LAWN TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1941, 26 December 1913, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS.

;:''CENERAt^f4OT,Ef-&\F!XTURES v .: 3)ceembrr'; 'J.i/.--:-l I awke'.s-' .Bay. Cliavn- • |H(HY«i\'ip.i'.! .iiii! ~ 11 i»iuiif..'lViii- ; , nsmciu;;'at tin' Uisiings'LaiyirTeh-; ; po'cc'ii ibenii'iii:ikei.' Association'sj '■ Pouiuainoin^at;..M:\K.iin.- Ji- : 3?5£ ■ - Dcccri 1! > o rit jit 1 j ZPa-?J, < i ; < • and ,"'■ 11 It-np .;; I'm?rnanieiii, • at- -■'"' Reuiuera : January. : I'an'tl ; ;sSJnis Club's'' ! •'' incut ■ '• • raps), at' l l alriaUia/iJ»;;^'f| : January. "2 and 23.—\Vt;lliiTgtoiijfj^rpv '.;.:.J. eial. C'h,mipiouships,'.:at MasterUm..; Lecal Matters. :-•''' Em-mily .club matches-appear,.to lie growing in popularity '■■ locally. ;The Roua Bay and"Mfiritai Clubs 'recently mc-t at* Muritai, and .■: -tho' . Lyall Bay. and Trinity Clubs ■ arc--'-..to 1 , try conclusions d'ii the Lyall .'Hay 'courts.. 'l'hcso fixtures ahvays prove, enjoyable, and ssK>uld^hplp..tp^ in tennis.'V---. Australian Items. E.' Jr. Parker.," who f: reeontly ;won' the Australasian'. Lawn TennisS. Champion-, ship at Perth, also takes, a keen interest in cricket, and is recognised as the leading batsman in Western Australia. Prior to leaving Australia for England"'and the -Continent, . Norman Brookes went to Sydney to interview the official body on matters pertaining to the playing of the Davis Cup matches .next year. It was cxpcctcd that while there lie would meet S. N. Doust in a singles contest 1 at Stratliiield, but the match did not come off, although Brookes and Itico met Doust and Jonesi in doubles. The lour players had previously been taking part in -practice matches against lesser lights, and wore not fresh ivhen they. started. Play therefore ceased when the score stood at, "set all." . ' . World's Covered Court Championships. The King of Sweden and the Crown Prince and Princess were., among the spectators at tii-c world's covered court championships at Stockholm last month. Olio of tho sensational features of the tournament' was" the- second somi-fuinl of tho doubles .-.between'll. ■ Dceugis and M. Cicrmot, aiultho Swedish pair, I''. Moller and T. Granst'ors. was also decided. Tho young' Swedes, who show great promise, made a good light, but the Frenchmen, who were the stronger in service, proved successful after a long struggle, no fewer than 82 games being played-in one or' tho sets. The great disappointment of the fixture was tho outcome of the meeting between A. F. Wilding and G. Setter-* wall in the semi-final'of the singles. Sctterwall had previously shown iine form against Decuy.is and a groat match was anticipated when ho met tho Now 55ea lander. Wildinj, who was at ' his bosti won easily, Sctterwall failing to win a gamo in either of tho first two acts. English (nfluonca on Australia. "Austral." in,the Sydney ''Referee," says that Dr. Haves,; .b.y his visit to Australia in • did great good to Australian play, firstly, ho entirely killed the uso of the. uncovered ball in Victoria, and made.,it.possible for interstate matches to, ; ljs. played -in:'-both States with familiar.implements.• Whether it is a coincidence or not, tiiat very period is tho one .in which Victoria gained the lead she- still holds in these inter-Statu contests. The lesson taught by that.visit- of Dr. Eaves was that success was to be achieved by a persistent attack, tiio aim of \r)iicti was to gain the net at- some risk, if need be, but not at too siroat a risk, and there to press the attack homo without cessation. However, it was the second visit of Dr. Eaves in 1902 that did most for Australian play. In the interval he had travelled all over the world, and while in America had learned the American service, now tho -most universal method of delivery. ■ That scrviee and tho greater art of careful placing and delicacy of touch instead of mere pace aiul hard hitting'he imparted to Norman Brookes, and though tho pupil was not quite able in 11)02 to defeat the master, he ran him to five-sols, leading, in fact, at two sets to love. It seems to me that Brookes had in some degree overlooked tho methods of Dr. Eaves. Jt may be, of course, that he has improved as well on the methods' as on the actual technical skill, but Dr. Haves was always ready' as far as my .necessarily limited experience can judge, if nc-cd arose in any particular match, to go back to a wholly base-line game— ho did so against Webb in 1891—till in each rally ho had worked up bis advantage, "and .to abandon delicacy of stroke lor hitting the- very instant that, it became necessary. That ho also did against llrookes in 1002 in the last two games, when his hitting of every kali, drive or low. volley,- w;as like the lash of a stockwhip. ■ ' ,' The Influence of J. C. Par-be. Australia needed ■ tho lesson taught last November by the second great British instructor, j. C. Parke, tho genial. Irishman of line physique and. speed of foot, ami indomitable pluck (says ."Austral"). That lesson was that not. even Brookes himself, the world's .then undoubted champion, dare take, tho net unless his preceding strsiko was of such skill or strength that Parke'was leifc ro loophole for his running drives. Before he met'Parke, Brookes ■ had conquered the world's, best drivers .by uet play and volleying almost alone, lor. lie had defeated tho scourge.of the Americans S. 11. .Smith,-who had La Filed and-all.-other; volleyers .to .the back line to defeat.-; '. . ■ Hu* tho'not alone • wits not suliiciont ao-aiiist Parke. ■ I do not, in saying that, refer to BrookosV actual doieat in Melbourne' in. tho Davis. Cup, but rather to the later" victories in . which Brookes played finite, a lot at the base lip,-., mid was'most wary m picking the ri-dit ball nn-.whicli to -tiiko the, net. I bone that lesson'will last long in the hi.ihost and in the lowest .tor. oven Brookes must needs,remember it when he roes to England nest-jeai.. Ho wil meet Parke there, "and »« improved Parke who has now learned to stand ( .|«so to take American services,-: 1, I'arko adds to-his,other ab, it.es tho skill of bis great ■ predecessor a.. Jl. Smith," in dealing out destruction >o America ! \ services,;he .will become a terror. uidcod. -■ •'.