LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 13, 16 January 1926, Page 25

LAWN TENNIS.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(By SMASH.)

It is always interesting to have the views of the prominent officials on the standard of New Zealand tennis and the opinions expressed by Messrs Seay, Dennison and Haege on the tournament just concluded are of value to both players and the followers of the game. Mr. W. N. Seay, New Zealand president, interviewed, states that he considers the standard of play in the men's division lias improved, especially that of the younger players; however, he does not consider that the ladies have Bhown much advancement, with the exception of the finalists, Miss Spiers and Mrs. Scott. Mr. Maurice Dennißon, chairman of the management committee, considers that the standard of play shown at the rceent meeting was very high.' Ollivier still retains his wonderful form, showing that if he were to take the game seriously, he would be absolutely unbeatable. Miss Spiers, except for her footwork, is very much like Mrs. Sturman (formerly Miss Nancy Curtis) in her style of play. Opinions of visitors who have competed at big tournaments overseas and have seen the big players is very valuable indeed. Mr. P. Haege's views are of especial value and interest. This player, who competed at our New Zealand meeting, and is seventh man in Victorian tennis, which includes men of the calibre of Patterson, Hawkes, Mclnnes, Werthiem, considers that New Zealand tennis is underrated in Australia, so far as singles play is concerned. The style here is different from that in Australia. Players are probably fitter and go in for long driving rallieson both forehand and backhand, whereas in Australia the game is of a more brilliant character, with net play a feature. A good many New Zealand plyaers have good backhand shots as well as foreha>d. In Australia most relied on a very strong drive turned up to the net .more. Very few New Zealand players serve well, whilst the net play is not nearly as good as that of the Australians. The standard of doubles is very much inferior. Mr. Haege considers that in singles the New Zealand style was the better tennis. Although the public liked to see plenty of volleying, it / is essential for players to be well equipped with good ground strokes. There is no doubt that what our visitor gays is very sound and shows great powers of observation. One is not impressed with a great advancement in New Zealand tennis during the last ten years. When J. C. Peacock, who won his first championship 25 years ago, and who certainly retains his form in a wonderful manner, can beat Ivan Seay, one of the best of the younger school, it makes one ponder. Of course, experience is a great factor, and an old head will of ten stand to a player better than an equipment of brilliant strokes, and it may yet be that the younger set, as reperesented by Don France, Andrews Seay, Knott, Ferkins and others will carry New Zealand's name further into the van with more experience of big tournament play. It is the lack of big tennis that is hampering the game in the Dominion. Tournaments are scattered, and each draws a sprinkling of good players, though the calls of vocations prevents the frequent meeting of the best men of the Dominion. The Wilding Shield matches, wherein the best men in the different associations meet one another, is the form of contest of most value, but the policy of the New Zealand Association, in continually permitting the splitting up into separate units of associations as they grow bigger instead of encouraging the formation of sub-associations, is retarding the progress of really big tennis, whereas a big association could put into the field really fine teams. These associations, subdivided as they are into smaller bodies, play in their teams one or two stars and a weak tail, which lowers the standard. Mr. Heage touches a weak spot in our singles play when he deals with the long rallies in big matches. Too many of our players play for safety and wait for the other man to make the errors, instead of taking the initiative. The big men of Australia are those who have hit their way into the first flight. J. O. Anderson is an excellent example of this. Gerald Patterson is another.

The excellent feeling of goodwill and sportsmanship that exists between the players of the Auckland and Taranaki associations has for years been the bright star in the tennis of these two provinces. It was, therefore, not surprising to see an excellent entry of Aucklanders at the Taranaki championship meeting just concluded, and most of the cracks in Bartleet, Griffiths, Robson, Brinsden, Clark, Hubble and Entwistle attended. Bartleet, in winning the singles in such a good field, is to be congratulated. The honours in the ladies' section went to Miss Bundle, of Taranaki. This player has been one of the mainstays of the Taranaki team for several seasons past, and it is pleasing to record a win to this excellent sport. In the doubles another local player in C. Webster, who was partnered by the ex-New Zealand doubles champion, Smythe, of Wellington, triumphed. Every one will be pleased to see Charlie Webster score this win, for there is no keener tennis player and better sport than this Taranaki enthusiast. It is pleasing to note that both Webster and Smythe are of the hard-hitting school. Griffiths and P. Winsden were the other doubles finalists, but could not stop the onslaught of their opponents.

The next contest of note for Aucklanders will be the Auckland championship meeting, to be played on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the 28th, 29th, and 30th inst. This tournament usually attracts a good entry from players from the North Auckland and the Waikato associations in addition to our local talent. The progress of our junior players, many of whom are now making rapid strides, will be-watched with interest.

It is hoped that P. Haege, of Victoria, will be a competitor. This player, though he was not successful in winning at the New Zealand meeting, has shown up prominently at the Wanganui championships, where he beat H.L. Robson 6—2, 6—3, in the final, and with Malfroy, the Dominion school boy champion won the doubles from Robson and Clark, 6—2, 6—6, 6—3.

P. Hodge, of New South Wales, who was schoolboy champion of Australia about 1823, will it is understood, be a competitor In the Now Zoalsnd Junior championships this year.

The departure from the Northcote district of Mr. R. J. -Corbett, first' assistant at Newmarket school, who has been appointed headmaster of the new school at Forest Lake, near Hamilton, will be greatly regretted by tennis players. Under his energetic organisation as secretary, the Birkenhead and Northcote Tennis Club has been built up into a splendid position—numerically, financially, and as regards exposition of the game. The ten hard courts are now to be added to, and a new pavilion erected. The arrangements in connection with the various tournaments held on the club's courts in recent years were a triumph for Mr. Corbett'a organising skill, and earned for the club an enviable reputation for good play throughout the Auckland and suburban area.

Following the successful inauguration last February at Monte Carlo of the Butler Trophy, for an international men's doubles competition, which Italy, represented by Baron H. L. de Morpurgo and P. Gaslini, won from a field comprising teams from England, America, France and Switzerland, a new competition, run on similar lines, for international ladies' doubles, will bo 'held at La Festa, Monte Carlo, on February 22-28, 1926. It will .be knowli as the Beaumont Cup, Commodore Louis D. Beaumont having offered two trophies. British doubles competitors, other than those of England, Scotland and Wales, must enter from the various Dominions, such as Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and India, etc.