LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 287, 4 December 1929, Page 18

LAWN TENNIS.

CLUB DRAWS EXAMINED.

EDEN-EPSOM AND FARNELE.

(By HALF-VOLLEY,

The weather last Saturday, though far from perfect, allowed play on most of the club's courts. Conditions were boisterous, and the surface of the courts fairly slow. Next Saturday will see the start of the A grade club matches, when Remuera meets Onehunga at Stanley Street. Remuera should have 110 difficulty in winning against the Onehunga team. The following Saturday a further round will be played, Parnell meeting University. Club draws are now out, and in most clubs harassed match committees are making themselves thoroughly unpopular in their efforts to get two rounds off before Christmas. This is a very desirable state of affairs to aim at, since with so many players away at Christmas and New Year, it is very difficult to get club matches in full swing again before the end of January. Eden and Epsom Matches. The Eden and Epsom Club's match draw shows a very full list of entries in eleven events, the men's handicap singles, with fifty-three entries, being the largest event, and-the ladies championship doubles, with ten entries, the smallest. The men's singles championship, for which thirty-seven have entered, is fairly open. Eight players have been seeded, the chosen ones being Rowlands, Morrison, A. C. Johns, V. R. Johns, Hubble, Turner, Nicholson, and Clark. In the first quarter of the draw Rowlands should meet Hubble in the quarter final, though M. T. Wilson is a distinct possibility against Hubble in the first round. In the second quarter Turner should meet V. R. Johns; the latter has to meet A. R. Walton in the first round, however, and a surprise is possible here. Morrison in the third quarter made a start by defeating Coombe, 9 —7, C—o, last Saturday, and should win through to the quarter final, though he has first to meet tlie winner of McKeown and McDonald. In Coombe it may be said in passing, the Eden and Epsom Club have recruited a youngster with distinct possibilities, and more may be heard from him by the end-of the season. Andrews, Potter and Jerram (a new member from Malay) may all prove obstacles in Nicholson's /path't6s the ;quarter-fiha!], but I think Nicholson should go through to meet Morrison. In the last quarter Tom Clark

meets Campbell in the first round, and the winner next meets E. Turner. The survivor of these three (who will probably be Clark, if the match committee's seeding is correct) will meet A. C. Johns in the quarter-final. In the iadies' singles it is fairly easy to prophesy that Miss Ramsay will meet Miss Newton on one side of the draw (though Miss Taylor will make Miss Ramsay work hard, and Miss Whitelaw on her best games is a possibility against Miss Newton), while on the other side Miss Knight meets the winner of the Miller sisters. If there is another lady whose form may be watched with interest, it is Miss Kennedy, who, if playing up to her best form, might easily go through to the quarter-final. There are twenty-two entries for this event. i In the men's doubles Nicholson and Hubble are the holders, and are capable of winning again, but with such pairs as Rowlands and Morrison, Johns and Johns, Tom Clark and Campbell, Hardy and Brown, and the Turners against them, the event may be called an open one. Wilson and Wilson are also worth watching in this event; these two youngsters are very keen, and might beat any pair in the club. Eighteen pairs altogether arie. competing. The ladies' doubles will probably lie between the Miller sister's (holders) and Miss Ramsay and- Newton. ■ The combined doubles championship; at present held by Miss Ramsay and Morrison, attracted an excellent entry of twenty-three pairs.' 'The event is fairly open, possible competitors in the final stages being Miss Knight and Campbell, Miss P. Miller, and A. C. Johns (the present Auckland champions), Miss Whitelaw and Turner, and Miss D. Miller and V. R. Johns. . , " Every player lil each event must play at least one match (whether originally drawn in the first or second round) .by December 14. , This .wjll enable two rounds • to be practically completed by Christmas: • Eden aud Epsom lias no A grade inter-club matches to interfere with its club matches this month, ami in this.,respect is • in : - a very fortunate position. ' ' ' . . ' ' i; Matches At Parnell. Parnell have thirty-eight entries in the men's singles, at present held by A. H. S. Lamb. Lamb should prove the winner again. He meets R. J. Coates, I notice, in the first round, and anyone who meets Coates in the first round has to be careful if he wants to reach the second. He should survive, however, and meet Stallworthy in the quarter-final. The next quarter-final should include K Boardman, but I cannot pick hisopponent. The third quarter of the draw should see Chalmers reach the quarterfinal, meeting H. Clay en route. He will meet the survivor of Stevens (a newcomer from Wellington) and Williamson. I expect Stevens to be the survivor, and I shall expect him to make things hard for Chalmers in the quarter-final,

for when in Auckland some years ago Stevens showed every promise of becoming a first-rate singles player. In the fourth quarter-final Robertson should meet Aldred. The ladles" singles attracted an entry of fifteen players; it should lie between Misses Potter and Fearnley, with the odds in favour of Miss Potter. If Miss Potter would practise sufficiently to improve her backhand drive (which is very weak) she might easily become a force to be reckoned with in Auckland singles tenni^. The men's doubles, with an entry of eighteen pairs, seems to lie between Coates and Chalmers, Lamb and Boardman, and Aldred and Stall worthy. In the ladies' doubles it seems to be certain that the final will be fought out between Misses Potter and Fearnley and Mrfe. Herrick and Miss Frankham. The combined doubles (twenty-two entries) should be won by Lamb and Miss Potter. Handicap Limits. The handicap 1 limits at' Parnell in the men's singles l iin. from received 30 to' owe 40, on which: mark .Lamb is placed.' • • • •, • In' the doubles Lamb and Chalmers, on owe 30, 4-6, and Aldred and Stallworthy, on owe 30 2-6,' seem hardly far enough back; they could have been placed' on owe 40 or 40 3-6 in my opinion, for their experience as senior, players will stand them in even better stead in doubles than it will in •singles. At Eden and Epsom the men's singles handicaps range from owe 50 (Rowlands and Morrison) to receive 15; in the ladies' singles from owe 40 (Miss Newton), to receive 15. In the men's doubles there is one pair (Nicholson and Hubble) bifebwo 50, while two others (Johns brothers and Rowlands and Morrison) are owe 40 3-6. In the ladies' doubles Misses Miller and Miller are owe 40, while in the doubles there are , two pairs on owe. 50, one on lowe 40 3-6, and three more on owe 40. In every event the limit is receive 15.

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