LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 113, 16 May 1933, Page 13

LAWN TENNIS.

LATE A. W. DUNLOP. A GREAT CHAMPION. STARTED IN NEW ZEALAND. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, May 12. All lawn tennis enthusiasts whose experience extends back for 30 or 40 years will regret to hear of the sudden death. o£ A: W. Dunlop, one of the greatest players that New Zealand ever produced. I suppose that Australia ought to take credit for Dunlop'e tennis, for, though he was born, in the Dominion and began his cricketing career at the Chrietchurch Boys' High. School, he was only 15 years old when he left with his people to settle in Melbourne. Alf—he was "AH" all over the world to those who knew him—was one of a large family famous in New Zealand, and Australia, both as athletes and musicians. His eldest brother Dave was one of the beet slow bowlers that the Dominion ever reared, and - Alf himself might have reached the highest rank among Australian cricketers if he had not chosen to devote himself to tennis. But at the name which, he loved so well and played so long—he was competing in a tournament in March this year, at the age of 59 —he rose to real eminence, and in doubles—on the high authority of Norman Brookes, for many years his partner—he possibly has never had a superior. Alf represented Australia for the Davis Cup with Brookes and Anthony Wilding in 1905, 1911 and 1912—and he and Brookes defeated such great pairs as McLaughlin and Beals Wright (U.S.A.). and J. C. Park© and Beamish (.Britain). In 1005 Brooks and Dunlop defeated the two Dohertys in an exhibition game on one of the few occasions on which these great players ever met "colonial" tennis champions.

Partnered by eitlier Brookes or S. F. Diddnms —one of the greatest of all the double players ever seen here—Alf won the Victorian doubles no less than nine times, and he hold other championships innumerable —including the N"ew Zealand singles (1901), the New South Wales and South Australia doubles, the singles and doubles of Sweden and of Scotland, and many other prizes gained in Britain and on the Riviera.

Though Alf s service was most innocuous to look at, and his off the ground strokes, though accurate, were not particularly powerful, he could beat almost anybody he met by his sound judgment, his profound knowledge of the game, and his superb volleying. It was his volleying power more especially that made him what lie was, in the judgment of Norman Brookes, "the best partner in the world." Those who. saw the match in which Brookes «nd Dunlop beat McLoughlin and Wrigiit still talk of the rally in which Alf took three full-powered smashes in succession from Deals Wright on the volley near the net, volleyed them back in turn, and finally won the point outright. Those who never saw- Brookes and Dunlop at their best have never realised to- what an extraordinary pitch of skill the doubles game was brought in Australia 20 or 30 years ago. and New Zealand, as well as Australia, must regret that the career of one of our finest atliletes has closed too soon.