CANTERBURY’S SUPREMACY CHALLENGED

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21682, 16 January 1936, Page 8

CANTERBURY’S SUPREMACY CHALLENGED

Canterbury is the present holder of i the Anthony Wilding' Memorial Shield and the Kathleen Nunneley Qisket, the symbols of interprovincial supremacy among the Dominion’s men and women lawn tennis players respectively. The performances of Canterbury players in the recent New Zealand championship tournament, however, were not such as to indicate that this province will maintain its position in the challenge matches, which no doubt will soon take place. The Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association has not as yet received ■ any formal challenges, but it.is fairly certain that Wellington, at least, will endeavour to recover the trophies which were captured by Canterbury—in each case in a very close match—last Season. Wellington is undoubtedly the stronghold of lawn tennis in the Dominion at the present time, and at the New Zealand championships easily won the Wilding Cup, which goes to the provincial association gaining the most points for wins in the senior championship events. Wellington, of* course, scored heavily by Miss Dulcie Nicholls’s triple win in the women’s events, and should be expected to make the best showing on its home courts. Nevertheless the general standard of tennis in Wellington seemed be very high, and Canterbury will be hard put to it to defend either the men’s or the women’s trophy. Selectors’ Problem It is just as well that the Wilding Shield is fought for by teams of four men, for Wellington \would be able to field easily the strongest six or eight in New Zealand. Indeed, it is going to be a very pretty little problem for the Wellington selectors to decide who is to be left out. Don France, mainstay of Wellington tennis for many years, is only fifth on the results of ranking matches this season, E. A. Roussell, D. C, Coombe, R. McL. Ferkins, and N. F. N. Bedford being ahead of him, in that order. Again, Wellington has N. V. Smith, provincial champion last year, and J. C. Charters, who beat Coombe in the Manawatu championship recently.

Wellington’s Lawn Tennis Strength IB? OROBSCOURTI

France won the Wellington championship at Christmas, beating Roussel! and Coombe, but Coombe gained his revenge in the Dominion tourney. France, nevertheless, showed great form in winning the New Zealand doubles championship with Norman Sturt, of Auckland, and could - not be left out of a Wellington team. Coombe must also gain a place, if only by reason of his success against France and Angas in the championships. Roussell, surprisingly beaten in the first round by young R. G. Pattinson, of Canterbury, is still a first-class player, and in the final ■ of the plate showed his quality by beating Ferkins with the loss of only two games. The fourth position will .probably lie between Ferkins and Bedford. The former is a fighter and “retriever”; the latter a brilliant but erratic stroke artist and some years the younger of the two. Bedford played magnificently against McGrath; Ferkins extended Moon to the utmost. It seems a tossup between them, but Ferkins may be preferred because of his fine doubles play in partnership with Roussell. Stronger Women’s Team Miss Nicholls, of course, will head the women’s team, but thf remaining places will be filled this year by stronger players than those who played in 1934-35. Mrs N. St.C. Dickson has found her old form and is a wonderfully steady and tenacious player. She took a. set from Miss Nicholls in the championship, and she gained the distinction of beating Miss D. Miller, fourth ranked player in New Zealand. Miss M. Howe also showed very good form at the championships. A distinct acquisition to Wellington tennis is Mrs A. D. Latham, a former Scottish representative player, who took Miss T, Poole, first player in Canterbury, to three sets. She hits hard, but has better control over her ground strokes than most New Zealanders. A young player whose claims for inclusion in the Wellington four are very strong is Miss J, I. Douthett, still a junior, who performed very well at the Wellington championship tournament. She has all the strokes of a champion and a good match temperament.