LAWN TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 57, 1 December 1923, Page 18

LAWN TENNIS.

(By

“Forehand.”)

BROUGHAM HILL CLUB The Brougham Hill Club has completed its handicap events, and has commenced the competition for the Laws Trophy. Last year’s competition for thia event was won by Airs. Hooper. The competition is counter! on the result of the games played throughout the Saturday afternoons, the prize going to tho one who at the end of the season has had most wins. W. Hay and C. Kerr lead with 3J wins each. Misses Wild, Kelly. Tracy, and D. Howe are next with 3 games each. A time limit has been introduced and has proved most successful, meeting with almost unanimous approval. Players telco tho courts for 26 minutes at the end of which time a bell is rung and another batch of players have their twenty minutes. A detailed examination of the games to a set is interesting. Two teams won at 3 games to a set, nine at 4. twenty-five at 5, ton at 6, twelve at 7. four at 8, and two at 9.

Entries will shortly be called for the championship events, which it is proposed to commence as soon after Christmas as practicable.

N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIPS 9

TO BE HELD AT CHRISTCHURCH. The thirty-fourth annal championship of New Zealand will be held on the United Club’s courts, Christchurch, on December 26, 27, 28. 29, and 31, and following days if necessary when ten grass courts will bo used. Entries will close on December 13. The championship events will include’s men’s and ladies’ singles, men’s and ladies’ doubles, and combined doubles. The men’s events will be the best of five advantage sets, and the ladies’ best of three advantage sets. The combined doubles will also be best of three advantage sets. There will also be played the junior singles championships for boys and girls/They will be decided on the best of three sets, the third set only being advantage. These two latter events are “open only to boys and girls under 18 years of age at the date of application, and who are bona fide pupils attending any primary or secondary school, college, university, technical school or college, commercial school, or other recognised educational institution, either as day or evening pupils,, or are. members of any affiliated tennis club in New Zealand.” The rules under which the matches will be played will be those recently drawn up by the. international federation and adopted in New Zealand as from November 1 last. These rules are not very much different from the old, but they are more elastic as regards tho service. Whereas in the old ni’es to move the front foot constituted a footfault one may iiow do almost anything with the feet provided bofli are kept clearly behind the base line and one foot at least kept on tho ground until the ball has lioen struck. The international rules provide also for a ten minutes rest at the end of the third set. but the New Zealand Council insists that the rest shall not be longer than three minutes.

The association scoring the greatest number of points at the meeting shall hold the Anthony Memorial Cup and the -New Zealand Association Banner until the next championship meeting. Tho points will count as follows: Men’s and ladies championship singles. 3 points each ; men s and ladies’ championship doubles and combined championship doubles. 2 points each: boys and girls singles. 1 point each. The draw is to be made on Saturday night, December 15 at 8 p m., and competitors have the right to be pre sent at the draw. Tho entries for the championship meeting held last year, numbered 23/. which constituted a record. There were 71 entries in the men’s singles, 88i tor tho men’s doubles. 30 for the ladies singles, 20 for the ladies' doubles, 48 for the combined doubles 12 for the boys’ singles, and 10 for the girls singles. . Tlit tournament, too, was notable for tho participation of a team of ladies from New South Ma es. This year’s tourannient at Christchurch will include a team, also from Now South ' AVales but it will be a team of men. The'champions in tho sever a., events last year were:—Men’s singles, G. Olivier who beat J. T. Laurenson ; men s doubles, Laurenson and Olhviei, who bea-t Peacock and Sims; ladies singles, Miss Lance (N.S.W.), who beat Mrs. Lascelles (N.S.AV ); ladies’ glides, Misses Lance and Lloyd (N.S.W.), beat Mrs. Lascelles and Gray fN S W.) : combined doubles, Miss Laiico and A. AV. Sims, beat Miss Macfarlano and Robson. SOUTH WAIRARAPA TOURNEY I have been r-1 vised _ that the South Waira.rapa championship and handicap tournament will be held on the courts of the Martinborough Lawn Tennis Club on December 26. 27, and 28. There are six grass courts available, all in first-olasu order. The event - ' includft singles and -ionblos (UuUws and

men’s), and combined doubles championships and handicaps. All matches are to be played advantage points. Entries close with the secretary, Mr. E O. Lock, Martinborough, on December 19. The secretary intimates that he is prepared to try to find accommodation for any entrant applying. WELLINGTON CLUB The Wellington. Club Lias lost no timo in getting through its handicap events, and will soon be making the necessary arrangements for its championship games. The club has initiated the really excellent principle of having both junior and senior championships, tho division being made on the standard of play of the competitors. Handicap events are established, or should be established for those pl a J ors wh ° are not up to championship form, and those who are up to such form have no reason to complain if they are handicapped out of it. That the scratch men of the Wellington Club were so handicapped was obvious, two or three of thknn having to owe 15 in 50 points up. , . . The division into senior and junior

will do much to hasten the compeltion of the events, and also make for a higher standard of play all round. Hitlierto the championship events have been overlooked, with competitors who, from the very outset, had not the remotest possible chance of surviving the first round, but who would have made a creditable showing in a junioi' championship among players more of their own calibre. No player should enter for a senior championship event unless confident of being able to make a respectable showing against anyone he or sho may be called upon to meet in such championships. In connection with the Wellington Club men’s championship singles, Mrs, N. B. Barkman has presented a. shield to be competed for for fourteen years, at the end of which, time it becomes the property of the player who has won it the greatest number of times. In the event of two or more players having their names on the shield an equal number of times, the committee has the power in its discretion to give the shield to the one it deems most worthy to possess it. It is a handsome silver shield, the design and workmanship of Mrs. Barkman herself. It is oliptical in shape, and has fourteen places for the names of the fortunate winners, one for each vear. The shield will be known as he Powdretll Shield. Mrs. N. R. Powdrell is giving also fourteen silver buttons, one to be given each year to the winner of the shield. " Such a shield should help materially to raise the standard of tennis in the Wellington Club, and I would not bo surprised to see a similar course pursued in other clubs. Mrs. Barkman and Mrs. Powdrell are deserving of all praise for tho practical illustration of their enthusiasm for tho game of tennis and their deeire to encourage and foster it. SECONDARY SCHOOLS’ TOURNEY 'lTie second annual secondary schools ’tournament will be commenced to-day on the Brougham Hill Club, St Patrick’s College, and the Wellington College courts. All competitors axe asked to bo in attendance at the Brougham Hill Club courts not later than 8 o’clock this morning, when group photographs will be taken. The games will start on the respective courts as soon as possible after the photographs have been taken. An early start will be necessary as there will’be nearly 200 games to bo played, the. juniors playing to 30 points, the seniors to 40. The junior boys will play at St. Patrick’s College, tho junior and senior girls at Wellington College, and the senior boys at Brougham Hill. The play at Brougham Hill will bo in charge of Mr. W. J Howe, and he will have with him Miss Loftus md M:s Tayior. Messrs. Walls. McWillianii. and Fathers will bo in attendance at tho Boys’ College, whilst. Mr. Atkinson will take charge at St. Patrick’s College, and will bo assisted by Mr. J. Russell and Father Kingan. The umpiring will be dons by the children themselves. From the entries I have seen there aro several promising players competing. Among tho seniors aro to be found T. Wagg (Lower Hutt), Ferkins and Kerr (Wellington College), C. M. Watt and R. O’Brien (Scots College), Mildred East and Jean Shortt (Wellington Girls’ College). The juniors include C. Malfroy (St. Patrick’s Colley), C. McArthur (Scots College). Rita May (Petono), Doris Howo and Dorothy Nicholls (Wellington Girls’ College). It is rather surprising to find Miss Nicholls’s name included among the juniors. No doubt a right to do so in point of age out,a girl whoso standard was sufficiently high last season to permit of her inclusion in a senior ladies’ team playing in tho inter-dub matches, and who this season is on the renicr ladies' ladder at tlio Potevie Club, ought surely to take her piace among the ceiAox-t. where

her chances of winning (even there) will be very bright. As it is, with this girl competing among the juniors, the result in this section is a foregone conclusion. The winners of the various events last year were: —Bovs’ singles, senior and junior, R. Ferkins (W.8.C.); boys’ doubles, senior, Ferkins and Kerr (W.8.C.); girls’ singles, junior, D. Nicholls (W.G.C.); girls’ singles, senior. K. Luoena (W.G.C.); girls’ doubles, junior. M. East and D. Nicholls (W.G.C.) ; girls’ doubles, senior, K. Lucena and I. Meadows (W.G.C.). NEWTOWN CLUB The Newtown Club, due to the delay in the completion of the top-dress-ing of the co’J ids, was late in starting its handicap events. Despite the lateness of the start, however, there has bpen ample time for the play of more games than have been played to date. There is no need wliy handicap or even championship events should be allowed to drag their weary length until people become tired of thorn. Although these remarks are made in connection with the Newtown Club, they must not be construed to apply only to it-. Most other clubs are in a similar position. The recent top-dressing of. the courts was, I believe, the first in eight years, and now the four courts are among the best hard courts to lie seen in Wellington. The whole aspect of the club is one of compact neatness reflecting all credit on the caretaker, Mr. Curtis. / MIRAMAR COURTS The decision of the Bank of New Zealand directors to set aside £5OO towards the funds for completing the association courts at Miramar must bo extremely gratifying to the committee, in as far as it shows the value in which’ such a scheme is held by men who are essentially practical and businesslike. It will "give an added impetus to those who are indulging in the not very pleasant task of canvassing, and should be the means of inducing other companies and firms to subscribe something to the schemes. To have provided the means whereby n busy man or woman, or youth, can indulge himself or herself in a. healthy form of recreation, and thus obtain health, happiness, and enjoyment is a great thing. To have a contented staff means better services and a higher standard of efficiency resulting in greater productivity, which in turn tne?ns more profits. such a scheme as that inaugurated by the "Wellington Lawn Tennis Association, tho business peorile of Wellington are not giving something and getting nothing in return. They will be doing in a small way what has been done on a large scale among those businesses which, have formed model villages. The. motive behind them has been the realisation that a healthy, happy, and contented staff Is the best paying business proposition at present on the market. Such stuffs pav dividends. Tho terms of the Wellington. Lawn Tennis Association, as has been so often pointed out. are generous. For the payment of £lOO. not necessarily in a liimn sum. the firm or company, is given the right to nominate four bona-fide members of the staff as lifemembers of “the association courts, and to alter the personnel of such nominees whenever it deems _ fit. At the present time the association has ilie lease of th* grounds for 25 years, and there is every reason to believe that at the end of that term the lease will be renewed by the City Council, who are the owners of toe land on which the courts are. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS In a handicap each player has ton services. Should! one player have a handicap of twelve and the other six, they change, when the unit figure is eight; that is, twentyeight. thirty-eight, etc. Should the game be fifty up advantage and the score reach 50—49. the . one serving continues to do so until he or his opponent establishes a lead of two points, even though the sexver serves more than ten services. TAITA CLUB To-dav is to be a dav of some importance in the historv of the Taita Club. Many of the notabilities of Wellington tennis are to be present for the opening. There will be present: :Misses N. Curtis. M. Tracy. Travers, Mesdames W. J. Melodv. and G. N. Goldie, and Messrs. G. N. Goldie, D. M. Kean J. C. Peacock. W. J. Melodv. G. Shimon. D. F. Sloman, R. N. K. Swanston. A. G. Hendterson, and N. F. Stnrman. A bus will meet the 2.5 train from Wellington •at Lower Hutt, to take nassensrers to Taita, returning when necessary. PRIMARY SCHOOLS’ TOURNAMENT

Arrangements , are being made by the lion, secretary of the Primary Schools Association to call the annual meeting on Wednesday. December 5, at 4 p.m.. at the Education Board office. to consider details for the primary schools tournament. which has been fixed for December S. On Monday. December 10. when the combined doubles will be played, all competitors will assemble at the Broughah Hill Club courts at. 8 a.m.. for the purpose of having their photographs taken. Owing to tho dearth of courts and the great increase in the number of entries. Mr. Melodv has been compelled ("very reluctantly, he assures me), to advocate restriction of entries to eight singles and four doubles from each school for each event. Even with this restriction, it is more than probable that tho “sectional draw.” which was so successfully instituted at last year’s tournament bv Mr.. Melody, will also ho worked again this tournament in order to expedite tho running of this .popular gathering, at which some 30 citv and suburban schools are expected to participate. Last year, with the eight sections running on 33 courts belonging to eight citv clubs, 100 games were averaged per hour on the opening dav. The tournament was carried through without a hitch, reflecting the greatest credit on the organisers.

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