DOMINION TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 97, 26 April 1928, Page 14

DOMINION TENNIS.

AMERICAN ENTHUSIASTIC.

"GO AHEAD WITHOUT FEAR."

I SPLENDID COLTS. (By Telegraph—Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON, this day. "The standard of New Zealand lawn tennis play certainly gave me one of the greatest surprises that I have ever had in my life. Out in these islands, though none of you people seem to be aware of it, you have moulded a game at which you are better than practically any European country but France."

In these words, Mr. B. R. Smith, a visiting American, summarised his opin-ion-of New Zealand tennis prior to his departure for Australia. Mr. Smith should know. He ha-s been vice-pre-sident of the Californian Tennis Association, a national delegate and a mem-

ber of the United States men's championship singles committee.

"Nowhere have I seen such an array of good boys as you seem to have produced in the few years that you have been playing the game seriously," he said. "I don*t believe that the whole of Europe could show four boys such as C. Malfroy, C. Angus, N. Wilson and A. C. Stedman. These boys are the real thing. I saw Malfroy and Angus meet in Christchurch, and I know tennis players when I see them. Stedman is another of the real sort, and if you want my opinion of Wilson, it is that with ipractice in tho rigfet company that_lad would make one .of the finest doubles players In the world.

"But I don't want to talk of possibilities. I want to tell you facts. The facts are that as far as rock-"bottom standard of play goes this country of yours cad pick a team right now which would hold its own with nine-tenths of the countries which annually dispute the Davis Cup. I don't mean that you could extend the more powerful nations, but I am absolutely certain that you would be equal to reaching a zone final, practically at your first attempt. I say this with much experience of tennis. One of these days you will play in the

Davis Cup and then you will irive opponents the shock of their W vZ wUI remember that a few years you were drawn to meet Canada the Pacific zone of the cup. That meet, ing never took place, but I know throuah my Canadian friends that thought that meeting w M From what I have seen Fm cw£ that Canada would have been defeaW and that you would have beaten very thoroughly. "wa

"I haven't had much time to cm. tennis, or to talk to tennis people Bnfc Im told that you have other good' bo™ whom I shan't be able to see, Start and Knott, of Auckland, for instance. if they are in the hunt with those I saw £ Cnnstchurch, they're really good. WW is more they're worth sending to tlife Davis Cup this minute. I hear that the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association is waiting around, saving u> Ha money for when it sees another Wild* ing. Well, you may not have ttfe! Wilding, but you have a bunch who ore quite likely to prove champions. fv» seen Australian tennis and I don't think it s a bit better than yours. people 6houM go ahead without fan Or, if you won't, give us some of yo» boys. We could do with them."