LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 269, 12 November 1937, Page 15

LAWN TENNIS.

INTER-CLUB GAMES.

NOW IN FULL SWING. LADDER POSITIONS. (By HALF-VOLLEY.) Inter-club matches under the control of the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association are now in full swing. play commencing -i fortnight with some 30-odd matches in the various hard court sections. To-morrow, weather permitting, the grans court sections will make a start | with matches in all grades. At this stage it would be opportune perhaps to recall the present holders of : the association's pennants in the various : grades. Grass Court Section.—First grade, Remuera; second grade, Kden and Epsom; third grade, West End; fourth grade, West End: fifth grade. Ngatira. The entries this year are about the same as last year. These matches have assumed such large proportions that the courts at the disposal of the association are taxed to the utmost. For the grasr? court matches six"courts at Stanley Street are brought into use, while the various clulw provide accommodation for all other j matches. For the purpose of the hard court competition. the association uses the 1.5 courts at Windmill Road and four of the Domain courts, the remaining matches being played on the courts of the various ! clubs taking part in the competition. j Some idea of the magnitude of these j competitions can be gained from the fol- I lowing nummary, which sets out the mm- j ber of teams in each grade, together with the number of matches to be played and the minimum of players required to complete the various teams, no allowance being made for any emergency playess:— Gnm Court Sections. Teams. Matches. Flavors. First grade ... 7 8 7n Second grade 12 20 - li'i Third grade ..14 21 11-' Fourth grade . 10 14 So Totals ... 43 63 358 Hard Court Sections. Second grade lO 21 80 Third grade. . . 2<S 50 208 Fourth grade . 30 C>s 240 Fifth grade . . 30 79 240 Totals ... 00 224 7«8 Outer Suburban and Single Court. In addition to the above sections, the association is responsible aleo for matches run by the outer suburban clubs, some 12 to 15 in number, as well as matches for the single court clubs. There are two grades in each of these competitions, so it will be seen that altogether approximately 1500 tennis players at least will take part in inter-club matches during th is season. The organisation and control of these matches is no mean task, and great credit is due to those members of the inter-club committee for the efficient manner in which they handle their job. By the way. in giving the various 4?rade winners above. I should hare included the winners of the outer suburban and single court competitions. Here they are:— Outer Suburban. —First grade, Mangere East: second grade. Takanini. Single Court Clubs.—First trrade, Dell Avenue; second grade. Tiro Tiro. Ladder Activity. Already some activity has been displayed in the men's ladder, and a number of challenges have been issued. The men have always shown a certain amount of keenness regarding their ladder, but the same cannot by any means be said of the ladies. At the present moment, only six names appear on the ladies' ladder and. of these six, only two are of the younger school of players. Surely there are another dozen players in -Auckland who are keen enough to take an active part in this ladder system, and thus make it worth while. The present positions of 'those on the ladders are: — Men.—A. D. Brown, M. T. Wilson, A. Porter, J. W. Gunn, V. R. Johns, J.

Stevens, R. Smith, P. E. Potter, S. Lamb, YV. E. Butler, A. E. McKeown, E. VV. Griffiths, L. H. Watson, O. Satchell, J. JJ. Bull, A. R. Stubbing, A. S. Broun. Ladies.—Misses Ramsay, Macfarlane, Bishop, Mm. Wren, Misses P. Cooke and G. Edwards. Several men dropped off the ladder last season, notably J. T. Mayson, A. K. Turner. A. W. Allen and S. J. Robinson. J. T. Mayson was out of Auckland for Rome time, being one of those who v%ited Australia lust year, while he also played in a considerable number of tournaments throughout the country, with considerable success. lie had some excellent performances. which resulted in his being ranked nationally as No. 10. He has, I understand, applied for reinstatement on the ladder. S. J. Robinson went abroad and forfeited his place on the ladder, but no doubt he will return to the ladder, should he be here during the season. A. W. Allen has been on the sick list, but is now in fighting trim again and will be seen at the head of the Royal Oak team. It is to be hoped that he. also, will take part in ladder matches this season. A newcomer to the ladder ami to Auckland i« Rodney Smith, present North Auckland champion, who has linked up with the Eden and Epsom Club, and takes his place in their A team to play Roval Oak n " Saturday. Smith has been placed at No. 7 on the ladder, where he is challenged hv P. E. Potter. He is an aggressive and attractive player, and should do well here, provided he pays attention to hia "error column." Other challenges issued are: .T. W. Gunn v. A, ■ Porter for third position, ,T. Stevens v. V. R. Johns for fifth place, and W. E. Butler v. S. Lamb for ninth place. Tournament Dates.. j Many fixtures have already been I approved by the New Zealand Associaj tion, and the most important of these will appear in this column from time to I time. for the moment it is sufficient to j record that the North Island championships will be held at New Plymouth from January T> to 8. The South Island championships have been allotted to Dunedin at Faster time. The Auckland Association's approved dates are: — Handicap Tournament.—December 27 to January 3. i Championship Meeting.—January 24 to 29. x _ Hard Court Tournament.—At "Easter. In addition to these, Jhe New Zealand championship meeting will this year commence on the Stanley Street courts on January 31.

TO-MORROW'S SENIOR TEAMS. Teams to represent their respective clubs in inter-club matches to be played tomorrow* un/ler the control of the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association:— Eden and Eosotn No. 1 v. Royal Oak. nr Stanley Street. —A. O. Browne, M. T. Wilson (captain), J. T. Mnvson. R. W. Smith. J. L. B. Stevens. W. Gooch ; Misses P. Cooke. J. Hamsay. E. Stewart, B. Knight. Royai Oak —A. W. Allen. F. G. Forrest, D. McDonald. A. Steel. A. Ohlson (captain). W. Burridse; Miss* M. Wade, Mrs. Colledge. Miss Bull. Mrs. Wilson. Eden and Epsom No. 2 v. Parnell. at Stanley Street.—P. E. Potter. A. E. McKeown (captain), V. R. Johns. J. Lewis, A. K. Turner. A. Lemon: Misses M. Hall, •T. Hansen. B. Cooke. Mrs. Glenle. Parne-11.—C. O. Lithejland. E. D. B. Lnsk. L. H. Watson, J. Diamond. J. D. Mitchell, A. S. Broun; Mrs. C. F.'Wren. Miss V. Brown. Mrs. S. Tong, Miss B. Hitchings. THE GRIFFITHS CUP. Games to be played under the control of t lie Griffiths Cup Tennis Association at the Windmill Road courts to-morrow :— Ladies' Section.—R. Greer and Sons, Ltd., v. I'r<>(gressive Clothing Company. Mixed Section. — iJridgens. Ltd.. v. Banks Box Company. Ltd. ; Amblers, Ltd., v. Collins Bros., Ltd. BROMWICH BRILLIANT. SYDNEY, November 11. Playing in the New South Wales tennis championships, J. Bromwich, who was in brilliant form, defeated H. 0. Hopman, 6—o. 6—l. 6—3. Bromwich won the first set in six minutes. He demoralised Hopman. He will meet Crawford to-morrow, when McGrath will meet Quist in the other semi-final.