LAWN TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 79, 27 December 1907, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS.

CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING. (by TEj,isaiuHi—pnEss association.) New Plymouth, December 26V The Now Zealand Lawn Tennis Associa- . tion's twenty-second championship meeting opened hero ,tlys' morning. ' Amongst tho competitors are all tho leading Dominion players, and H. A.'Parker; from Australia, and, with tho exception of A. F. Wilding, all present holders of New Zealand championships arc competing. Play was of a very high order. The results, are as follow:— .... Men's Champion Singles.—First round: U, J. Dickie won from J. Porton (default): H. M. Gore boat A. Cooke, 64, 6-4, 6-1; J. G. Swainson beat H. W. Brown, 6-1, 6-3. ' 4-6, 3-6, 64; T. R.. Quill beat J. C. Nicholson, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3. .Second round: F. M.. li. Fisher beat R. 'Bauchop, 6-2, 6-2, 64; C. C. Cox beat A. Young, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2; H. G: Didsbury beat G. A. Brailsford, 6-3, 6-0, ■ 6-0; H. I'arker beat, W. Penrce, 6-1, 6-3, 6-0; G. I' , . Smyth beat W. 0. Brown. 64, 6-1, 6-1, 8-6; J..' Peacock beat A. G. Wai- . lace, 6-0, 6-2, 8-6; C. J. Dickie beat H. -W, ■ Gore, 8-6,. 6-3, 64; T. R. Quill beat J. G. Swainson- (retired), 6-4, 9-7. ', Ladies' Champion Singles.—First round:.. Miss Kellett Baker beat Miss H. Hutchings, ] 6-1, .6-0; Miss Ward beat Miss Batham, 6-1, ■ 6-3; Miss Nunnoley beat Miss Van Staveren, G-0, 6-0; Miss Powdrell beat Miss D. Udy, 6-0; 6-1. Second; round: Miss Travers beat Miss B. Cock, 6-0, 64; Miss Nunneley,beat Miss Van Staveren, 6-0, 6-0; Miss Powdrell beat Miss Baker, 0-6, 6-3, 64.. ; Mens' Champion Doubles.r-First round: Smytho and Didsbury beat Gore and.Young, 6-1, 64, 8-6; -Fisher and Peacock beat . Cooke and Bauchop,' 6-2; 64, 6-2. Second round: Swainson and Swainson beat Nicholson and Griffiths, 6-3, 6-3, 2-6, 1-6, 8-6. ~ Ladies' Champion Doubles.—Misses Nun-, neloy and' Baker beat Mrs; Goldie and Miss Cock, 6-1, 6-3; Misses Gray and Powdrell beat Misses Wellwoqd and Hitchings, 6-1, 6-3; Misses Batham and Van Staveren beat Miss Udy andMis3 E.Dickie, 0-6,-6-2, 64. Combined Champion Doubles. — First round: Parker and Miss Powdrell beat W. ; Swainson and Miss Grant, 6-0, 6-0; Pearse and Miss Gray- best . Smytho and Misi ' Jackson, 6-3; 6-2; Dickie and Mise Baker . beat Brown and Miss Travos, 6-1, 6-1; Cox and Miss 'Ward beat Young ■ and- Miss Batham, 6-1,, 6-2;' Fisher and Miss Nunnnley boat Peacock and Miss Wcllwoodj 64, 8-6: Cooko and Miss Hitchings beat Bauchop and Mr. Goldie, 6-0, 6-0.. Second round: Parker, and Miss Powdrell beat Cox and Miss Ward; ...• 0-6, 6-3,-64. -.. .','' ■>.. -; , ■■■ Play will be resumed-at 9.30 m the morn- ' ing. " It is expected the. semi-finals will he \ reached.' : ' : ■' .■ ".■■■' '■'" ■ (

NOTES ON THE.PLAY. .

(BY TELEGKAPH—SPEOUI COBKESPONBENT.) , / ' . New Plymouth, /December. 26. The New Zealand Lawn .Tennis Association's twenty-second , annual ; championship meeting opened; to-day in splendid, weather. ■ The courts, five in , .number, .were slightly ; heavy this morning, owing .'to' yesterday's heavy rain, \ but .dried up as. the day advanced, and are in excellent ...condition..., . It was intensely hot, , and -~ some , of , the players were very distressed..-''There are 57 grimes to bo got off by Saturday. .Of' these .. 28 were run off to-day, leading 29 for .the next two days;- Nobody will .be worked too hard.- ; ' :i.;"i - '.{ '•'■ \. : -'.' ■" ~,-; .'■-.■ In the men's singles Parker was not, play-; ing up to form, although .he .'.disposed.;'of' Pearse three sets straight. The | champion was; not bringing off his short , cross-cut drives, and;was.constantly finding-the.net. H. Brown started badly against'Swainson, but pulled himself together' and took the third and fourth sets, but only to lose the • fifth set after a desperate struggle. Peacock led two sots from Wallace, when the latter . got away with a start. of srO in the third set, but Peacock wore'him down and won after an .advantage, set., ; Cox is playing a splendid garae,,and in the,next,round meets Peacock. A .very close game is expected, and , . the winner will probably, play Parker or ; Fisher in' the final. ■" ■'■•:•' ; ■'■'•' i -''■ . '■• •■ • ' Great' interest-was .taken'in ■■thie'gairie- between Misses Hitchings; and' Baker (N.S.W.), but'it'was soon 1 seen that the .former lady had been much overrated, and is not in the first flight' of thoNew.Zoaland'lady players.. Miss Udy. of Auckland,, liad butlittle success against Miss Ppwdrell. The former has sonio very pretty strokes, but is not, consistent. '■; The Taranaki player ran her opponent pretty well off the court. Miss Ward is playing at her very best, and a good.go between .her and Miss Wellwood is expected, to-raorrow. Miss Nunneloy is qiiito up to tournament form, and, there seems; little, doubt that she will again secure the ladies' championship ' singles. Miss Van Stavorcn has been seen to much better, adyantage. than -she appeared- in /her game ,'against .Miss Niinneley;■■■■: Miss Travers has not been pushed yet in the singles; but will meet Miss:Powdrell hi tho third round. • A most exciting match was that between Miss Baker and Miss Powdrell.' The N.S.W. lady took the first sot. 6-0. Then the Taranaki lady put forth every effort, and secured tlio second set. Two-all was called in the third set,, and oxcitoment ran very ; high. Long, hard' ralleys, with some clever volleying by Miss Baker,'kept tho crowd :in a state of oxcitement seldom seen in a ladies' match. When Miss Powdrell took the last set (64) the Taranaki lady's supporters brpko into ■■ a hearty cliGcr. It was certainly ono v of the best ttghti.- favor jink.-'.up- by tbnt Pato.l iiitly. ■''/.';■ . • . .'' .: ■:■ '.'■'":.■:') ' The men's, doubles liajMr.ot liJlrimced far. Four Thprhdnri mon rnct in the first round, gmytlie , arid Didsbury disposed of thoir older clubmntes,' Goro , ' and Young,.'three seta ' .'■ Btraight. Fisher and • Peacock had a fairly easy win from Cooko and Bauohop. Swamson brothers fought a five-set;match, lasting nearly three hours, against , Nicholson'and Griffiths, of New Plymouth.- ~;, •■■. ■-'■'■ ', Misses Baltham and Van , Staveren,' by heating Misses Udy and Dickie, will meet ■■ Misses Nunnoley and Baker iiy tho third round. Mrs. Goldjo and Miss C6ck did;yery ' : well to secure' four games against Misses Niinneley. and Baker. The game between Missca Wellwood • and Hitchings and Misses Gray and Powdrell' was an 'exhibition of some' of the finest yollcying yet .given by Miss Gray. This lady backed Up. her partner s.> long, hard drives, and disposed of. any overhead "stuff" in a prompt and decided-man-ner. Cox and Miss Ward totft.the first set (G-0) from Parjcer and Miss Pqwdrpll, but. the latter' pair, worked , together much better in tbo noxt . two sets, and only succeeded in, winning by. a very narrow margin. , Fisher and Miss Nuimcley. were too old a combination, to, fall to Peacock and Miss WelJwood, but the . latter pair were very willing, and a most exciting gamo was played. : With a' little , luck the losers might have been the win-,.': ners. ... ■ '...;■ ;-. .■."',- TBACHEE-S' CONI'BST. Six members of the N.S.W. Toaohers , -,., crickot team', who happen to bo tenuis en- , thusiasts. ongaged in a contest with sis of ■■' the Wellington toachors at the Nowtown ' courts yesterday. Tho following areV the results:— ' . Wilson and Burns beat Doer and Harn-mond--G-2,' 6-1. '■'. . ■. ■■':'■■. .'' , Ward and Taylor beat Smith and Mapuoi —6-2, 6-2. "■;-■■■ . '.■.'".'".... O'Noil and Hunt beat Griffiths ami Gill ■ —6-2. 6-3. '". •"■ ■■..■;,' .-■•-.■ Wellington scored-4 sets, 29 games;, and N.S.W. scored 2.sots, 19 games..;