THE WORLD of SPORT

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 43, 20 February 1929, Page 14

THE WORLD of SPORT

LAWN TENNIS.

THE WAIKATO MATCH

GOOD PLAY BY VISITING LADIES.

(By HALF-VOLLEY.) Last Saturday saw an Auckland team play a team representing the Waikato As.-ociation at Stanley Street. The Auckland team, though it did not include any of the Remuera players (who were playing inter-club matches), defeated the visitors by a substantial margin. Neither Sims nor Laurensan was able to play for Waikato, and the Waikato team was therefore considerably weakened, and could not win any of the men's singles or doubles matches. Auckland won all the men's singles without the loss of a set. In the doubles, however, the Waikato men showed up rather better than in the eingle*. MeCraoken and Seymour did well against V. R. Johns and Rowlands, whom they pushed: to B—o in the third set. The Waikato pair gave a good exhibition of the doubles game, and there was nothing between the two pairs on the day. Stevenson, too, gave a very good exhibition in both his doubles matches. The ladies were relatively much stronger than the men. Miss N. Beverley played a forceful game against Miss Rameay and won quite convincingly from the Auckland lady. She drove severely throughout, occasionally coming in for a volley by way of mixing her game. Together with Miss M. Beverley she put up another good performance in the doubles, losing to the Miller sisters in a good three-set match. When it is considered that the Misses Beverley commenced their journey to Auckland sonte hours beforfe the average Aucklander is awake, it will be realised that their performance was an excellent one. It is a pity that did not come to Auckland for the New Zealand and Auckland championship meetings, and it is tb be hoped that they will be able to compete here next January. Mrs. Walters, who beat Miss Knight at Te Aroha last Easter, played well to beat Miss Pat Miller in straight sets. She always looked like winning. Her driving on both forehand and backhand was a better length than Mise Miller'e, and the University girl did not seem to be able to change her game so as to break up her opponent's driving tactics. Miss Newell also secured & win over Miss D. Miller, who made a mistake in trying to beat her opponent by sheer steadiness, at which game the Waikato lady proved her superior. The dther three Waikato ladies, Mrs. McCracken and Misses Bruce and M. Beverley, were not able to secure a win.

Stevenson and Miss N. Beverley de■erve a word of praise for their straightlet wins over Morrison and Miss Ranteay, who this year were runnere-up in the Auckland championship. Stevensbn's eourt-craft was good and hii partner's Strokes gave him all the help he needed. Wellington Match.

The latest information seems td indicate that this match will not be held After all. Wellington, while most appreciative of the generous terms offered them by the Auckland Association, are not able to get the'ir befet team together, and it is felt that, uriless the best team were sent, the match would hardly be worth while. It is to be hoped that the question of a Wellington match will be considered again by Auckland early In next season. Inter-club Hatch Schemes. Considerable dissatisfaction has exJeted for many years, if not from time Immemorial, in many of the larger clubs with thfe system tipon which interelub matches are run. This dissatisfaction; dormant at the beginning Of the •eason, gradually becomes more intense in a clujb with the playing df several inter-dub matches on that club's courts And reaches its climax, generally speaking, at about this time every year, when platen find themselves turned off their own courts on Saturday afternoon. Match too, inveigh unavailingly against a system which holds up half the club matches for weeks at a time. The discontent dies down, of course, with the ending of tile season, and when at the beginning of the next ■eason the association's inter-dub committee circularises the elubs inviting their views, the club arte generally too apathetic to make" any suggestions, being forgetful of the last ■eason'e ills. No new suggestions come up, and the bad old system goes on; This is the reason why Mr. F. G; Bilie suggested at the last meeting of the association on Tuesday last that the time to circularise the dubs was now and ndt next eeaeon. A Questionnaire is being prepared, and will be sent tb club coinihitteee for their consideration this week. It may be said with confidence that in several of the largest clubs a strdrig body of opinion is in favour of retiring altogether from all inter-club competitions. This wottld leave more tithe for friendly social tennis on Saturday afternoons, and would remove the "intef-cltib nuisance" from their courts. It would alsb greatly assist their match committees in getting elub matches played. Inter-club competition between the larger clubs under such circumstances would then be a matter of challenge matches, and two or three of these in a season would probably be played by each club concerned. Another way but was suggested at Tuesday's hieeting, when an experienced member of the inter-club committee suggested that no club should be allowed to enter more than two teams. This would mean that a first-grade club entering A and B teams would not compete at all in the C grade competition, while a club wishing to enter B and C teams would drop out of the A grade. This suggestion seems to the writer to be ah excellent way but bf the difficulty and well worth a trial.

New Zealand Championship Dates. Another matter whibh received considerable attention at the Auckland association's meeting was the question ol the datee on which the New Zealand ftjuinpionship meeting should be held. Thih niatter wijl be fully discussed at tftL*r£ B ** land Association's quarterly on the 28th inst., when Mr. ■wetSi 68 * that in fut »'P ' he tttiiSji i held not earlier than ■ Wfir ol \hl It*"*?*- TS * "aeons in ■' , date 9 rfte ' fl "t. that waifa tfe 4h4C, W^ 8 moriß settled toPresent.all tfceißmSV" , * o **' that at provincial ehampionehi^rr , , ,l,,l6,, * B •»*

ing, and all constitute something of an anti-climax for the players, whereas if the New Zealand championships wera held at the end of January, the provincial championehips and country tournaments would all lead up to the Now Zealand meeting as the culminating event of the tennis season. Against these arguments it must be admitted that it is not always ae easy far players to get leave at the end of January as it is a month earlier. The Auckland Association decided on Tuesday to instruct their delegates to vote in favour of the innovation proposed by Mr. Melody. Secondary Schools' "tourney. Messrs. A. M. Nicholson, R. B. Hardy and C. Brock are controlling this tournament this year. It will commence on Saturday, March 2, and will be played on the morning of that day and the succeeding Saturday mornings.

SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Play in the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association's secondary school championehips will commence at 9 a.m. on Saturday. March 2, and will be continued on the following Saturdays. As in previous years the girle will play at Reinuera and the boys at Stanky Street. The competitions are. open to any boy or girl attending a secondary school or any who attended last year. The entry fee for the singles is 1/, and fov the doubles 6d per player. It i«s essential that all entries, which will close on Wednesday of next week, be handed through and vouched for by someone in authority at the entrant's school.