LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 25, 30 January 1926, Page 25

LAWN TENNIS.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Negotiations are pending for a visit of a tea..m of New Zealand representatives to Australia. Although arrangements are not yet completed it seems certain that one will be sent about March. Presumably it will consist of six men, and the tour may include both Xew South Wales and Victoria. It is early days to discuss the personnel, but those likely to come under the selector's eye are Ollivier, Seay, Greenwood. D. and L. France. Andrews, Peacock, Wilson, Smythe, Bartleet, Kobson, Griffiths. Wallace, Bray, Lampe, Lowry. Laurenson and Sims are this year unknown quantities. The former has, as yet, not appeared at any of the tournaments, nor given any indication that he is still seriously considering tennis, whilst Sims has not revealed hie form this season. His inclusion should lie take tennis seriously for the balance of the season and prove that he is sound is a foregone conclusion. As these notes are being written the Auckland championships are in progress at the Stanley Street courts. The entries are quite up to those of previous years. One pleasing feature is the number of visitors who are patronising the tournament this year, and another is the number of entries from the younger school of players, showing a fine wealth of talent to follow in the footsteps of those who have placed Auckland tennis on the high plane it at present occupies. One noticeable feature of the younger players is their good stroke production. Auckland has been fortunate in having so many of the world's champions passing through and giving exhibitions when here. A great impetus was given to the game when the Davis Cup was played in Auckland in 1920, and the younger school was lucky in having such stylists to model their strokes on, and such opportunities since of eeeing first-class tennis from overseas players. The tendency of the younger school to hit hard is perhaps a good feature also. There are some of the older school who argue that it is better to begin steadily and increase pace as control is ensured, but the modern players favour reversing the process, and the present day fashion in training the youngsters is to encourage them to make their strokes correctly and hit hard; as J. O. Anderson contends control can come later, ' but there are very few players who, once settling down to a steady game, can acquire pace sufficiently to produce a brilliant game. Volleying is now more prominent amongst the younger fry, and quite young girls are to be seen at the net nowadays. This is improving the play in the ladies' doubles, and one now seldom sees a ladies' match in which one, if not both, of the ladies can successfully take up a net position. The day of long driving rallies between four ladies is past, thank goodness. Mixed doubles play is also greatly improved by the quick volleying rallies in which the ladies participate. Whilst the improvement in method in men's play throughout the world has not shown much advancement during the last few years, undoubtedly the introduction of volleying and smashing into the ladies' game has greatly added to the attractiveness of the game. All young players should concentrate on volleying and smashing, to their own better enjoyment, and certainly to that of the spectators. One disappointing feature of the tournaments in Auckland is the poor attendance of the younger players at the finals. An afternoon spent in watching first-class play is worth a dozen spent in aimlessly hitting the cover off the ball on club courts. This especially applies to suburban players who do not have the opportunity of seeing the better grade players on their own courts. The monthly meeting of the Auckland Association was held on Tuesday last. The balance-sheet of the handicap tournament was presented, and showed a satisfactory result, the profit amounting to £14. A letter was received from the Taranaki Association stating their intention to send a team to Auckland to play the annual match. Dates between January 31 and February 20 are to be submitted as suitable; also a proposal that in addition to the usual match a second match be arranged at night on the Clive Road lighted courts. Two racquets have been presented by Auckland firms for competition amongst junior players, and it was decided to play a junior singles championship for boys and girls under 18 years of age, in conjunction with the schools' championships, which will be played about the middle of February. Messrs. Goldie and Thomson were appointed to carry out arrangements for the Veterans and Father and Son tournament, to be played on February 20, at Stanley Street. Eules governing the play of members of the Stanley Street courts were submitted and passed. One of interest to hon. members provides for play of visitors who can be introduced by a member, on the payment of 2/6 green fees; such visitor must be a member of an affiliated club. Stricter supervision is to be kept on outside players, who it is reported have been making use of the courts without being accompanied by a member, and without payment of green fees. Members are asked to help in cheeking this breach of privilege. The report from Australia that the repeated defeats this season of Gerald Patterson, at the hands of quite moderate players, inclines Australians to think that this great player's day is past gives room for reflection. Patterson is a player who requires a lot of play, yet seemingly is disinclined to practise hard until an important overseas event is at hand. His performances whilst a member of the last Davis Cup team showed him still a powerful player when in form, and we I-.ay yet hear of Patterson reproducing the form that gained him his high place in the world's tennis. What Australian tennis is suffering from at the present time is the lack of visits from overseas teams. For fully six years international visit of any consequence has taken place, and our neighbours have had to depend on the visits of their Davis Cup representatives to furnish any new ideas. The public is becoming somewhat weary of seeing their own players, and tennis in Australia requires the" stimulant of a visit of an American, French or other overseas team. Strenuous efforts have been made to bring this about, but, as yet, -without success. Probably New Zealand would also benefit were such a thing accomplished.

remembered. Although defeated Adamson swam a great race and was well within his record time. Miss Jepson, the Otago champion, created another surprise in defeating Miss Farquhar over the 100 yds ladies' intermediate distance. Miss Farquhar was swimming at the top of her form before the championships and had registered 70s over the distance. She evidently met her match in the champion and title holder, even although the time was 71 l-ss. The two outstanding competitors of the meeting are without a doubt Baird and Bridson. These two swimmers, the former in the men's division and the latter in the intermediate grade, have so far proved invincible. Baird has more than exceeded expectations hvsecuring the 220 yds title and the mile. His efforts are made more praisworthy when it is remembered that this is his first appearance in New Zealand championships, and his times are almost the fastest registered at a Dominion championship meeting. Baird may be looked upon to annex the remainder of the distance events in just such a manner as his past efforts. As far as Bridson is concerned Auckland has in this 15-year-old boy a remarkable swimmer. There is little doubt that in a few years Bridson will develop into the greatest distance swimmer the Dominion has ever had. In the 440 yds championship this brilliant boy knocked his own record off the book by nine seconds, a wonderful achievement. Bridson, for his age, is the finest swimmer yet seen at a. championship meeting. . ■ ~

while of the club in question to run more than one carnival during the season. While getting away from the actual purposes of these notes which are to deal with the swimmers and swimming, it would not be out of place to draw attention to the absence of a telephone at the Parnell Baths. The incident that occurred there last Sunday when a visitor had a seizure only goes to emphasise the urgent need for a telephone. Mr. W. Pay, the custodian, is greatly handicapped through the omission, and the responsible body should be alive to the fact that above all a swimming bath should be supplied with a means of getting into instant communication with doctors when the need arises.