LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 72, 25 March 1922, Page 18

LAWN TENNIS.

The various events at the Parnell Club are. nearly all completed. The ladies' championship was won by Miss Witherow, recently from Hastings, Avho defeated Miss MeCormick in the final after threo close sets. The men's championship final avus fought out bctAveon (',. Talliss and K. J. Co'ates, the former winning 2—(i, o—l, 7—5, 2—(i, S—t>, after a strenuous contest Avhich lasted ■2* hours. In the fifth set Ooates led 5—4, :i() ail. and just failed to clinch the game. hi ihe semi-final Talliss heat \V. Williams by :! sets to 1, the latter being short of a gallop, and so not doing himself justice. The men's handicap singles Avas won by Kntwhislle from owe 15, defeating Thompson owe 30 1-0, in the final. 'The combined was won by Lamb and Miss Vinson for the second year running.

Xow that the season Is draAving to a close it is interesting to review the pro- | gress made by the various players, and especially by the "young bloods," upon whom the advancement of the game and the future success of a club largely depends. Kden and Kpsom are in this respect fortunate in having perhaps mon: than their fair -hare of young, promising players, and it augurs well f.,r the club's future Perhaps the most improved player is M. M. Morrison, lie is most enthusiastic, and is quite prepared to undertake Solid practice. lie has no particular weakness, but requireto speed up his game, and give his back hand more attention. I. Partridge is a most promising player, with clean, crisp shots, and with experience in mutch play should soon further iniprote his game. (.rant has shown good form this year, and proved to lie the winner of the Warkworth ehanipion.-hii', de feating V. 1!. Johns in the final. He has a good -..mice, and plays a forcing game. With further experience lie will be a hor.l man to bent. K. Kowllings and I-'. Gregory both have good styles, but they cannot expect to develop them without giving more time to practice. A. Turner has good all-round shots, ami given hard play would greatly improve his giuiie. K. Putter, Jack Watson, and Don Watson have all shone in secondary school matches. They are keen, and are on the right track to make themselves first-class players in that they arc prepared to practice a shot and persevere until they have mastered it. Older players would' undoubtedly vastly improve their game if they would only set themselves out lo do the sum. thing. A. M. Xieholson i- a great handicap player, and will go very close to annexing tiie handicap singles. He has the happy knack of being able to push everything back, and, although his shots are not hard, they usually have a slight cut o:i them which, especially on a eloav court, makes them very difficulty to return. J. Coppan has a very free style, and should do better. The main reason for this is that he is a little b.t too wild—perhaps a good fault to begin with—but he should learn to tone his game down, and this would lend grenter ni r.-.cv to his shots. It is unfortunate for tic • !nb that 11. 1.. Massey is returning t,, lingland, as lie would be a distinct a.set to the club. incline.l to h," a little erratic, would le a tough nut t.. era-k. lie has played not Avithout success in a number of English tour.-., monts during the past couple of year.-, and has greatly benefited by the experier.ee thereby gained.

As regards the 1a,1ie... the o.uh Ls not so fortunate as in the case of the men. Save for the first four or live players there are few who are enthusiastic enough to play anything like as seriously as they ought to if they wish to improve the,r game. Miss Kamsev and Miss Olhver have improved greatly' this season, due to a large degree, no doubt, to consistent practice. The former is to be congratulated o„ obtaining a place in the Auckland team. :hi- Iwing the first yearuhe has played in a town club. Perhaps tho most rmteworthv feature surrounding the members of "the Onebunga Glut) is tiie number „f younger players who show gre.it promise' for the future. Of the ladies, Miss \|. Lawnis showing good form, and with " m ..re cn-qines- i„ lur backhand shoN will have to be reckoned with in , he !_. lies' champion.),;,, ,„,,.. season Airs Lent hurt i- out in the final of Ihe hi.iics' championship, and will meet the winner of Miss 1.. Airey and Mi«« W. Worrali. I rather think that Miss Airey will dispose of Mis-; Worrell in the 'semi-final, although the latter can be expected to put irp a very .rood lighf. it will be „o -uprise to see .Miss Airey again capturing the honours for the hi.lie..' championship. Of the new members avlio joined at the beginning of the season. Miss ('. Lloyd has proved herself a good allround player. 'She has represented the club in the third grade infer-elubs. and can always be depended on to give a gooil account tff herself. [_.r service igond. and slip drive- well, but requireto improve her volleying, and to put more sting into her backhand strokes. Miss CM. 'TTnrlmtt. another young player, would display better form with more Constant practice. She has been seen very little on ihe courts, and it to be hope] -!.e i, ill attend more r.-.uiarlv. for I fee! -ore that more exnerience will help her to ~ro._-re- very markedly. Miss F. Wrighl has !„...,: playing .-mi. i'-tentiy well, and tvnln be better .-till i,' .!,'" • oiild improve her volleying : .-.,,,-. Mi.-s M. K.ii_.til would plnv miicli improved tennis if -he had more practice. -She is weak on her backhand, and requires more conlidence with iier overhead and net play. Among other of the junior players who are showing good form arc 'Misses !•:. T. lvil :ind V. Davenport. I think tint if more practical hints were given the younger lady player- hv th" more experienced i.;--.. both met! aud ladies, while games nre in progress, a decided improvement iv.iiihl be noticeable. What is wanted for the younger players i- more encouragement end coaching at the hund- of t'no-e more practised in the playing of Ihe different strokes. The stance, the grip of the racquet, t-'-e timing, th" follow 1 h ,-..■.•._ h. are few of many points that i-.mld be explained lo llieniorc junior ,, layers. Onehlloga is in Ihe hi-.ppy po-ition ot being able :,. -h..w n very ' u-eful lot of colts among it- rank-. Hugh Keith stands out in front of t lie ..the'-, ami ithe inn kin.; of .-. fiiliiic i-luiiiipioii. lie serves well, and could imp.-,,,,, t 1,1,10 by resoiting to pin. in. it better. :i „<l has a -pleudid drive 'lii- bnckliaud ipctchy. but with n. u-e al! round experience, which he ,- gaining through participating in the Soondnry School's champion-hip now in progress, he will show' decidedly better form. lie will also need to improve hi- volleying play. As with so many player-, he doe- not as he doe- In hi- ordinary practice game. Another junior to -i,..» improved play is Allan Ohl-on: ,„ fact, I doubt if any other :i;en.S>er of ihe club In,.- made such rapid |irogr,v-- over mc In-t three month-. Hi- volleying l- li 1. and he plays some tine pa —ing ..hots down Ihe -ide line.-. That, further practice and experience t\ill improve hi- .."neral play

need not be doubted. Messrs. S. S. | Harrison, S. La.l.oehc, and E. A. Kobb i show great promise, and in tho final of . the junior men., championship played i recently the last named player fully extended his opponent, Jack T. Harrison, : who won after a strenuous match, (5—5, C —4. Harrison has improved out of sight this season, and one finds it hard ! to identify him with the Harrison of ,« last season. He has a "tricky" service and drives well, both on the forehand !. and backhand, and is devloping a powerful sm.ash. He is not too strong :■ in the volleying department, nnd would j do better to try and improve the length j of his shots, A. Bennetts shows good form at times, but this appears at too seldom intervals. If lie could settle doAvn he would improve, his play, I think, 20 per cent, for he has some fine strokes in his possession, and nothing but earnestness will bring about the desired end. R. M. Winter is another younarr player aalio will improve as he gains experience. Others included on improved list are A. Gladding, B. Jefferson, and Viv. Pltiiiiiner. AQUATICS. By SPEEDWELL.) The offer of the Harbour Board to send a launch to rescue any yacht or launch breaking away from her moorings as mentioned last Aveek, was put to the test, on Monday, when the yacht iorangi got. awnv from her moorings inshle North Head ami was picked u_> by one of the board's launches before she could get across the harbour. She was towed lo a safe anchorage and soon after word was sent that tho launch Thora had broken away from her moorings in Mechanic's Bay. The launch Avas dispatched at once and secured Thora before she got ashore on the break ivatcr. She Avas towed to the moving dolphins and her owner notified. This prompt service by tho board's men saved both craft from serious damage and is greatly appreciated by oAvners. At Che last meeting of the North Shore Yacht Club a resolution ■« as passed thanking the hoard for their action in the matter. A similar resolution was passed by the Victoria Cruising Club. This does not rolieve us all from overhauling our moorings and ground tackle generally. What small matters will cause a total loss was clearly shoAvn in the Thistle's ease. To all appearances her moorings i were perfect. Tho loss of a small pin which should have gone through the shacklepin caused this disaster. Another frequent cause of a break away is the swivel, AA-iiich gets all the Avear as the boat KAvings four times daily with the tide. Another weakness is Avhen a swivel is not used or becomes rusted, allowing the moorings chain to twist up and so very considerably shorten itself. The Wanderer, a yacht owned by Mr. J. C. WVbster, came ashore on Xorth Head through this cause. Her original length of chain was about 15 fathoms, but this was reduced to 5 or 6 fathoms simply by ' the constant turning of the boat Avith i the tide.

Owners have been anxious during the . i past week when the equinoctial gales have raged with more tlian usual sever- , ity, and considering flic great number of pleasure craft afloat the accidents j were remarkably few. In spile of th" force of the gale when it comes from the north-Ayes. and west, it. docs not' cause the same amount of damage which j the easterly gales do. A glance at St. Mary's Bay during the worst of the gale on Tuesday shoAved a large number of craft ail straining heavily on their chains. It cnu'd not fail to be seen that a short Avail built on I top of the reef which runs out from the : shore at the Avestern end of the bay j would have given splendid protection to the yachts and launches lying off there. | This Avail would not cost more than a i few thousand pounds, and would answer j the purpose until such time as a proper , boat harbour could be built in this area. ' Avhich has already !>cen set apart for the purpose by the Board. Dredging operations have proceeded j so satisfactorily in Mechanic's Bay thai all the moorings have been re laid, and I the boats arf now back tn their oil i positions, or nearly so. for they seem to ! be rather crowded in several instances. | The Birkenhead and Xorthcote regatta ! was held on Saturday, in a very hard breeze from the tvest, and it speaks well for the way the various small craft were : handled that there were so few mishaps. I The hard breeze upset all the commit- | tee'- arrangements for carrying out the side-show., „ff Xorthcote wharf, where they would have been in full view of , spectators on the point. When it w;n , seen that they could not be held there, ! the punts and all gear Avere removed j into Shoal Hay, where they were oar- i ried out in smooth Avater. ' Mr. Arthur | t'lare deserves the l>est thank, of the i committee for doing thin job. The one-design class again provid themselves to he good hard weather boats, and sailed a keen race without n mishap. The contest between hen Duke. Bona and Desert Gold was looked for- | ward to with interest, and the boats did ' not disappoint those who followed the r doings round the course. After v very iloso race Iron I"hike wiped out her defeat of the previous week when D'vet Cold beat her on the po-t b. one -cieid

and won on Saturday by 10 seconds from l.ona. Desert Gold'getting third pla.o 2 minutes .... second- behind Iron Duke. To one Avho _,aiv Iron Duke's performance in the Sanders Cup contest.- and to see her sail on Saturday when she fairly and squarely beat the field, il is very puzzling but there can only be one explanation. ,t is all in the handling. Her skipper and crew were the same a- the previous ; week. A. Matthews handled llona and ■ •lid it. well. Desert Hold wn* ahead of . Rona for part of the course, coming' within a boat's length of iron Duke on j the beat past the flagship, and for „ lew . minutes it looked as if _he wa- in tie ' lend, but she stood rather too close iv to Sort!,cote point and touched the mud. ■ I'.oth Iron Duke and Bona sailed ;i In '.tor course from thi„ to the top mark ami : rounded ahead of th.' champion, -loan and lictty sailed weil aud liiicd iourlh '.uid I .ft ii (lace, \vrit I a -k ir. I sixth, i hey will all be racing today! under iue Victoria Club's burgee. Tile prote.-t entered by Rona against • Desert. Cold for fouling the Shoal I'.iy mark in ihe Ponsonby Club's race was I withdrawn. It, was also alleged tii.it ; -he fouled the tide deflector mark, and: this question is still under consideration j by the sailing committee. A further I proiest by Rona against Rex for fouling at the -tart was di-mi..-e,l. The Ponsonby Club, which decided to ! revert to the usual system of handicap i ping for the 14-foot square bilge class for the rest of the season will be requested by owners of this t.vpr to alter their decision and i-tifl; to the penalty system u-ed by the other clubs. In the race on Saturday for this .'his*. Sea i'il! had another win. Sea Gnome starled i over S minutes late and av:is picking up j the leaders Avhen her bobstay bo'l drew ;

The efforts to revive the Cowes Bay regatta are meeting with every- encouragement, and the fixture promises to be a great success. The date chosen is Faster Saturday, and coming late in the season as it does this year, a larger number of yachts and launches than usual will lie content to cruise about Waiheke, and have promised to make Cowes their rendezvous on that day. The annual visit of Manukau yachtsmen to the Wartomata Avas again, marked by .bad Aveather. Xot so many as usual came across the island this | time, and no difficulty was found in placing; them a-mong-st the boats offerjing. 'The majority went to Gneroa. Bay I where the squadron's cruise in company Avas held, but several wise ones kept to the weather shore or ran along the coast to Arklc's 'Hay arid the Wade river. Even in this sheltered spot several boats dragged their anchor during the night, Avhile the weather was so rough at tOnena, that «ill icrewij stayed aboard. Without easting reflections on anyone connected with th" exchange of visits either on the part of the Manukau men or the Waitemata m.;n, yet, it reaUy seemt as if (the novelty had worn off this fixture, judging by the dwindling attendance, and it might be advisable to drop it for a time.

Th" question or a suitable class to compete for the Tn-man Cup is freclv de.bated, and the latest to Ik- suggested is the 21 foot restricted class estab-ii.-hci this season in Sydney. A recent visiting yachtsman from there was enthusiastic about this, class of which there are already six built, and he suggested that its claims should be seriously considered by the committee set tip lor that purpose.

ATHLETICS. Mr. Malt Roseingrave. the one-time champion hurdler and long jumper, who is now resident in Canterbury, is at present on a visit to Auckland, and took the opportunity of looking mc up. Time has dealt kindly Avith the "Boy from Galiray," as he was more familiarly known in his palmy days. and he is still as keen on athletics as he was when he Avas carrying all before him on the track. Matt holds a Aery higli opinion of the Auckland boy Perry as a jumper, and was very pleased when he noticed that he had jumped 22ft 7_in last Saturday. He expressed himself as confident that if he paid strict attention to training and persevered in bis practice, that Perry Avould better 23ft. At present, hoAvever. the apple of the veteran's eye is his 13-year-old son. who is already shoAving some of his father's ability as a long jumper, and who he has high hopes will keep the name of Boseingrave prominently in the athletic world before many years are past. The jumping events at St. Patrick's sports on Saturday attracted good entries. In the long jump the b.'st jumps of each competitor were:—Shirley 10ft sin, Wilson 19ft 2in, Litherland 18ft ">_:n. Wiiliam.-on 18ft lHin. Whiting 18ft 7in. Beehan ISft 4in. Shirley in an exhibition jump cleared 20ft o}in. Xone of the competitors jump high enough. Shirley's jump when he did the 20ft U.liti was a high one and, because of that, he added more than a foot to his previous best. There are so'ue very important tilings to be attended to in long jumping. Always start the run from the same distance (about !!syls), each man to lind out just the exact dis-iauee that will enable him to take off from the block at full speed. The jump must be a high one: no man can hope to be a good performer unless at the middle of hi- jump he is at lea = t ->ft from the ground.

In the hop. step and jump it wa* announced that Plumraer had broken blown record of 40' ft 4_in,'but it was found later that a mistake had been made. The ac.ua! distance covered hy each competitor was:— Plummer 43ft loin. -iiirl'cv 41ft 4_in. Wilson 40ft S 1-8 n, Williamson 41ft 7Hn. I.itherland 37ft Sin. Hammond 3Sft 7 _in. The competitor- in the high jump wer3 much troubled by the narrow landing p.i and several of th°m had rathe. lucky escapes from severe injury. The pit sliould be at least twice as wide as it was. Among '.lie visitors at the St. Patrick's -ports was the famous Irish athlete of nearly twenty years ago, Mr. Matt Koseingra\ c. a well known competitor nt Australian and Xc.v Zealand meetings at a former period. Sonic ol" his b,stpcrlormun.es arc: —Hop. step and jump ..oft liin: high jump lift O.Yin, long jump 2.'lft 7Ain , for a considerable time this wa- a words recordi. Mr. Roseingrave was al.-o a champion over the 120 yds hurdle*. The only Xew Xea lander,, who have cleared lift iv the running high jump are Dan llorgan and George Campbell, 'both from the Sea.iown district, near Timaru. Kelly, the Victoria amateur, cleared lift 1 11-Hlin at a X-w Zealand amateur meeting. One of the best ail round jumping performance* iv one afternoon ever accomplished in New Zealand was that of Denis OVonnell ;u a spoits meeting in Temirka about 12 years ago. His performances were- High jump st"t lOin. hop. step and jump 45ft. long jump 21ft. and pole jump I Oft lOin. !: i- certainly I i:e.e that the Amateur Athletic Association made it vumpul.-orv for judge- to -ttind at lea-: live yardback from the track. In the I"Oyds linal on Saturday one of the competitors finished close up to the judge.-, and he was not even placed first, second or third, though there is reason to believe he was the real winner. The following li-t of some of the best world'- amateur performances are of interest : 100 Yard- The following have negotiated the burst in 0 P. 5 second-, in t l '." pi. - and ou the date- given: -A. F Duffv. New Yor-k. May -'!!. 10,!.'-. D .1 Kelly, at. Spokane. Washington. C.S.A.. l'.lOii: 11. 1". Drew, at l!::keley. .aliforniii. Mar.h 28, 1014: < W.* Paddock. 1 .S.A.. on three occasion*. M.ir.-h 20. lime 10. :,„.! .Inly 4. 1021. 120 Yard-. It. K. Wnlkr. South Africa. ll'.is. in 1 I 2-5 second-. 120 Hurdle*. Karl Tiumi-on. ( hie..",, ■ inn" is. I'i-jl. in 14 1-5 stvon.ls. Pill Yard- in 12 2 5 seconds, by C. W. I'.iddi.ck, Pusadara. I alifornia. huio I*--1021. •_"2O Yard-. 20 4-5 seconds, in the same runner on March 2ii. 1021. :'oll Yard- in :i0 1-5 seem,!-, by the -ame ntiilete ,n Southern I alifornia a month later. 410 \ iir.i- in !7 seconds even by M W. Long, at New .ler-cv on <>.-, ~'.„'. r '..' 1000. .1. K. Meredith! at i am..ridge. Ma.--., covered the same distance :„ .7 2 5 secnd- .sixteen yeir- later. Bso Ynrds. Th-. iotirnev wa.- „eg... lialed by Aleie.lili, in America in lot,; in I mm 52 1 5-ec "The Mile" wa- .•!,,.■!.,..1 i„ 4m:n 12 .t ;..--..,•. by X. S Tabor in IS.A. ..„. v 1015