LAWN TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 401, 9 January 1909, Page 12

LAWN TENNIS.

(BYINTEII-CLUE.)

Tennis players, are now' making; their vw'ay j back- to Wellington' after the tournaments. All/speak, well onthe delightful time; spent in Nelson. When tennis was over for tno day there : Was® merrymakingat ..bight., A' ball' was h,eld at; the:conclusion of tho New Zealand mcotingi which was well attended by tho and proved most 1 enjoyable.: Mr. C« A.- ;Broad, the president;-congratulated . the prize-winners,' and llrsv Broad .pre-. BOlltea tho trophies. Miss Luey Powdroll, the.rtfety lady .champion, met .'with a great r«K eeftionj; bemg'lsheorcd to the echo, ■ whilst Wilding, SJarkbr,..aiid 'Miss all applause. ', The -.twenty-third : New ; :. Zealand : meeting .will.-be'-evofgreen if? tho memory pf. tennis players for the victory of Miss over Miss Nutt'noley—;tho thirteen-years champion: not i':be'' thooght-'.-fpr orio moment that Miss Nhnneley lias " gone off." • It is apparently;.the strain, of playing right through' iliO evtiits' that' has .told atfj tale : . • Miss Powdrell's Strong;, point; is .' her splendid placing, . andi she.,' frequently . returns .. what appears to bo a Winning shot with a beautifully placed drivo, which finds tho other player-quito out of position.

The quality of the ladies' .play ffag quito up to the mark,: and should a New Zealand ; team he picked to play, against - New South Wales there is no doubt that they wo\ild be i eltosen. from, amongst the ladies : competing at;.the vNfew.^2^alajad;m&6tlAg, .;Miss r Braithi:\wite, of, Hastings... must reneivo;some;con-sideration.-v:Heif single.; play:.' is -good, and, ' being a smart volleyer, her;, double play. ; is quite above the average. : • , The. most, jmproved player of the whole tournament is' Harold. Brown, who was in splendid: forirt;• and-put up a. : great' fight against -Parker' in ; the . New. Zealand meet-: ing, besides reaching tho :final of tho com- : bined doubles With Miss Wellwood.: in tho Nelson" meetingj . and tho- semi-final of tho handicap singles. IQuill,: by - Winning ' the handicap singles fr6m " owo 15,." put up a i most.creditftble,performance,-and has proved himself:a-pillar of safety, 'as',well as.a mas'fer of cunning.-:shots. ' • • . -Y Wilding was not seen to great advantage owing to his not being extended in any of his. matches, .'.Ho usually took his stand Eomowhero about 1 , tho centre of. the court, : a 7??,. i U'Spiitcliocl , everything . : which - came Within Ills • reach—and . a Wonderfully long reach it is—with the greatest' of ease. : The Taranaki tournament, , which was postponed., from; January, 1 aild .2 to the afternoons of January 14, 15, aud 16, will attract large entries. Miss Powdrell,. Wilding, Parker, - arid -Ksher -will '-be -amongst . the competitors, Tho, latter:" will - probably partner Miss Powdrell in the combined' doiibles. :, , Entries'close 'on Friday,; January, 15j for tho .popular.-Mastorton tournament, which commences on January 22,-and continues on January 23. This meeting'usually attracts a largo number-Of ; Wellington players, apd has always:, been V-jh?" most enjoyable gathering. Entries should bo'addressed :'to'-A. R. Sclan- . ders, hon. secretary. .. • '• ■

Miss Zitft Wolltfood, tt young sister of Hiss 11. 'Wellwbod'/'' of/Hastings, - is in' •Her .sister's- footsteps; having; won: the championship .doubles of the. school at the Tecent school championships. Tho New Year handicap tdUrhainent at Day' 6. Bay. was • extremely successful, tho entries; ,l)ejng>.*ew; larger secretary and his ...willing:, helpers must bo congratulated On getting tlie Meeting through,to time, and,' if soma of tho. plnyers were, worked rather hard oh 'the' last day, they surely could not iblame the..management for (if in too many events) "ono always has'tlio Option'of scratching.. Tho association will, no doubt, hold the .provincial championships at Easter, and .thflSo • flv6'. cvonts, ■ with, 'good weather, will father .enough players together to make a j most attractive meeting; . ' .

It was'■ libticfeablo at tlio recent New . Zealand meoting-'that, although; players werbre'(jtlosfced to wear tho Colours of their pro- : .vitloe,; tho,' 'Wellington .players were' this only ones to do so. Ribbon was thoughtfully Bent over by Uio Wellington'aocrotary, Mri i. H: .Jones. 'M';/ ■ ' ' '

The feelings of tha most prominent tennis players as to whether tho New.. Zealand Assookiion? has doflG i the right thing' in 1 resigning -from the Australasian . Association, havo ticsii freely heard' at. fcha ohawpiohship meeting at Nelson. All Wore agreed that tho, notion ;taken was tlio only coufse, but, inost .eontondod that Austrolia with New Zealand should light together for the Davis Cup. Wilding Was VCty to on" the point, and his opinion is valuable. Together there Is a ehane'o of keeping thd cup, bat once apart neither Australia , nor Now Zealand havo much of ft chance. Tho New Zealand Association should bo • very careful in considering tho whole,, hiattdl', and' the sooner the question is discussed tho better. Good and prompt judgment is required.