Lawn Tennis.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 27, 1 February 1908, Page 14

Lawn Tennis.

[Br Htjka ] I '

COMING iSVE^sTS. March 4th, sth, 6th, 7th—Rotorua Championships and Handicap Tournament, at Rolorua. March 19th and 20th—Hawkes Bay Championships and Handicap Tournamout, at Napier. Easter week — Marlborough Championships, at Blenheim. April 17th, 18th, and 20th—Brougham Hill Open Championship and Handicap Tournament, at Brougham Hill courts, Wellington. April 17th, 18th, and 20th—Canterbury Championships and Handicap Tournament, at Linwood Club's courts, Chrietchurch. April 18th and 20th—Hamilton Club's Open Championship and Handicap Tournament, Hamilton. April -18th and ,21st— Inter-University Championships, at Kaituna Club's courts, Dunedin. IXTER-CLUB MATCHES. The inter-club matches weic contested last Saturday in somewhat trying circumstances, the weather being very hot, and the air seemed laden with smoke from the bush fires, besides which a strong gusty wind did not add to the- comfort of players In the- Cup contest the Wellington team romped all' over the V.C team, taking all the sets. liiCheibaum took six games from Ward, but the latter could haraly be earn to have any anxious moments. Munsnetd aiso played up plucluly against fcSalek. 'iho lattor was too experienced, and won a well-played match by 9 games vo 6. .Lawson held lair easily at the start, but the V.C. piayer plugged on, and managed to Ecoro avß games before his opponent ran out a winner. Miss M'lnto,sli wa6 the only Y.fcJ. lady to go near winning. She kept Mr 6. I'ierard extended to the very last, taking the games cut' of tho twelve played, Misses Diamant and Howard, vwo young 1 players belonging to the Wellington team, played well, and showed good form. With caroful coaching thc&o two young ladies will make very good players, but now is tho limo that thecoaching would do them good. Karon had a comfortable win from Newtown by 9 sets to *. The winning team Iku improved upon its wiu in tho first round, when it just managed to get homo by 7 sets to 6 The teams wero not quits the strongest that can be put in the field, many of the players belonging to each club being still away holiday-making. Siieppard gave- Srnytho a good run, although beaten by a margin of three games. This young player is improving, <iud with a little more study as to how he lost in matches, will become a haider nut to crack Grady had Falconer beaten very early in his match. The ex-Otago man cam do with a little training to give him condition. Murray had a most creditablewin from Henderson. The winner was in good form, and had every confidence in himself, being just back from the Masterton meeting, where he won tho becond grade singles from scratch. Powell and Beero played a hard open game, but th& Newtown man was a shade superior all xound. Ho has come on well this season, aiul gives e-*ery promise of impioving *till further. Karovi defaulted a man'& double, I" but won all the other matches. Misses Smytho and Ga\in won their tingles casL ily, but were all tut beaten, by Mr?. r Brown and Miss Redward in the double. Sheppard aud Grady save Smytho and Henderson a great run in the first double, and with a little moro experioncc re keeping the play away from Smythe would havo won. Brougham Hill won by 9 seia to 4 from Petone. Neither team had its strongest side in the field,, tho winners being weak in the ladies, whilst Pelone were without Hawkins and Kirk. Cornell gave Hcnve a hard fight, and is slowly but surely improving m his play. As usual, Watkins played the quick and lively game. For a playct whd dooii «o much galloping at practice, ho keeps his form in a most wonderful' manner, but etaleness often comes when leaet expected. "Be warned in time" is a good tip to the players who will practice and continue practice when tired out Marrlner 'won easily from Austin, and Maddox had no trouble in defeating Johnson^ Maddox won Uio handicap single at tho Master}on meeting from tho rec. 20 mark. He played wcli right through; his bebt match was against Young (serattli). , His great forte is that ho can bo depended to return almost anything —except, perhaps, lobs. The Petono ladif»s wero superior to ths winning teaui'x Indies, n,ud secured both the singles and the doubles. Pnrkiuscm and Miss Homo fought hard againtt Herd and Airs. Burton, and when six all was called had a groat chance, but the latter pair just had enough loft to secure a well-merited win by ono game. - In the Pennant contests Brougham Hill B put Johnsonvillo down by 6 set 3 to 1. Tho losers were without tho services of Dr. Robertson, which possibly made a lot of difference to them, his single and double wont by default. Elior just beat Eon Id, and Ciarko surprised a few by putting Moore out by ono game. Mies Murray beat Miss Wilson by three games, but the loFer was hardly so many games inferior. Tho (own pair, Misses Murray and Hogg, just won on, the post from Mtf. Mooie aud Mits Wilson. Mi.-. Moore and Moore y>cured thu only honour for Johnsonville, beating- M;es Hogg and Edward by threo gomes. \ Broughani liul' a had an ea»y win ffora V.C. B, (ho only tct secured by Iho ln<tfi T (-earn being iho combined, in which Miss Taylor .and Tudhopo made a great recovery, and beat Miss Richardson and Hurley, 7—5, when tho set seemed lost. Duncan got away from Lawrence at first, but tho latter finding his game,, took 9 games in tuccesEion and match 9 —\. In tho racquet competition, Kilbirnie again accounted for Brougham Hill B team, by a slightly better margin as far as games are concerned than when they met before. Hutchings ?yor all over Smith, who seemed to bp somewhat off his unial game Arden played well and beat Croskorry easily. Dart is playing consistently, and had a good win from the px-Inyeicargill player Uren. Dart and Hutchings had all their work cut out to win from Smith and Uren—tho latter pair have not yet had a chance to secure combination. Misses Price and Harland played a close game, the former just being a shade safer, which enabled her to secure the neresbary advantage. The other sets were won easily by Kilbiruio., Brougham Hill A put Muritai out badly, the latter team boing unable to tcore a Eet. O'Loary and Howdcn bad a longorawn out fight, and the latter being very game stalled off defeat time and again, but O Leary was out to win and pulled it off at 9—7. Veen romped homo from Wright, j»s did William* from Sanson. The Alleges harrowby played their best games this to=.,cn au<f -won easily m nil their matches. The men's doubles war a good battle between O'Leary-Vcen and How-den-Wright. The former pair worked hard for a win and probably secured it by their oxtra aggressiveness. Tho Day's Bay courts wore beautifully green, and it was indeed a treat to gaze upon fucli greenness, whilst everywhere else nothing meets the oyo but dried up grass and parched ground. But for all that it was not so easy to play on the courte—they had evidently been flooded with water by damming up the creek, and consequently woro very soft, and tho weed had flourifched in great style —to such an extent in fact that players when trying to get a quick start found that it was like stepping on iee —some s-ntd that it was even more slippery. Still these times one can hardly expect lawns to be perfect, but they can be kept closely cut, ana advico bhoidd be given as to how they should bo watered. >. The Masterton Club's meeting drew 20 entries for the four championships, and 85 for tho seven handicap events, making in all a total of 105 entries. (The entries last year were 114). Only three Masterton ladie3 competed this year, which seems a pity, but they are moro intent on making the visitors enjoy themselves than for playing at the game. Tho courts woro in good order on the first day, but of course on the morning of tho second day tho misty rain made them somewhat slippory. The management as usual was excellent, and the lion, sec, Mr. Bunting, had everything in applp-pie order. Sixtyone matches were got off on tho first day, which speaks volumes for the geneial allround work of the committee. Further items re this meetinz. also the

Dannevirke tournament, and the proposed vidt of the New Zpaland ladies' team to Sydney are crowded out, and will appear next week.