Lawn Tennis.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue LXVII, 30 January 1904, Page 14

Lawn Tennis.

(BT lIUKA.) Tho Tarnnnlci Chnmpionahip >reeting wns a lmgo flucccss, and should help th« Kumc along considcmljly in tlmt district. Ihe commilteo and Mr. Giillllhs (tho Secretary) worked with a might «nd main llwt calls for congratulatiotia ntid udmiration. H. A. Park«r, the Ne^ Zealand cluampion, .shono out n» iho bright star of tho meeting, and flhm tho envy of all ruckctwieldew. Jlw piny wo» hrillinnt, hut judgment excellent, wlulft hw condition wjw «n ohject-lw>son to ono and nil. No one can grudgo hint tho wtcccw, u» l>o traiiu* with a method, and nlso hi«.practice—lianl practice—is inn»t ronxistont. lMayei* who umpire to hecomo chnnipiona cannot do bettor than adopt hi* methods. Jluw Xunneloy fchowwl bettor form than nhe did at 'Napier, n« elie had timo to acquire her true form, nnd played right up to it. Without doubt Mio is n wondw, cud tho pluyer wlio cjm lower her colours will indeed be Bomething out of tho ordinary. No lady can expect to do it unity* in* tho pink of condition, and besides, miwt have had «onie good, hard, fafet, solid practice, to bring her up to the Kuiy cliampion's sUmdard. Miss Powdrell and Ailains did well in winning the combined championship. Mrs. Poarce and Misw l'owdrell put up a lino fight against MLssoa Nunncley and Hnrmnn, and to Uiko 9 games agaiiiwt 12 shows that they aro a pair who will yet givti. bettor rcAults. Sli»s Nunueloy kept MU*5 I'owdrcll in check in tho final of tno Singles, and although the latter lady played a tiuo game, sho did not look a winner at any stage. JJickio and Wallace aro a pair who aro coming on fast, and tlioy gavo Parker and Adams a shock by taking the first set in tho final of the Championship Doubles B—6.8 — 6. Parker wn» on his mettle, and gave a splendid exhibition in the next two sets, and his partner aluo played well. Score.i: 6—2, 6—2. The Masterton Club in to bi> congratulated upon the succms of the Ninth Annual Wuirarapa Championship Meeting. The- meeting wan held under tiie auspices of the club, nnd the commitUje, headed by the club's popular Secretary (Mr. X. 1). Bunting), did all in their power to make ..he gathering thfo aucce«w it wa«. L. W. Hawkins gave Young a hard fight, and Broad pushed Cox for nil ho 4 wu.s worth, only being just beaten. lie took 14 games to Cox's 17. Thoeo two matches wero the best in the Championship Singles. To MUw E. Travels must b& given tho laurel wreath for tho meeting, tibo won tho Championship Singles with case, although sulfering from a badly-strained ankle, received the day before leaving Wellington. Mifts K. Williams played well against Miss C. Faunin, but fell to Miss Pay ton, who, in turn, wok cattily beaten by tho Wellington Club's champion in tho final.' Miss Travels, although giving big &tartn in tho Handicap Singles, won the event, and, except in her game, with Miss Penny (who received 20), which she won 50 — 48, was never troubled. The Wellington Club pair ran away with tho Handicap Doubles from tho scratch mark, both playing well together. In tho Combined Handicap Seilar and Miss Pay ton, and Brown nnd Miss Travers had too much handicap, and they fought out Iho final, the Wellington pair winning. These pairs would probably have reached tho final had they both been on tno 5 mark. Blundell and Miss Williams were outliAndicappcd compared with the. pairs in tho tinal. Six players out of Iho eight in tho third round of tho Mcn'B Handicap Singles hailed from Wellington, and the fourth round saw Wellington, Petone, and Thonulou Clubs' representatives .still in tho hunt; but tho final was fought out. between Blundell and Brown, both of the Wellington Club, tho latter player winning easily, as he did in all tho round!:. This Wellington Club won 5 events out of the 8 on tho programmo Victoria College defeated Otaki by 16 «et« to 3 in a match held nt Otaki last w(K>k. Otaki ha« wmo very good players, Winchester, Whitehorn, and the Snncox Brother.-* being tho be&t men, wliilfc Misses Young, Sinicox, and Mis. Winchester nre th© befot lady playcis. The visitors had a most enjoyable day, every attention being giveu them by iho local players. A team from the Brougham Hill Club had a miwt enjoyable outing at Hona Buy ta n h week, when a .M-iics of games wn« played with the Hona Bay Club. Victoiy rested with the town club by a umall margin. Tho Kamri Club gavo a team fiom Brougham Hill a very pleasant day's outing at tho Karori courts on Anniversary rw £»vj defeated, tho Karori

' players aro looking forward lo n return match which no doubt will result in a much kerner contest. Taita Club had a contest Avith Karori afc Taita on. Iho .samo date, and the games were all interesting, many, indeed, ucing hotly contested. No ncoivm are to band. Kliiindalluh visited llorokiwi Valley last week, and just "got home." by tho narrow margin of 7 sets to 6 in tho first of the Shield matches in the Horowhenua Centre. Tho llorokiwi ladies played well, Avinuing 5 sets out of the 6 they Avero in, but Harris Avas tlio only man to place a win to llorokiwi in the Men's Single* or Doubles. Tin Valley Club's playeis aro to be congratulated upon tho good light they made, and Avith earnest practice llw-y should do better next time. Brougham Hill I. put up a good record bA r defeating a mixed team from the T*liorndon Club by 11 wts to 2. For the Avinning team Amies probably never played a better gamo iv bis life. In fact, all the Aviuuera played right up to their best form. Gowcr buttled hard against Laishley, but in vain. LincLsay, by good steady play, beat Didsbury, although the latter is a most dashing player Avho will yet make his mark. Hunter and Guy had a dingdong go. Guy led 6—3,6 — 3, but thrco games went in succession to his opponent and aix all wan called. Uuy served and Avon next game, as did Hunter tho next. Both kept on Avinning on their service until 10 all avos scored, then Guy failed on his service, and Hunter led 11 — 10, then going on, Avon his service game, Avhich guA'o him tho match 12 — 10. It avus a groat fight, both players being loudly applauded at tho finish. Hunter has cultivated a real good service, and it camo "off every time. Mrs. Holmes Avas out of form, and Miss Marchant did not seem to get going. Tho Brougham Hill Indies pliiycd nplcndidly, especially Miss Ward, in her single. Mrs. Howe and Miss Ritchie- combined avcll in tho double against Misws Batham and Hislop, winning from the start. The Wellington Association has de- f cided to havo 12 courts for the Easter Tournament. This means that 12 ground committeemen Avill bo required, ono for each court, and it behoves any tennis player who can spare the timo lo ut once offer his services. The samo old goodnatured workers should not havo to put their shoulders lo the Ayhecl overy time, and it is to be hoped there are sports onougli amongst the clubs to at once- relievo tho committee of this task. Then, ••'gain, any player avlio does not intend playiug at Easter can render valuable service by nt oni-e offering liU stTv-ic-s as umpire. To make tln.*e meetings a success, Borne- players haA'e lo work instead of play, bufc players should remember that Avifch no Avorkers there can be no play. I hupe to heaj by nest week that moro Avorkcra than arc required have offered their services.