LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 277, 22 November 1934, Page 23

LAWN TENNIS.

FRENCH TEAM NEXT WEEK

BRUGNON-BOUSSUS AT STANLEY STREET.

(By HALF-VOLLEY.)

After sonic negotiation, which, incidentally involved cables to Jean Borotra in Paris for the French Association's permission, as well as radio request's to the players, the Auckland L.twn Tennis Association has been successful in arranging a scries of exhibition matches at Stanley Street between Jacques Brugnon and Christian Boussus, the French Davis Cup players, and local players. The two Frenchmen are passing through Auckland

next week-end on the Aorangi, on their way to Australia, and they will play in Auckland, weather permitting, on Monday afternoon, when they will be opposed by E. L. Bartlcet and Is. G. Sturt. Two singles matches, the best of three sets, will be played, and one doubles, the best iof five sets, with the two Aucklanders matched against the Frenchmen. Famous Doubles Player. Both the Frenchmen have been in New Zealand before, when they played in Wellington in 1928, accompanied by the famous Jean Borotra. Jacques Brugnon, the senioy of the two visitors (universally known as "Toto"), has for some years been a member of the French Davis Cup team, and is one of the four famous "Musketeers" who for so long proved invincible as defenders of the great international trophy. When paired with Jean Borotra he is one of the most formidable

doubles playeis in the world, and this combination were, of course, last year s winners and this years runncrs-up at Wimbledon. They regained the 1' rencli championship this year, defeating in succession Austin and Hare, Turnbull and Cjnist, and Crawford and McGrath. As a singles player Brugnon has never been very prominent. Lack of stamina may have

had something to do with this, but even if he was ranked the lowest of the four great "Musketeers" in singles performance, it was surely something to be even the fourth when the first three were Lacoste, Cocliet and Borotra. Even in the heyday of the French domination, Brugnon was always selected as first string in the doubles team representing 1' ranee. Boussus' Win Over Austin. Christian Boussus, the young 1' rencli left-hander, is a singles player rather than a doubles artist, and this year was selected as No. 1 by his country in the Davis Cup matches. He scored two wins in matches played against Austria, and in the France-Germany match he beat Nourney, but was defeated by Aon Crainm. In the match against Australia he lost to both Crawford and McGrath, both matches, however, going to the full five sets. This was a disappointing performance, in that his colleague, Andre Marlin, scored two wins in the singles. Boussus' best performance was in the French championships, when lie defeated in succession Gandar Dower, 'J urnbuli, llodel and Austin before going down to Crawford in the semi-final. This was the first time that Boussus had beaten Austin, and critics acclaimed the performance as 'a convincing proof of the notable progress made by the young left-hander. The week before this match, in an international club match at Paris. Boussus had defeated F. J. Perry, 6 —4, 2r—G, !—■), winning on a great burst of volleying after Perry hacl led 5—3 in the concluding set. At Wimbledon Boussus was not seeded,* and

after beating Artens, Hare and Malfroy (the score against the New Zealander being 6—l, 6—2, 6—3, lie lost to Shields in a long five-set match that went to B—G8 —G in the fifth set. Boussus has somewhat stiffly produced strokes, his sliota being made with a locked wrist, any player who can defeat Malfroy, giving him only si* games in three sets, should bo well worth going to see. Three Sets and Five. A controversy has been raging for some time in England as to the desirability of cutting down the length of matches in singles championship play. While the matter has been generally discussed for some time, it was brought before the public very definitely by "Bunny" Austin's remarks made after Wimbledon, to the effect that the speed of the modern allcourt game made such demands on the physical strength of players that it required a supermini to play through a tournament where live-set matches are the order of .the day. Austin's physique is, of course, not very robust, and he has probably often had bitter cause to reflect upon tiie extreme fatigue which must follow upon a succession of five-set matches; on the other hand lie has been described as the best three-set player in the world, and perhaps on this account cannot be entirely acquitted on a charge of special pleading in his advocacy of a shorter match. He is supported, however, by a number of critics, notably Commander G. W. Ilillyard, Wilmer Allison and H. Thinner, the famous Dutch player. The weight of opinion, however, seems to be against any change. Ellsworth A ines thinks that "a man in good or even failphysical condition pan stand any five-set match." K. X. Williams points out that a great many players take at least a set to get going—why not cut down cricket to one day, he arguest, or football to half an hour? Jacques Brugnon is in favour of five sets. Several noted. critics are in favour of some sort of compromise, and Mr. A. Wallis Myers, for instance, suggests that championship matches might consist of three-set contests in preliminary rounds, to be followed by five-set matches in the concluding stages of a championship. This method is one which was the order of the day at Auckland for a number of years, and met with the approval of no one, as is so often the fate of compromise the world over. Anothc* compromise has been suggested by C. I'. Dixon: that matches should be the best of three sets, but that the set should

bo of eight games up instead of six. Some compromise along those lines is supported editorially by "American Lawn Tennis." Such proposals, however, arc not likely to meet with any substantial support. Players as a whole are satisfied with the prevailing conditions, or at least arc not sufficiently dissatisfied to agree on any specific change. The whole question seems to bo involved: with the question of whether artistic accuracy in stroke production and courtcraft, or physical fitness and athletic prowess arc the ultimate aim of the game. Certainly a long tournament consisting of five-set matches is a considerable demand on the physical stamina of the players;..but is not tennis meant to be a test of physical stamina, among other qualifications? If the five-set match feome.times imposes too great a strain on the players, the three-sat event would, perhaps, •put a premium on half-trained competitors. If a man will not train, neither shall lie win, say the defenders, of the present system/ Inter-clubs Interrupted. The A grade inter-club matches were commenced at Stanley Street on Saturday, only to be interrupted" by rain after a start had been made. In the Parnell B-University match each team had won two of the men's singles, and the ladies singles had just started. Knight's win against A. Porter wast a most creditable performance.! This match will be concluded during the week. Remuera B have a 3 —l lead against Roj r al Oak, and should consolidate their lead and secure a win here. The matches in this contest will be concluded, by arrangement, at the Remuera courts next Saturday. Stanley Street fixtures next Saturday are Parnell B against Campbell Park, and Eden and Epsom'B against University.

THAMES VALLEY V. AUCKLAND

players to represent the Thames Valley Association against an ~nd representative team at Paeroa on Satni'Jav :—Wright (Te Arolia). Ross and Bush (Paeroa). Grant (Thames), Alley (Hikutaia), Hawes (Thames). Miss Shnntl (Paeroa). Mrs. Glover (Thames), Miss Brown (Hikutain 1, Mrs. Handle.v (Paeroa). Miss Duffy (Thames), Miss Robinson (Hikutain). Reserves: A. P. Ohlson and Mrs. L. Meld (Paeroa),