the highly contentious points it raises, has. of coarse, shocked some of the conservative players in England, and they demand that it be not adapted without the approval of a general meeting. The opposition resent the bestowal of such arbitrary powers on those responsible for the draw. They admit that there may be utilitarian reasons why the cracks should be s?parat?d from each other in earlier rounds (as by a strange coincidence they periodically are at several open meetings), but contend that a draw to remain a draw must be conducted, on absolutely speculative lines. Otherwi?.? it becomes an '•arrangement." and "the luck of the draw" has no Generally it is admitted that the question is a delicate one. especially as it is by no means certain that the present rule has not been more honoured in the breach than in the observance. The Xew Zealand hon. secretary was shown the above correspondence from England, and was asked if it was a fact. He smilingly admitted it was, and on being pressed for an opinion said that the '"random draw" was not generally favour.?d in Xew Zealand, as club mates were continually being drawn to connect one another in the first round after perhaps having travelled from Wellington to Xew Plymouth to attend a tournament. The players, of course, argue that they could hay? hid just such a game on their own courts at home. Then again, all the best players might all be in the same half. ani\ when it comes to the final, the champion, no doubt, possibly has to play off against a very ordinary player who has come through in the other half. The final, which should be tho best match of the event, may be a very tame affair, and such an ending is not in the best interests of the sport. The final, to make the sport popular, must be the best match. The event should improve as the matches are played off. and the best* players should come together in the last three rounds, that is. of course, with a large entry. The secretary, Mr. Goldie, contended that a player who wanted luck in the draw to help him through should not be considered, and the rule of the "random draw" was only worth considering when all the? competition were of an equal merit. It often happened in England where seven prizes are given in an event that a player would get a prize although some ten or twelve players in other parts of the draw could beat him easily and yet could not gain a prize owing to having met the cream of the players in their half of the draw. Here are a few notes from the "Star's" special correspondent dealing with the recent tournaments in the South of France, in which Wilding took a prominent part: —

Anthony Wilding's "close season." so far as lawn tennis is concerned, is a briei one compared to that enjoyed by most men. Wilding's tennis year opens early and ends late, for the New Zealander is a bird of passage, and if tennis is "off" in the Old Country he simply hies him to some wanner clime to indulge his penchant for what has been called, by people who do not know the demands strenuous lawn tennis makes on a man's physique, "the curates* game". Last week Wilding was exhibiting his prowess at Monte Carlo, and. as usual, managed to get 'Tight among the pots." He won the "singles," and with that brilliant but very erratic

player, _J. G. J. Ritchie, as partner, carried off the Doubles, and was only beaten in the final round of the Mixed Doubles (in which he was associated with Mdle. De Madarasz) by that famous player. H. L. Doherty and Miss Eastlake-Smith, 6 —4, tj—3. In the final of the Gentlemen's Singles ■ Wilding showed very in and out form against th? Australian, W. V. Eaves. The latter, volleying in particularly good form, caused the score to be called "two sets all" (6 —3. 2 —ti, 6—3. 4—lii. but the New Zealander's superior condition told its tale in the deciding set. and in that Eaves failed to scon? a single game. In the Doubles Wilding and Ritchie had to face in the final those persevering players Eaves and G. C. Ball-Greene, who gave the New Z_alander and his partner a fine game. Wilding was absolutely brilliant at the net, and with Ritchie erratic the major portion of the scoring was done by the Antipodean. He and Ritchie won the first set at 6— i, and the next at C—L. but alter a tough tussl. Eaves and Greene took the third at d— i. Ihe decider was well contested, but Wilding's work at the r_?t was far too gocd for the opposition, and he and Ritchie claimed the Doubles' Championship oy 3 sets to I and 22 games to 15. In the Mixed Doubles Wilding and partner had a fairly ea_sy time of it untd tiie.v met Doherty and Miss Eastlake— i Smith in the semi-final round. "Hi." 1 was in fine form, and his partner (who won the Ladies' Singles) seconded his et- ; forts admirably. Mdle. De Madarasz olayed very well, but the odds were vastly in favour of Doherty and Miss Smith, ; who, playing up to the top of their form, ' tvon two sets off the reel (6 —_, 6—3), and ihe championship. Wilding's net-work was again extremely fine, and with a stronger partner i__ would have secured "a triple event." The following account of Parker's struggle for the final of the Doubles Championship at Adelaide last month should be read with interest by those ■Abo admired his play in Auckland earlier in the season.:— " The Doubles Championship, which occupied more time than any other event in the afternoon, will long be rememaued _. tha apactatco, »1m ia___d tbe-

J discomfort caused by the chilly atmosphere -which followed the disappearance of the sun, in order to see the sets -through. U. G. Bowea (who, with H. A. Parker had already taken strenuous esercUe in the singles), set out, in company J with A. K. Taylor, a young player whose I ierui:* i≤ frequently brilliant, although he 'is adcirttediy erratic as times, to wrest ! the lauro'.s "from H. A. Parker and Hi Hunt, ihe Victorian '" smasher." The conclusion o. c the first set damped the spirits of th* local players' supporters badly, ending as it did, with 5 games againit their 1, awl (says a local paper) their hearts -were in their months in the cert set, when the games of each side crept up in dost* «*ompany, and only enabled Bowen and Taylor to equalise matters at 10 —8. Thy third bout taxed the fonr participants severely, Bowen especially showing the combined efforts !of the warm sun and the rucaing about, ! j and the result of this also helped to snatch victory further from the local men, the scores being 5—7. J*ut from • this stage to the finish they spurted, and, ■; helped by a temporary weakness l>r Parker in getting the bail over the net end the erratic handling of his racquet by Hunt, who had previously brought himself into prominence by his net p!ay, they , secured the next two sets at o—i. 6—l, ■. the performance being applauded heartily , by' the spectators.