[ Lawn Tennis, [BY HuKA

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 09, 11 January 1908, Page 14

[ Lawn Tennis, [BY HuKA

COMING EVENTS. January 22nd and 23rd — Dannevirko Championships and Handicap Tournament, at Dannevirko. January 22nd and 23rd — Wairarapa Championships and Handicap Tournament, at Masterton. March 4th, sth, 6th, 7th— Rotorua Championships and Handicap Tournament, at Rotorua. March 19th and 20th— Hawkes Eay Championships and Handicap Tournament, at Napier. Easter week — M.arlborough Championships, at Blenheim. Tonnis players havo this week beoii coming back to the city from all quarters of New Zealand. Some have returned with trophies in abundance, gained by winning championships or handicaps at the respective tournaments that they havo visited ; others can boast no such honour, but have betn very near iir- only juat beaten. Some say they were beaten by better players, others blamo that horrid umpire, or tako refuge under the everlasting excuses "clean off colour," "was not well," or "I strained my leg." Still, one and all havo tho same story, when asked how did you enjoy yourself? Seemingly at all tho tournaments held on or about Now Year time visitors to other parts had a regular buret of entertainment — dances, bridge parties,- picnics, and such like. Hospitality raged fast and furious. One player who said that he should havo won tho championship of — I forget (?) where he said — blamed tho ice creams at a certain party for putting him off his game. Seven tournaments were hold during tho holiday time, and all received good entries. The Now Zealand Championship Meeting at New Plymouth had the cream of tho players, and the total entries for the five events wero 62. The following is a list of tho entries back to 4903 : — 1903, 83; 190*, 63; 1905, 105; 19C6, 91; 1907, 62. Tho New Zealand Meeting hold at Wellington on tho College grounds still holds pride of place fov the greatest number of entries in championship evonts. Looking at the other tournaments it is found that the Wellington Meeting had 250 entries, Taranaki 221, Auckland 213, Ashburton over 200 f Pahiatua 83, and Hastings 140, making a grand total of 1169 entries for the coven tournaments. The Tarauaki Association hfcaded tho Wellington Association _ by 74; entries to 73 in its championship events, but Wellington had 160. entries (leaving out tho seventeen entries received for tha girls' and boys' events) lo Taranaki's 14-7 in the handicaps. Looking back at tho Wellington Association's meetings, comparisons will be found interesting regarding the entries, which are as follows : —1901, 180; 1902, 162; 1903, 330; 1904, 385 (largest entry ever received at ajiy meeting in NewZealand) : 1905, 327; 1906, 169; 1907, l 208; 1908, 250. Taken generally, all the meeting* wero well managed, but there is still one thing that requires careful looking into by the promoters of tournaments, and that ist the umpiring. There are some first-class umpires to be found at all meetings, and even- at those the competitors will fire nasty cutting remarks, and possibly more telling looks. It is generally the top notohers — only a very fow, thank goodness — who do this, but they aro notorious for it, and it does not inorea&o their popularity with tho general run of players and spectators. Now, turn ,to tho other eido of the picture, Somo\who take tho umpire's chair are absolute dufferE. I do not refer to tho presEod-into-sorvice man, but tho duffers who aro always looking for good matches. They do not know tho rules, and besides cannot tell when a ball is in >cr out, half the time they are muddled with their score sheet, and give strokes in or out according to pressure brought to bear by some "pointing" player. Somb have been known to give the point to the side that did not , appeal, although admitting that the atroko was not _ob?e,ryed i An umpire should never allow spectator!), especially girls, to clamber around Jiis chair; it always Te^ds,. to trouble Who can help .ralkjng^.^'' ttta -charmenr, and, then a etroko i,« miflfi^d.iand troubjto\lbom& up. Often a. game, which, has meant Bet and might possibly have "altered tho, result of tho match, has' been takcH'from a player through the umpire's inattention at a critical stago; iThen, again, lino men are put on who do not know what to do; coiiFequently the umpire -gives a decision without troubling about them. A line man is silent until the fault or out ball comes along, then ho should shout at once, without any appeal. The following itjms concerning; tho Taranaki meeting should bo interesting to closo followers of the sport. In the final Parker v. Fisher — Ist set, Parker 28 aces, Fisher 36 ; 2nd set, Parker 48, Fisher 40 j 3rd f ct, Parker 24, Fisher 10 ; 4th Eet, Parker 33, Fisher 26. Total— Parker 133, Fifcher 112. Ist sot — 5 advantage games ; Fisher took three -of them. 2nd Fet — •Fisher took first four games, all advan« tage ones, and he also took the 10th, tho only other advantago game in the set. It was in this set, at 5—4,5 — 4, that Fisher had his chance, being three times within an aco of set. Fisher went to pieces in the srd set, and only got ono K ame > although reported to have scored 2. Only Eovcn gamod wore played, Parkpr winning 6. Fisher led 4—24 — 2 in the 4th set, the points at that stage being Fisher 21, Parker 17. The former only Eqored 5 points in the remaining four games to, Parker's 16. In tho ladies' final, when Miss Baker led s—l,5 — 1, the hud suorud 23 hcci to Miss Powdroll'i li , iii the remaining 5, Miss Powdrell Ecorod 20 to her opponent's 6. 2nd set, Mis? Powdrell 28 to Miss Baker's 20 ; grand total — Miss Powdrell 61 aces *to 49. Mits Baker Ecorcd 20 aces to Miss Nunneley's 30. In the first set, tho former took five garne3 in Eucoop'sion, and led, s—l.5 — 1. In the 2nd set, Miss Nunneley led "3 love," ecoring 17 aces lo 10. Then Miss Baker took six garner in succession. Topi acea for set, Miss Baker 41 to 32, and grand total for match 77 aces to 62. In the first eat Miss Baker won the only two advantage games played ; four advantage gßinc-s were halved iv the 2nd set. A few other points aro held over uulil next weak. Tho Wellington Toupnament has been the means of bringing out a largo number of joung players, who, having broken tho iqe, will bo certain £tarter& in the future. Howe in particular performed ■nell, and gave Swangton a much better run than Ollivicr did. As v,as expected, the championships, excepting tho mens' doubles, j wcrA divided amongst three players — Mrs. Hiokfon, Miss' Williams, and Swanston, and there enn be no doubt that it would hare been more satisfactory had the championship contest been held over until Eacter. In tho ifendicaps some players I wero treated too well, whijo others wero hardly given a chance. The limit in the first grade handicap could cn'ily have been increased by 10. Ollivier beat Aitkcn in the championship 6—2,6 — 2, 6—4,6 — 4, j'e r Aitken i (owps 10) beat Ollivier (scr) in tho handicap, 60 — 56. The Masterton Club's Annual Championship and Handicap Tournament is to ho held on the 22nd and 23rd of this montn, auc! a large configenf of WeHing-can players intend making the trip. H. A. Parker intends competing at tho Dannevirke Meeting, which )& to bo held on tliu 22nd and 23rd January, as also does Quill, of Chrictchurch. Misses Wollwood and Hitching^ will also be competitors. Thin mooting will give some of the ladies a chance to catch the selector's eye for the Sydney trip. "The AH England Club Committee havo for the seventh successive year decided lo use the Slaaenger tennjs ball for the All England Championships of 1938. The English At-sociution had a proposal beforn it to secure to tho association the light of choosing the ball for the championships, but it was defeated. Tho committeo of tho All England. Club, in making their selection for this year, decided to I fortify whatever opinion they might themselves form by consulting tho eighteen best playors in the 1907 championship meeting, together with Messrs Hillyard, S. H. Smith, and K. F. Dohcrty, who, though not competing, were in confetunt practice Thu result of tho expression of their opinions was that 19 replies were received; of these 18 weie \ia favour of the Sli«:enge£ ball, without

qualification whatever, and tho nineteenth merely stated that the writer was in favour of the best ball being used. Two of those written to did not rejily. The question of which tennis ball should be used for the big championship evont has been causing a lot of annoyance for the last three or four years, but seemingly it IB now settled for good— that is, if the ball chosen keeps up to the present standard.