LAWN TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 687, 11 December 1909, Page 12

LAWN TENNIS.

(Bt'Sebvbb.)

;N;TOUENAMENT., ! pixTIfEES.

Nek Zealand; Championshins,/'at r 'Auckland."'on .!, .December .27, 28, .and,29.// Entries olose/on :■'; .'.December .20./.' .. ;,;,{/''•": . , r v ..•.•■'.'.:...; -;' ■Hastings,, Club's. Championships ': and/ Handi- '■■:■: caps,; at Hastings,, oh; December 27 tnd 28. .:;; 1/ntnes - close on :Deceinbbr. 18..:.'/.;■■(■;■• % -'.",' : Auckland:' Championships'. and : : Handicaps,.;at ■ -:; AUokland, : : on .December 31 / and: January. 1 ::':/3,; , arid.,4.-'..Entries close, on -December 15.'-, Wellington Handicaps', at Day's Bay, pu Jan'u-..'/-..aryl and.3.;. Entries close 1 on.December 17.. .Taranaki.-.'Championships;, and Hnhdio'aps, '.at ,'.; -New. Plymouth;'on January 1,":3, and 4. // ' Pahiatua,Championships and ■ Handicaps, "at , ' Pahiatua,''on January .1 ,'a'n'd;;3. ■■'■-.Entries . /.close "on: December. 27. ■ :' ;•• Hawke's 1 Bay Championships and Handicaps, at ,/::■ Dannevirke," on January, 21, and '22.. /.En- -.. tries close on;. January 15; ;,'/:.', .v.: Bahgitikei: Championships and: Handicaps, at ':,'....ilartbn, :■ on/,Jariuary; 21' and 22.: ■-': Entries _.;;close on.;Jannary . U, - .' •■;' .

.-; This 'afternoon's : ihte'r-club' fixtures are 'aa lollow:—Cupr Khandallah v.: Victoria ColleKei Petone. v."Brougham..Eilli'Bidwill Street v. : Munta'i. " Pennant:, 'Newtown'-'A v. -Victoria College.A; Petone.v.'Newtown B; Muritai v. Kilbirnie;.: Victoria B -v; Broughain •Hil). 'Backet:: Khnndallalv v. : Brougham' Hill; Victoria College B'v: Victoria .Colluge A;Triu:ity:B • v.: i ..Trinity A; ■''-,".:.-: ■'■.'•'.':.'.:/.. / ;..-■ :'/:■,.;

'The. first round of. the shield : competition concluded last Satiirdoy, and the.second round will commence on January 29. : The: following is the: present, position of the competing teams ,in this.competition :—j.. ~'..■,'.'/•■ '■■'.' : ',r.

:"'- : ■ • '"' '<' : ;'.'• "'Rubbers'. : ' :' :Sets." ; m, : ' • ''■■'■ Wv L-'t'or/Ag. H'd.'For.:Ag: ih0rnd0n.:...'..;..5 0:; 58 ; 24 ■■-. 8 : 134 : .70 Wellington "A..; 4 :1 ' .02 ■/ 20":" 8": 136 57 Brougham Hill 2:. 3 39 ,30 15 102- 94 •Newtown; '.:...V/- 2': '3■'•:: .34 '40 • 10 •"' 86' 108 Victoria ■: College! 2-, .3; 83. 45■■-.'" 12. 88 "110 .Welliugton.B... 0i 5 16 71 3 42 131

i .;■ the most • interesting tennis of / this season iwas.seen'-fn .last Saturday's shield matches ii'rie outstanding :: feature was the fine form shown.by tho Victoria College representatives,' the Ihorndon. ladies, and the men of tho Wellington li. team,' : ;'■,'-■'.. : ; -:: . .---..'-v ~r

",; lh . e -#;"" l <Mi v.. Wellington A match .was thejjestottherday.. The credit for Thorndon's good wiir rests with its ladies, who iplayed ex.cSptioually ,'well in winning six out of- nine rubbers-drawing '.two, and -losing one.' Miss lravers was .in tip-top form, and scored the ■best,-win..of .'the day. in: defeating Miss Batiiain -fcr '"' V -0, "•Bath-am played first:" for ahorndon, owing - to' Miss Nunneley . being un•able, to, play. ; Had Miss .Travors"met Miss rJNunneley ~a, splendid game would naturally hayo beenv looked for, and, on ; present' form it'womd be. hard, to ;say,.which: lady would ;hnve .won.'-The;. singles between Mrs-Holmes -and.Miss^Williams, and Misses Simpson and •Ulniant, finished sets and games: even. ■ ; ■' Of tho men's games, the most 1 interesting was the. single -.between".-Fisher nudSwanston. The ihrst set wus well contested to thoend, fivo all and deuce being called. '-"Fisher;: was serf' ing well,' and the two vantage point* A fiet,: H ,U :%--"f ?<« : f 1 - awansto" led .from; the start, and, by splendid drivihij .Kept the lead, and won the set 6—4." In tho .thinl set his play weakened. A: doubtful: decision at, a critical stage seemed'.'to upset him' a.bit. In the seventh game, he missed an easy smash, and twice double-faulted. This decided the set, for'"Fisher, serving,. -won,-tho ,'npxt game and, set at Gt-2. Brown's, performance against Peacock was very, disappointing.'.i«j ;is playing much below his form'of.last faster. Bio lr was never.uneasy .in .his gaine with Young. Sniythe gave Salmond a teste of- his quality in a' hard. three-set match. Carter's first appearance, would hot have been attonded with such success had thought a little in _. tho third set; '■:'■■■ Carter apparently liked being treated to hard drives whon at the net, .'The Wollington B men '.sprung soine surprises'pn their more experienced oppononts by winning four ont'-.'.of tho six singles in iino style. 'Sheppard was particularly good, and scored a very creditable win by defeating,Li'ndsay.; two'.sots straight.,-' M'Nicol; did. the. same .with : Morris..'.Clarke and .Eller won in their singles against Eedward and .Lewis respectively! in each caso by two sets:,£o one. The two -finished, doubles' woro won by Newtown, ■'Miss .'Evans .was.tho only lady of. the Wellington: tenmjo win a/rubber..-.:The.:.rcst were-com-,'pletely- outclassed, : :. , ,:,...

__The meeting of the : Victoria College and Brougham Hill teams resulted in a close finish, the Collegians just pulling the match off, It must be admitted that tho result of this match enmo as a surprise to the' majority of those interested in it. The greatest surprise of all was the defeat of Hawkins by Weir. It looks as if Weir's: enforced rest has done hirii good, ns, in the matches, in which he has taken : part, he has plaj-ed at his best., Hawkins has been in good form lately, and it was fully expected, that his steadiness would provo too much for his more brilliant opponent. But Weir's attack was too much for him, and he won the second and third sets by good tennis. There was very little difference between Prouse and Quinnell—two games in tivo sets, in Prouse's favour. Beore defeated nuntcr after a threeset match, but Hunter was in poor form. Clcghorn'B win'against J.. A.: B. 'Howe was consistent with his previous good performances. Misses van Staveren and Tennent,, for the winners, and Miss Davis for tho losers, were the'only ladies in this match to secure straight-out wins., Tho. rest ,of the rubbers were drawn, with only one game the difference on the total number scored. '.':■■

The only closely-contested match in the pennant grade was that between Petone and victoria College A, and once again the Petone ladies must be credited with a good win. They are undefeated so'far this season.

In the Newtown A v. Kilbirnio match, H. Mitchell, showed somo of his old form in defeating Thwaites. Miss Asquith is playing well this season;

Miss Powell was the only one of the Newtown B team to win. a set in the match against the. Brougham Hill representatives. On her recent form she should find a place in the A team." . - '..■■.

Intending competitors are reminded that entries for the handicap tournament, to he held at Ray's Bay on January 1 and 3, close on Friday, Decomber 17. Entry forms can be obtained froni tho secretaries of clubs and from the secretary of the Wellington association. .'..:-.'