LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 38, 14 February 1935, Page 20

LAWN TENNIS.

PARNELL CONTESTS. CHALLENGE TO CANTERBURY. (By HALF-VOLLEY.) With inter-club competitions now nearing the final stages in all grades, match committees arc becoming able to make more rapid progress "with club championships and .handicaps. It is usually found essential to reach all seini-iinals during I'ebruarj", and indeed to get as many semifinal matches as possible completed tliie month. The continued Hue -"weather this season has left defaulting players litile excus-c, and at most clubs it will be found possible to reach finals, or at least semiriuals, in all evsnts befoie the beginning of Marcli. Xhe cliampionships at I'arnell are fairly well advanced, the men's singles having readied the semi-final stage, in the top halt' (J. Partridge has reached the semifinal without the loss of a set, and plays the winner of the Liamb—.Roberts match.' in the second round Lamb had a good tussle against the much-improved G. Knight, winning 4—6, o—l, 6—2. In the lower half of the draw Nealo has beaten Lit norland, and has thus entered the semifinal; he now meets the winner of UBrown and liobcrts-on. The latter match should, on form, result in a win for Brown, and the match between him and Nealc should produce some good tennis. Brown's base-line game is always accurate, and this year has improved in severity. In the ladiee' singles Mis. Wren and Mrs. Tung have both entered the top semi-final, and play each other. Mils. Needham is already in the bottom semifinal, and will meet the winner of Miss Bishop and Miss MeCready. Ncalo and Allen sprung a surprise in the I'arnell doubles championship when they defeated Partridge and Coates 2—(i, 7—5, 9— 7 in the second round. Partridge and Coates had been looked upon as favourites, and Neale and his partner must be congratulated on an excellent performance. They now meeb Bushill and Roberts in the top semi-final. In the other half of the draw Lamb and Brown have had an easy run through to the semi-final, where they now meet Litherland and Kobertson. Lamb and Brown will, perhaps, now be given the beet chance. In the ladies' doubles Mrs. Wren and Mrs. McArtney have reached the final without the loss of a set, and will meet the winners of! Mise Bushill and Mrs. Cooper v. Misses Bishop and MeCready. The combined doubles has reached only the third round, ■ and still seems fairly open, the best chance being apparently in the' hands of Mrs. Wren and. 0. Partridge. Davis Cup Draw. Some disappointment will, perl)ape, be felt locally at the fact that Australia has been drawn to play New Zealand in the first round of the Davis Cup coinpetition in the European zone. It is indeed a geographical paradox that'these two Antipodean competitors should enter in tho European zone, but they have done so for entirely logical reasons, if different ones. In the, case of New Zealand, of course, all three of our most likely representatives are at present in England —Andrews, Malfroy and Stedman. With these three actually on the spot in England it is an inexpensive matter for ,New Zealand to compete in the European zone. In the case of Australia, the entry in this zone was made with an eye to the later stages of the competition, and even with the possibility of a .successful challongr; for the Cup in view. The Australians are reasonably certain of winning the European zone competition, and want to acclimatise themselves to the conditions in Europe with a view to participating with eome prospect of success in probable later matches against America and Great Britain. It is certainly unfortunate that our own team should in the first round draw the strongest of all tho competitors, but there is nothing really illogical in the situation. Followinc on the challenge for the Wilding Shield recently forwarded to Cantorbury by tho Auckland Association, it is now announced that tho match will most probably bo played at C'hristchureli on PYidny and Saturday, Mareli 15 find 10. Auckland's team will bo E. L. Bartleet ; (captain 1, 'N. G. Sturt. M. T. Wilson and | A. D. Brown. Tho first throe selections were a foregone conclusion after thn season's tournament results, but there hn* ! boon some speculation as to who would j pot the covcterl fourth placo. Brown may be congratulated on pis first chance in representative tonnis. and tho Auckland Association should also receive n word of congratulation on its' fnr-sichted policy in pivinc the chance to a promising junior. Such foresight, though it docs not i always seem to yield tho best results immo- | diately. rarely fails in the long run amply to justify itself. Canterbury, who wore admittedly lifkv j to wrest the trophy from tho strone Wei- j lington team, may have to fiold a tram ■ somewhat weaker than the one which | played Wellington. Tho most probalili j selection at present would seem to be Angas, Barnctt. Dvinnnd and Cant. Th's is a strong and well-balanced combination. and an ovon match apninst the Auoklanders is indicated. Followers of the game will be particularly keen to see how Angas gets on against Bartleet. in view of the Canterbury player's excellent performances against the visiting Victorians. Interhouse Tournament. Another "sign of the times" is the commencement of the Pascoe Cup competition, which may be hailed each year ae a sifrn of approaching autumn. This competition, open to entries from commercial houses in the city, is played during successive evenings on the lighted Clive Road courts, and has grown in popularity to an astonishing degree since its inception in 19*25. In that year six teams competed and the Post and Telegraph Department proved the winning team. In the intervening years Post and Telegraph have won throe times, making four wins in all—in 1025. 1932, 1933 and 1934. The Lands. and Survey Department have the next best record, with wins in 1929. and 19T0. Other winning toame have been Sargood Son and Ewon (1925), Milne> and Choree (1927). Auckland Savings Bank (1928) and the Commercial Bank of Australia (1931). The cup competition is open for doubles play only between teams of four players. As a preliminary condition of the comnetition the best twelve players in Auckland are ranked by the Auckland Association's selectors and theso are not eligible for Pascoe Cup play. All other players nro oligiblo. As an indication of the popularity of the competition, it may be mentioned that 40 firms entered this year, ten firms entering two teams, making an entrv of 50 teams in all. This proved too much of an untlertnkinfT for the committee, who considered that the competition should bo nlaved off in a maximum time of threo. weeks, and the entries of the ten second teams were accordingly rejected.