THE TENNIS SEASON.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 251, 22 October 1926, Page 9

THE TENNIS SEASON.

AUCKLAND'S BUSY YEAR. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. VISIT OF N.S.W. PLAYERS. The forthcoming tennis season, which will be ushered in within a week or so bids fair to be one of unusual interest this year. The yearly increasing interest in the game throughout the world has its reflection in the number of devotees that swell the ranks of the game each season throughout the Dominion.

In the Auckland province especially hew clubs are springing up in suburban and country districts liKe the axiomatic mushroom, and the feature of chip courts in preference to grass is becoming more marked than ever before. Clubs with moderate membership, and consequently strained finance, find hard courts economical in maintenance whilst providing a better playing surface than badly kept grass courts. Auckland is well served by the existence of clubs in all its suburbs, providing in addition to healthy recreation for its youth friendiy rivalry in the matter of interclub play.

The season, which should open within a fortnight, will be full of interest, for the New Zealand Championship meeting is to be held at the Stanley Street Courts, starting on Boxing Day, whilst, in addition, a team of New South Wales players, comprising four men, will be visiting the Dominion, and it is almost certain that they will be competitors at the Championship meeting, and will in all probability take part in an exhibition match with our local representatives. Endeavour is also being made to arrange with the Canterbury Association, holders of the Wilding Shield, to play a challenge match whilst their representatives are here for the New Zealand meeting. The Auckland Championship meeting is scheduled for New Year and, altogether the local association will have its hands full. Care will need to be exercised to prevent both public and players becoming blase with so much tennis crowded into so short a space of time, and consideration will need to be given to the wisdom of postponing the local championship to the usual time, Anniversary Day.

Through the means of a successful Art Union the Auckland Association is now well in funds, and will shortly decide on methods of spending them for the benefit of local players. Probably the first consideration will be the redemption of the debenture money borrowed from tennis enthusiasts to establish the Stanley Street courts. After this debt is cleared off there should still be several thousands with which to purchase new courts or improve the accommodation at the present ones.

Ground superintendents are much worried men at the present time. On the whole, the weather during the winter has been favourable, and the sward of grass is in better condition than usual at this time of the year, but the continuance of heavy rain has kept the surface soft, and unless a fine spell is experienced the opening day, which with most clubs is fixed for Saturaay week, may be delayed. Clubs with chip courts score over those with grass surface in the spring and autumn, for a few showers improve . the former, whilst at times preventing play on tlie grass covered" surface. The lighted courts have now become an accepted feature of the sport in Auckland, and players are making use of them to employ the leisured hours of the evening for the purpose of getting useful practice, while there is an increasing tendency to' combine tennis with dancing and social recreation.