LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 49, 26 February 1916, Page 16

LAWN TENNIS.

.After the Pacific Ccast championships weie over a series of contests were commex&ced with a view tl> deciding which of several ladies was most entitled to the premier position in American lawn tennis. Miss Malla Bjmstedt, Mrs. Bundy (nee May Sotton), Mrs. Wightman, Miss Flo Sutton, and Miss Mary Browne were the corrtestaiTits for the but the deciding gam« 3 wera played between the first two. When Miss Bjurstedt first met Mrs. Bundy it was the 1315 champion meeting the chanjipion of 1905. Mrs. Bimdy ran. quickly io the front, and when she Ifcd 5/-2, it looked all over, but Miss BjiirsiedtVnfiver ,'ga.ve up, ana with wonderful courage evened the score at S all. Mrs. Bundy could always manage to get the odd game, Hint never the even one, which wcrald have meant set. In fact, she was within a point of Bet no less than five times, and on at least two occasions needed but to kill the easiest of "sitters." Once she had her opponent hopelessly drawn up to the net, and could have won out with an volley to eiiher side, but she "slammed" it out. Miss Bjurstedt .put an extra spurt on at " 8 all," and wori.at 10-8. Mrs. Bundy was done, and her opponent took the second set with case at 6-2. The contest was played at San Frjinciaco, and was witnessed by a huge gathering. The lady stars met again at Los Angeles, and ployed the second series of matches at the/Hotel Virginia tournament, Ixmg Uracil, California. The result ended in a tio between Mrs. Bundy and Miss Bjurstedt, each of whom won two matches, and they wctb, therefore, called upon to play off. The third and final match between these two great players, was arranged to take place two weeks 'later. The bare.' result of the match is to hand—Mrs. Biindy won in a tkree-set match which was evenly contested for the first two sets. The Califamian champion came to the front in the third set, and won out in great style. Mrs. Thomas C. Bundy can, therefore tie still looked upon as the greatest lady player in tho United States, with Miss Bjurstedt a good second.

They-,etill eeem to find time to play lawn tprrma in .France. .Last month the chanrpippihip., singles weTe played in connection with a big .tournament at La Boulie, Versailles, when a plyaer named Meunier collected the honour by outing one Freysse, in the final tussle by 6—3, C—2. Freyeee, however, haft the satisfaction of winning the handicap singles from scratch, defeating Gentien in the final, the ecoro reading 6—3, 6—5. None of the real cracks were eeen on the courts. They are all busy in norta Prance, volleying to the scpiarcheads.

The quarterly meeting of the. Council of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association is to be held at Wellington oa Tuesday, February 29. The report is to be submitted by the Management Committee and states that the Canterbury Association advises the receipt of a considerable sum for the Wilding Memorial and that it ia closing its lists in February. A total of 23 clubs have nfponded to the appeal, and forwarded to the New Zealand Association Bums totalling £19 6/ (not including Canterbury Clubs). The Canterbury Association advised that it had. decided to play no farther tourna roents or matches until after the war, and that all interchib matches at present being played were declared off. In the event of the New Zealand championship meeiingibeing held, it will be necessary that the associations decide upon

the adoption of a ball. At a previous i meeting of the. Council it wae resolved 'that each year the matter of adopting or approving of one or more makes of ball for the New Zealand Championship meeting be referred to each affiliated association for its opinion, and the matter to be decided at a subsequent meeting of the council. One question to bs considered by the. council is a recommendation by the-Management Committee tbat, in view of present conditions I and consequent shortage in club membership subscriptions for 1915-16 by affiliated associations be the same as last year, less 25 per cent rebate.

The defeat of ClaTence J. Griffith ranked seventh among the American tennk $ayeiß of 1915, by the Japanese expert, Kmnagae, in the championship match of the Far Eastern title tournament at Manila on January 8, ia another illustration of the progress being made in all branches of epOrt by *the Japanese. Kumagae ie far from being a novice with tie racquet, as his victory over Griffin demonstrates, yet there ate several other native players of Japain who can alwiye be counted npbn to give Kumagae a hard battle when they meet him oh t-he court.

Aβ far back as 1913 Kumigae "*tis riaking it interesting for American teririia players, although he wai comparatively new to the game at that time. In company with three other Japanese playere he entered the Far Eastern tournament' played at the begiitnin'g pi 1914 and succeeded in working his way to the semi-final roimd of the singleis, and with Noinnra reached the final of the doubles. The entry list included the leading Erigliah, German and American resident playeiß of Far Eastern countries, ac well as William &. Johnston, the present American champion, and Elia Fottrell, who made the trip from California especially to play in tlse tourney.

At that time Kumagae was student at Keib University, who had- tftken up tennis , only two years before Arid who had played the game with a plaai rubber hall, such as children bounce .' on, the sidewalks of the country, up to within a few months of his first toiirhamenfc. Notwithstanding hie limited experience, Kumagae made it decidedly interesting for both J. Fottrell and Johnston. Tα the semi-final of the singles it. required five sets of the hardest kind of play by Fottrell to defeat the Japanese. The scores wete 7—5, 4 —6, 6—i, '4—6, 6—2 in ! favour of Fottrell, but the ■ match was carried over a day on account of darkness when Fottrell led a.t .two sets to one, with the fourth 5—2 games in favour of Kumagae. This unfinished set was thrown out.the next.-day,*;and the Japanese won thffplay^yer,ajJ£- r 4.,Jj[ad he received credit for his overwhelming lead of the preceding day, he would have undoubtedly won the match and met Johnston in the final. As it was, Kumagae, with Nomura for a partner, gave Johnston and Fottrell another hard battle in the final of the doubles, although their lack of team work wse a j heavy handicap agajnet the clever play :of the Americans, and they were deI feated, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.

Kumagae is a short stocky Japanese with a powerful over :;:d and forearm drive, while his service and hack-hand play compare favourably.. with that O ot the average ...hi& toproiinetit player. He is exceptionally fast on hi* feet and possesses remarkable powers of endurance. If he ehould compete in thM country next season, as has Seen suggested, it will be found that_ Kumagae will be entitled to rank among the dint fifteen of American lawn tennis. In all his matches he had ehowii indomitable spirit and determination never ceding a match lost until the last point 2" scored against him. Another factor in his favour is that the experience and reputation of an opponent never appear to over-awe the Japanese racquet expert