LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 35, 10 February 1920, Page 7

LAWN TENNIS.

pISy ~) .. i AfUOKUAN'D CIIAMTJOXSHTrS. That Dr. Laurenson is easily the best man in Auckland he amply demonstrated on Saturday last when he added the . Auckland Singles and Combined Cham- , pioiifihips to his credit. He is a young l player, and shows promise of becoming , very much better. At present he only ; uses his fast forehand drive when forced to, being content to play steady tennis < from the base line, and endeavour to . draw his opponent up to the net or out j of position, then, pass him with a side- . line drive. He has given us ample proof that he can volley from anywhere on , the court, but his "volleys lack pace, and therefore often fail to win points outriiiht. ■ The one shot that he makes no : mistake about is his smash. This shot he either wine or loses, and it is rarely the latter. "If Laurenson would only use his forehand drive more, and stop that cut shot he would give the best of them all they wanted," was tho expression I heard from quite a few on Saturday. 1 discussed the match with several ■prominent enthusiasts afterwards, and ( although they agreed that both players ] showed good' form, and the match was worth watching, it -lacked brilliancy. One ; enthusiast considered that neither player ; compared with John Peacock at his best, , another -referred to the time when Kel- ) wyn Upton secured his championship ; with brilliant driving, and yet another to ; J.'P.CSroasmaim, who was never happier , than when volleying from any position . on the court I feel sure that if Laurenson woirld practice hard driving and following good length drives , !))- coining right : into the net lie would improve his game ■ by 15. In the Combined Doubles Laurenson started out to play far more energetically than is usual with him, and for : a ■while he reaped the benefit 'of his ' energy, but during the second set he rather overdid Ms anticipating, and in onseqiience. was on many occasions easily "beaten down the side lines. Where, in my opinion, ho failed was in that ho stood too far back from the not, and in consequence had to hit a' dropping ball slowly back, whereas had he been what you might term banging over the net, the shot could have been killed outright One point about the match that I have failed to mention, and one that drew forth frequent "burst of applause from the spectators, was the marvellous manner in which La-urenson got hack allots that appeared to be quite hopeless. Time after time Bartleet drove good length balls down the lines, and they looked like certain scores, but Laurenson would get them back just as they were falling to the ground. That the next most promising player in Auckland is Hartlect few will deny, and on Saturday this young Eden and Epsom player put up a truly excellent game. F,e opened rather nervously, 'but 6oon warmed up to iiis task, and right to the finish was on the attack. His best stroke is his forehand drive, and if he had been able to keqi a better length on Saturday, I don't fancy kuirenson could have won in three seta. Bartleet is a young player whom, if he can keep his head, and endeavour to learn the finer points of the game,should he equal to holding his own in good company. Quite a few condemned him for not'gelting into the net ofUner on Saturday, T>ut it takes a good man to be successful against Laurenson's passing shots down the line or across the court, and considering that Bnrtleet's drives lacked length, I think he was quite right in his judgment. In the combined doubles the ladies gave a fine exhibition of driving, but T rather think that the long series of driving competitions 'between the opposing ladies shows lack of knowledge of the combined game. The main object of the lady in a combined game, should be to make openings for her partner, and this is best done by keeping the opposing lady on the move. The man's proper place is at the net, and right up at tbat; and, in my opinion, the lady must make openings, not only by driving, but by lobbing. No shot gives a man better openings than a good lob into the opposing back line. Of course, T don't mean to lob all the time, as some of our ladies do, tat I cannot see the force of sending iover more than, say, three consecutive drives, especially' if they are well to the side line. During the final on Saturday, both Loiircnson and Kolison were guilty of beingputoutof position fartoo often ?nd had the ladies sent a pood length ball their way, it -would have landed right at their feet. . INTER-CLUB COMPETITION. The First Grade Inter-club Competitions were advanced another stage on Saturday last, when Eden and Epsom A met Parnell, Eden and Epsom I! met Remuera, and Kemuera B met Onchunga. The match at Parnell provided some good close games. In the Men's Doubles tho Paniellites proved too good for their opponents in all three matches. At Onehunga the home team were successful in winning all the matches in the men's division, but the Hcmuera ladies were too much for their opponents. The surprise of the match at Remuera was the defeat of Griffiths by IT. Thomson. The Eden and Epsom man was in great form, and deserved the many congratulations he received at the finish of the match. Gardner opened quickly against lloir, and led 6—o, but hero Moir cainc to light and won a close match, o—B. In the Ladies' Doubles Hisses V. Moginie and D. Kenderdine put up a splendid fight against Mrs. Hodges and Miss Macfarlanc, at one stage the score being 4-p3. in

the favour of the Eden and Epsom pair. They were driving splendidly, and for a while looked as though they might win, but the Remuera ladies hit out with more confidence, and secured the next four games and the match, 7—l.

DUNLOP SHIELD. The first round of the Dunlop Shield Competition will be played on Thursday next, when Remuera will be represented by Dr. Laurenson and E. W. Griffiths, Men and Epsom by E. Bartleet and A. Webster, Onchunga'by E. Ohlson and T. Clark, and Whangarei by L. Pickmere and F. Thome. The Parnell, Te Aroha, and Tauinarunui teams are still unavailable. The final will be played on Saturday afternoon. .SATURDAYS MATCHES. Further results of Saturday's games aTo:— I'AH.YBDI, V. (BDBS AND EPSOM A. Men's Singles.—ll, J. Coatea lost to 11. B. Webster, 3-0; IC. (i. Tullls defeated A. C. Johns, !l-(i; w. It. Williams lost to A. Campbell, 7—B; VV. 11. llornc lost to A. S. {.'. Drown, 8-0. •Ladles' Sim-leu.—Miss K. Vliwon lost to Miss (i. fiorric, 1-7; Miss Mlnchtn lost to Miss C. Module, I—7. .Men's Doubles.—Coatcs and Tallis defeated Webster and CaunAx-U, 9-3; Home and Williams defeated Drown and Brown, 0—(i; Martelli ami IVofessor Scgar defeated .Ifllins anil B. llnrtlcet, '.*-<>. Ladies' Donblos— Mlusra Vinson and Mlnchln lost to Miss Oorrie and .Mrs. -Mann, O—7; Misses -Williams and Crnlß lost u< Mts. Miu-Jlor and Miss Moßlirie, 0-7. Combined- Doubles.—Mnrtolll and Miss Williams lost 1o W. A. Brown and Mrs. •vl'aun O—7' ITufesKor Senar ami 'Mliw Orals lost to I!. Bartleet and Mrs. 'Mueller, and Kpsom won the mntdi I>y nlnt KEJfUBRA I! V. OMMHJNOA A. Men's Sliwlre.-Mucky lost to Ktehardson, 3/i); Doldjre lost to 15. Oulson, 2-0; 11. ttiro lost tb T. K. Clark, 0-0; Jacolison '"l'ndies , SlngUss—Miss MrComili* defeated Miss Mrcy. 7—3; Miss Wooilrofle defeated ■Miss 11. Wornill, 7-2. Men's Doubles.—>fcu*.T nnil K. Hall lost to Wilson and Clark, *-!); Doidse and Cam lost lo Mctaardson and Dr. Kelt , S-tt Hrlndley and Jacobsen lost to Tonks and "tidies'"boiAlos.-Mlsms McCormlck alia Woocroirc defeated Misses Alrey and Krocikfi 7—-; M*wlsimcs Goldsmith aim i-owler <lefe..ted Misses Worrall and Car-TS'Jed'bouMos.-M.ill and Mrs. Oold; land—l 3.