LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 302, 21 December 1926, Page 12

LAWN TENNIS.

THE COMING CHAMPIONSHIPS.

ARRIVAL OF N.S.W. PLAYERS.

Aueklanders are shortly to '_iave a fortnight's big tennis. Commencing with the match, New South Wales v. Auckland, on Uiristmas afternoon, tiie national championships follow, and will occupy the full week. The local championships will follow, and the player or spectator who hasn't had enough tennis by then will be a glutton. The New South Wales team arrived today, and will be tendered a civic welcome to-morrow at 12.30 p.m. The Auckland Association particularly desires that tennis enthusiasts will attend in large numbers, as befits the occasion. It was with disappointment that one read of Nairn's witiulrawal from the team owing to family reasons. Fortunately the team is a strong one, and will undoubtedly put up a big tight against the various associations they will be asked to meet. The match against tiie Dominion's representatives, however, will be a difficult task, for the standard of our tennis lias improved during the last few years, and it takes the Australians' best team to beat us these days. Whether any member of the visiting team can carry off t",ie Dominion championship will soon be decided. Norman Peach is the member most likely to upset the calculations of our men, but we have quite a number in Andrews, Bartleet, Seay, Sims, Franco and others who should trouble him. It will be interesting to watch the visitors' progress in double play. The nature of their interelub matches pivos them a lot of practice in this department, nnd it has been noticeable in past teams that their team work and courtcraft has compared more than favourably with that of our combinations. Young players should specially watc'.i for any contrasts in this respect. As these notes go to press, arrangements are well ifri hand. The Stanley Street courts are in fine order this year, thanks to the care of the grounds superintendent, E. Hiekson. Tae success of the tournament depends largely on the umpiring, and those who are experienced and can lend a willing hand are requested to send in their names to the secretary, Box 733, and receive a brief interpretation of the principal rules governing the game. T'.ie entries for the national championships are disappointing in numbers, being fourteen short of last year, but are well representative of the Dominion's best talent, with the exception of Ollivier. who is not defending his title. The veterans of the tournament will be J. C. Peacock and Warne Pearce. THie name of W. Goss does not appear, and he will be missed by a number of his friends. Amongst the- junior nlavers will be Malfroy and Firkins (Wellington), Charters (Whangarei). Knott. Sturt and Chisholm. Misses Nicholls and Whitelaw (Auckland), and their performances will be closely watched.

An interesting discussion has arisen respecting the selection of the Auckland team to play against New South Wales on Christinas afternoon. It is contended that some of the older members should , have been dropped in favour of the younger men, Knott and Sturt. The selectors' lot is a difficult one, and undoubtedly they have followed on sound and logical lines in making the asso- j ciation's ladder their basis for selection.! The "man in the street" is generally j attracted by brilliancy of strokes, and is often inconsistent in* his reasoning, but I the trying-out ground is undoubtedly the j ladder, and the younger players "must realise this, and work their way up if j they want to win their spurs. An excel- ! lent example of what can be done was' shown by W. A. Fotheringham. A season or so back, starting from the bottom, he captured the scalps of all the big men, and finally became a doubles champion of New Zealand. There were very few who would have credited Fotheringham with the ability, but the ladder gave him his opportunity to demonstrate it. The selected players for the . present team have earned their places, and it would ridicule the association's work in establishing and maintaining ; the ladder were they to be deposed in favour of younger players, however de- ■ sirable it may be to give the younger i talent an opportunity of experience I against the visiting players. Unfortunately time did not permit for | practice games other than those neces- i sary to decide the placing of the team,! otherwise tiie younger players might j have been tested on this season's form. ! Sturt has a good performance of last ; year in winning the Waikato championship, but he has had some lapses, notably when G. L. Taylor beat him in | interelub. and his difficulty in disposing | of Entwistle last week in a ladder match indicates that he is hardly ready for interprovincial honours without a further test. Knott was given an opportunity in tne Wilding Shield match last year, but did not cover himself with glory. He, too, would need trying out I before he could be included. j Ladder matches were played during the week, and Bartleet beat Sims, and | retains first place, the score being o—2,0 —2, fi—4. Bartleet was right on form, his backhand especially showing improvement. Sims played consistently to this | wing, which enabled his opponent to I anticipate his shots and secure good i footwork. Sims' displa.v was hardly up | to previous years' form. Sturt beat j Entwistle. 4-7(5. 9—7. o—2. and retained eighth place. In doubles Thomson and Anderson defeated Hunter nnd Lamb, and moved up one from eleventh to tenth place. New South Wales seem to have unearthed a wonder in J. Crawford, an 18----year-old lad. who has been prominent in that State's tennis for the last two seasons. Playing in the Australian championships at Melbourne, he disposed of Hawkes. fi—3, fi—4, B—fi, and in the final extended Gerald Patterson to four sets. In the doubles final Crawford and Willard accounted for Patterson and Hawkes. Discussing this young player, hi Australian scribe writes as follows: "Crawford is the best youngster produced in Australia since the war; he is easily the most brainy player we have had since Brookes." j

■ — ■ WAIKATO EAST ASSOCIATION. Saturday's results in the various grades were:- — A Grade. —Matamata 12 matches, Hinuera 7. J. T- Enurenson, ex-Dominion singles champion, made a reappearance lor Matamata. B Grade. —Mntnmata defeated Te Poi by IC mntehes to 3. C Grade. —Matamata defeated Te Poi by 10 matches to 1.