LAWN TENNIS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17645, 23 December 1922, Page 14

LAWN TENNIS.

N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIPS. NOTES AND COMMENTS. (from our cwx reporter.) HASTINGS, December 22. Indications point to the forthcoming New Zealand Lawn Tennis Championship tournament being one of the most successful of the series. The weather ■promises to bo good, the entries are excellent, the courts are in good order, and all the preliminary arrangements are weil in hand. Notes on Form. The Wellington players were handicapped for some time by the unfavourable weather, but they have had a beautiful spell of fine weather for the last three or four days, and in consequence their form lias improved immensely. J. C. Peacock has been in hard training for the Championships for a long time. A. W. Sims has been in Wellington for some time, and there is no doubt that Sims and Peacock will be hard 'to beat in: the Doubles. They have been practising with Swanston, I 1 ranee, Parker and Salmond. Sims states that he i's not very satisfied with his present form but it is certain that he will make . ;i_ good showing. Franco has been getting in more practice than any of the otliur Wellington men, and lie will make a greatly improved showing this year. 11. N. K. Swanston is playing better than last fear. . The following is the position ot the Wellington lianking Lists to date: Men—Peacock, France, fewanston, Parker, Salmond, Barkman, Power, Hollings, Berry, Ooldiej 11. Young, Wright, Fathers,-Martin, Ward. Ladies—Mistf Curtis, Mrs Melody, Miss Traverse, Miss Howe, Mrs Peacock, Miss Arrowsmiih, Mrs Parkinson, Miss Walters', Miss Foster, Miss Williams, Mrs Turnbull, Miss Shearer, Mrs Norris, Miss ; WelchMiss D. Fenwick, who was a passenger to Hastings to-day, arrived ■ from England by the Port Darwin. . She played some tennis in Auckland with Miss.Payton and Misis Knight, but has had very few games in the last few months. In England she had some lessons from Mrs Larcombe, and played in the Mixed Doubles at Wimbledon with .E. L. Bartleet. They were, defeated 'by Roper Barrett ajjd Mrs but enjoyed the experience very much.. Miss Fenwick.is playing, with-Miss; B. Knight in the Doubles, . and they should prove a formidable proposition. There is extraordinary interest in the outcome of the Men's Singles Chamy pionship opinion being almost equally; divided between Laurenson as probable winners. Sims is also held to be in the running. , The Ladies' Championship will probably go .to La (New Wales) though she will have to fight hard all the way. - ; > ' , New Zealand Teama. The selectors for : the New Zealand JadiM' teata which is to play the JNew south .Wales -team, at Wellington are Messrs. G. N. Goldie.' D. Murray Kean anfl M,. B, Donniston. The selectors • tor . the,men's team are Messrs G. N.. s W Goes, and Hugh Thomson ; i (Auckland). The-men's selectors will ! : ; °«°oso twelve players on the form dis- , played in ,the New Zealand Championship 3. They will he required to go in- '. to- training, and the teafli of six to visit aow South Wales will ; be chosen on l'ebruary 6th. . V The reason for the collapse* of the arrangements last year was tbe delay of the selectors in /furnishing the names of the selected teams., These wer© not ohosen .had no time to make their ar- .' s rangementS; This year they will Have - ; plenty of tun©, and it is hoped to send i over a'thoroughiy reprfesentative team. The New Zealand Association has de- .. - to pay reasonable expenses as well j as the fares of the men seleoted to make the--trip. An allowance of ten shillings a day will be made. This n»ay be con- ,-; erfered inadjeqtiate, .but the Management Coinmittee holds that it is quite ' ~ e fair proposition, and that the players . 'jA will appreciate it. ' " , The New South Wales Team. '' The members of the New Squth "Wales as? - Jadiea' tegim'hav© expressed-themeelves n-i'-w-. as.- delighted -with the arrangements iv .' miade for rtlwir benefit.- They liave been .- . "the guests of .-the New Zealand Associfttion. sinc«.the% arrival m New Zealand. VYour representative, interviewed Mr ,3ft. E. Dejiniston, chairman of the Man--1 agement Oommittee of the New Zea-ifK.-rvlaiid. Association,- ooncetjang the dlecision of the Canterbury Association that it was impossible to hold i -i '. - iSouth'iWalea match bn January sth and 1 ' ,6th. -w Mr J>enniston stated "that the day bad jtei" come jwheri t tennis was drawing bigger r gates\than cricket —in "Wellington, at <-legsfc. u I% admitted, however, that a match was a. very serious counter'J and he could see that the Canterbury' Association was merely try- " to do its beet for tiie New Zealand 'Association in the matter. It was post„>«. • sible that the Ohristcb'nfch match .-would have-to be cancelled altogether, f 'but -anieffort .would bo, made to evoid , Vj "this." At present'the whole itinerary of 1 fh© New South Wales team was in the •, •- air. " . . rJßjew Zealand Grading. - , - t eAift6r'"the ' New Zealand champfonshijumeeting at Hastings, the New Zealand Association intends to publish a iHTew Zealand grading list on the lipos ! of that adopted in America» There, will w ' be no challenge matches, but the list it'- "will be revised according to perforfc, .:mances in 1 championahips and inter;„i'pr<>vincial'matche3.' f > >''' , Miss Curtis's Illness. y " "The representative asked ~*'t:V.:'Mr--M.-E." Denniston whether" he could rv: make any-* statement as: to the possibility ofv'Misa -N. E. Curtis playing in the New Zealand team. - - ,f , /'Mr Denniston stated that he hap- / ' . -pened to be in a position to make an authoritative- statement on the matter; . , » as he Kad just consulted Miss Curv tis's medical adviser the point. The - d6ctor replied definitely that Miss < ' * Qurtis must on no account thipk of season. To. do so would end-her tennis career. Miss a Curtis was not suffering from any y '*-■ Organic;trouble; she was simply run % down, and would be perfectly right within six months: Her illness was 4 , due to the Btrain of her contests in ~ . Sydney. r,. Seeding the Draw. . As seeding-the draw is an innovaS'\ r llon in \New Zealand, and unfamiliar HY- io the general public, your representa--tive: asked .Mr M. E. Denniston to give :?~ an of the system adopted in ■/ r ? seeding:;the' New'. '.Zealand championV Bhips} daw.., v ' Mr, Denniston took the-men's singles example. There ' ; u weile" 09 entrants in this qvent, and ' eight;-players Tvere seeded. The two •'"-' ■best -players in the-opinion gf the comdTawn .first. One (Lauren.eon)'" was placed at-the top of the first v - . half, '-The Becond (Gllivier) was placed' ( at the top of the,bottom half. The > Becond-'best'pair were then drawn, one ' c>: placed at the top of the second -V>:;4 , 'i:!quarter- , ."of" , the- top half, the second V;" -Jbsings"placedvat.the- top -of the second quarter of the. lower half. The pro- ~ i " " '

" vy ; / cess was repeated with the other four players. \ Turning to the ladies' singles, Mr Denniston stated that there were eight' New Zealanders seeded, and they were treated as above detailed. Provision was then made for the visiting New -South Wales players. They ■ were seeded by being placed one at the bottom of each quarter of the draw. The obvious advantage of the methods was that the good players did not meet till after the rounds. Hawke's Bay Tournament. The Hawke's Bay championships and handicap tournament has the phenomenal total of 1000 entries. In order to help to 'preserve the-Hastings Club'B courts, no -practice games are being played on them-. r - 111 the Hawke's Bay , championship singles W. G. Gerard' meets M. Young (Wellington), S. D. Denton meets. R. R. T. Young (Wellington), T. R: Quill mett-s J.- Powdrell, J. G. Denniston meets F.. A. Dunn, S.'.W. Field meets E. W. Griffiths. The most prominent comiietitors arof S. D. Denton, H. L. Robtion, E. W. Griffiths, S. G. McDougall, "W. Bray, G. G. Aitken (who has a bye), M v L. Lampe, L. Franco, and K. G. Walker. ,• In the Men's Championship •Doubles Field and - Denton and Wilding ' and Aitken are the only Canterbury pairs entered. Quill liab entered with Parker (Wellington). All three pairs appear to have a favourable draw;, _ The "other prominent competitors are 'Robson and Griffiths, France, and France, Clark and Johns (Auckland); / v ' In the Menus' Handicap Singles first grade S. D. Denton owes 10, J. G.' Denniston owes -5,-. S. iField is scratchy W. G., Gerard owes rlO.. The handicapperp appear to be astray .herei Denton and Field receive s'in- t-he Handicafy Doubles, Parker and Quill are scratch, A. Uren and Wilding ■ owe 10. ' SUBURBAN COMPETITION. St. Paul's heat Prebbloton by 79 games to 63. Scores, St. Baul'a players being men- , tiolied first Ladfes' r Singled—Miss F. Ward 5, Mrs Easterbrook 8; Miss D. Watson 6, Mrs Millar 2; Miss E. Ward 6, Miss Hartnell 1; Miss W. Bowbyea 6, Mrs Longstaff 5. \ Men's-Singles—J. Mawson 6, Gallagher 2; I/. Bowbyes 6, McGill.o;. A. Jacobs-5, liongstaff 8; J/Esaon 2, Oldridge 6. Ladies'* Doubles—Misses P. Ward and Wateon 6, Mrs Eaaterbrook and, Millar 2;- Misses ; E. Ward and Bowbyea 6, .Misa ,Hartnell and . Mrs Longstaff 4. ' ■ Miea's - Doubles—Mawson and Bowbyes 9 .Gallagher and McGill 8; Jacobs and Esson 1, Longstaff and OMridge 9. ; Combined Doubles—Miss. F. Ward and Mawson 2, Mrs. Easterbrook and Gallagher j 6; Miss D. Watson, and Bowbyes 6, Mrs Mil-, lar and McGill 2; Miss E. Ward and Jacobs 1, Miss Hartaell and Oldaidye 6; Miss W. 1 Bowbyes and Esson 6, Mr and Mrs Lonestaff S. , OANTERBURT RANKING LIST. * A challenge inatobfor the Canterbury Eenk-' ing List was played at Te Whaka courtß;' iLyttelton, yesterday, between Miss Diamond (United) and' Miss Wales (Lyttelton). The match, went to Miss Wales at G-0, 6-4. | . j j