LAWN TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 175, 18 April 1908, Page 9

LAWN TENNIS.

' ■ (BY Inteh-CLDD.)

First-class entries have been received for th'o Brougham Hill tournament which is now progressing at tho Brougham Hill courts, Lloyd Street., So largo, are the entries that somo of:.the. matches are being played off at thoWellington courts, kindly lent for tho occasion by-.the Wellington club. Seventyono matches - have to be played in the championships, and 179 in tho handicap events, aiid naturally, to get the tournament through in three days, the management will liavk to keep competitors fairly busy on all the days. Tho. entry proves conclusively that players will'always support an Easter 'meeting, and enthusiasts aro always , eager to travel miles to play or sep good play. Glancing through the programme one notes that the men's championsnip singles have attracted 28 competitors, and while.some of Now Zealand's best players are there; and will, no doubt, meet towards the third and ,I'ourth rounds, there are others who will be greatly benefited by a game against the cracks,; an<i have entered for the chance of . getting : that experience. In the men's championship doubles I' 4 pairs have entered, and chero-is/little doubt that,the .final will be .fought, ojit' by KisHer. and Cox v. Swanston ,and? Peacock: "Fourteen ladies have enteredfor the championship, singles, and the match between MrSi Hiekson an'd Miss Wellwood ill the second round will be of great interest; 'Miss. Travers:'should meet Miss Nuniielcy in.-the'; sec6nd. round, and after the splendid performance" the. former ladyr put up againit'-the -,; champion last Easter on the hard' courts,,this match' will be oner.of the. interesting. events of' the whole 1 meeU iiig." VMisses 'Ward and Van Stavcren. should both, reach tlie..senji : final of this event.. Only soven pairs-hive entered in the ladies' championship doubles, and 'Misses Travors and Welhvood seem to bo the most fancied pair. ■ The. combined championship, with 13 entries, is very' op6n, quito six of the pairs entered having an even chance of winning. , Tho men's'handicap singles, with 63 en- ' tries; should certainly have , been :'divided into, two events',- 'first and 1 second - , grade. When the 'difference in players is. so great' that one owes 15 and another receives'4o in v a game of GO handicappe'rs must'in- ; deed haye,- been in-, a quandary as to h'ow!to treat'_;;the t intermediate • players. The.'inien's; and • ladies', handicapdoubles'liave entries' of 30 arid -20 .pairs re-;. ;speetively_. The,-ladies have entered welbfor the handicap'.; singles,' this event having.v:at-.. ■tracted no'-fewer,, than' 37 competitors.': 'liiss: Ghrispj' with;3o, and Miss Hughes,-, with 19; : both'look; comfortably in. ' Twenty, pairs aft> in for the\ladies' handi-.. cap . doubles', and'/Miss Vaii ; Staveren ■ and : Mrs.Goldie, with 10,-have a-good staii, whilst Misses' Archer., and Derapsey, with 23, should also render a good account of themselves. The combined nandicap has 34 pairs in.it. . Miss Morgan and Gray, on tho .25.mark, and Murphy and Mrs.. Murphy) on 30, : should "work' : 'their way through two or. -three.rounds!-! \ : .;.

: : Wedding bells, will ring to-day.'for Miss Glasgow and Mr. F. Morris, who'are ..being married at , Dunediii. Both arc njembors qf 'the Newtown club." Miss Glasgow defeated. Mrs. Grady in the- final of the 1 ladies' championship singles;, : a.'nd Morris -defeated 'Redward in- the final, of .the men's championship of the ;Ne\vtown,.cliib. ' 1 : ...

: i Quinnell- aridyMrs. Goldio won' the ' bineds championship of the Brougham^Hill' club, beatiiig'. Watkins and Mrs. Howe ;6-^2, : 6r-l in: "the v.final.v' Mesda'mes". Goldie " and Howe retain.-the. championship doubles,.-'liav-' ing defeated -Misses' Archer and Dempsey •6t-0, 6 —4 iu the final. Hi Howe and .Watkins gave Quinnell; and Howe all, they wanted inu tile final of the men's championship doubles. Qriinnell played a particularly fino gamo and did most of thci .work; all thrqo sets 1 wero very close, the latter pair winning, 7-5,, 7—9, 7—5;:, ■ ..'

, There is - general, regret amongst tennis players t] u. tvN.. K.. Brookes, of Victoria, the holder, of tho All England Singles, anil ajso' -.the . doubleswith; '■ >Vildihg;:: the ■ young;'. flfew Zealand .' playci - ; i lias'' ■" definitely '' decided, /not, to ' -.visit' r ; England ■ this ; year..' 'to' defend; his ; title v for the All: England Cham-' ' pionship. Brookes land Wilding brought the International'.' Championship, which carries the Davis' Cup with it, away from England last year, and possibly;he has given up the idea of going to play at Wimbledon in the All England-: Championship, .for the - simple reason that were ne to. defeat the. famous H: L. Ddherty, that'; pliiyer''would not think 'it worth' while coming, to Australia in No-, vember to make the 'attempt to lift the Davis Cup. Doherty has -openly expressed 'thej opinion- that' her'will visit- 'Australaisia thisyear if he shapes at all "well at the-Wimbledon meeting. ' Wilding will now have his chance to secure the All England.. Singles' if he can beat all-c'omers. " , •', ■

By. the latest i\ows.from England it would • almost appear that the, general opinion ..'at Home is tliat' the service rule must stand as it is at present. Nearly'all the replies sc far received are against any drastic change, and one and all soem unanimous that the fault lies more with the umpire than anyone olso.: . The : umpire must' bo - made' to ''footfault the player,, arid tho player must , bo , made to.' understand that ho must play fair or bear, the Penalty. of being foot-faulted.- . Some ", ask for the rulo to bo inoro! widely the walking start) and wish to' know, if tho fact of a player moving his foot'' forward /.before striking - tho 'bill ' means thalt;he orXshe'has made a walkingstart.' All tho opinions are>gainst tHo rule' of .making, a : ;player.-keep both feet "on the ground'-whilat?serving, and seemingly v are liot' against > a: plfiyerivbringing. the' foot forward; ',tp;>assist.i- niittt or 'her - in' transforrmg.'r.the" jteight'from; the ; ,iight foot to the'left. :The'main; object'that"is'idesirod.iis to keep..tlio) player' behind the -' base line, and, provided' that is done, the;player can swing : his leg or stride forward jn'making the service. l The rule is looked'at from one point only by ni<jst 'of the better as a law to vent the server from crossing the line before he' hits tho ball in his mad rush, for tlie net. •Tho faults of a base line player are thus to ■a great extent overlooked, whereas the more' up-to-date ! and would-be brilliant.or dashing' volleyer is" made to pay the penalty. , Now that the. crusade .has set in, all foot-fajilters will get a/bad time) "and rightly so;.'but,'as | per usual; the fair and try-to-do-his-duty'.um-pire will also get a hot • time : from-many racketers'who should know better; than to 'abuse that official.:

-'Mr. ' Wallis Myers, the. well-known tennis .critic, writes dealing,with tho- popularity ofthe .game at .Home; The figures• may. give 'some idea. of the .-.extent to which tennis is .played'; in' England'. " Seventeen open lawn terinis 'tournaments at which- English, players took part were held' last week. • This week there; fourteen,, aud bftfore tho grass [season .closes in. tho-middle of September some--'■thing; like iwo hundred meetings, will have taken place dtiring the summer. Assuming that on an avoragi sixty competitors will be ■engaged at each'of .'the fourteen tournaments this week,;- something liko 850 rackots ■ will be wielded' in competition. -"As..a' reward«.for prowess, prizes (to y the estimated value of £1200 will have Wen distributed; ' while in entrance -fees alone nearly £800. wilf'have be'en\ collectively-, paid by competitors. Still, taking only a solitary week in the season— true, one of the nrtst popular weeks—'we should probably find that over£soo had been spent on now balls, half as much' again on tho'shape 'of nets, stopnetting, canvas' backgrounds. Umpires': chairs, and tents; and that, yet another £300 had been involved over such items as printing, hire of labour,.- ball-boys,: and referees. Some of !tho prizes 'are, of- course,'presented,-whilo others take' the shape 'of '[challenge cups; which are not-necessarily won outright;'but,allowing for all these concessions, it-will-be seen that,about £800! will havo jointly to, be collected- at'the gates of these; fourteen meetings; if all are to pay their way." v