Lawn Tennis.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 133, 12 June 1909, Page 14

Lawn Tennis.

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Tennis players, especially those who in« tend going to the New Zealand championship meeting at Auckland next Christmas, aro practising ehotß on tho hard courts. Several of the ladies who were, in tho Now Zealand team that did co well in Sydney aro now to be Been standing up at the nel in their games and volleying whenever the opportunity offers. 'Iwo ladies in particular aro as keen on the volleying now as they were in avoiding it before their experienco across the water, a.nd if they and others who hope to advance in their game will only mako themselves moro acquainted with the volleying game, they should improve quite 25 per cent. Tho Brougham Hill Club possibly runs off more club events than any other tennis club in New Zealand. It has just completed its championship events, the winners of which are as follow:—Men's single*, r. 27 j£, Swanston; men's doubles, R. N. K. Swanston and J. A. B. Howe; ladies' singles, Mrs. G. -N. Goldie; ladies' doubles, Mra. G. N. Goldie and Miss Archer; combined doubles, Mrs. G. N. Goldie and F. Laishley. Tho ladies of the Newtown Club havo presented a trophy to the Brougham Hill Olub for a ladies' handicap singles, which starts to-day. Tho trophy is in gratelul recognition. of tho kind action of tho Brougham Hill Club in placing its courts at the disposal of the Newtown members for practice when they were without "a home.'' Victoria wanted the Davis Cup played during the last fortnight in October instead of between 10th November and 10th December, ns already fixed. ho principa,l reasons submitted by the Victorian Association for the proposed alteration were that it would enable the members of the visiting team to sop tho Melbourne Cup, and to compete in the Victorian championship meeting after the Davis Cup; and it was also urged that there would be a better chance of avoiding hot u-eather. Leavo Victoria alone for looking after No. 1, but the Australasian Association decided to 6tick to the lime already agreed upon. The special court that is being prepared for the big match, it was found by a report from the caretaker, would not be in perfect condition by the end of October. So any ono in New Zealand wishing to see the Davis Cup played will require to be in Sydney between tlie 10th of November and the 10th of December. Miss_ Addison, tho Victorian lady champion, is a player who • has come on very fast, and it can be 6afely reckoned that sho will still improve. A year ago she played her back-hand stroke- with both hands on the racket. Should she come to Auckland at Christmas our girls will have to ba above their best form, "just in case of accidents." "Kurrajong," in an Australian paper, has got mixed up somewhat in regard to New Zealand players. He 6ays that Parker and Brown hold the New Zealand championship, whereas it is Parker and Doust. The other pair hold the Taranaki championship Ho also say* that Miss Howell beat Miss Nunneley the first time the New Zealander visited Sydney. Miss Nunneley visited Sydney for the first time in 1896, and beat both the Victorian and Now South Wales champions. "Miss Howell" never beat /Miss Nunneley, but in May of 1897 Miss Hbwitt, champion of Victoria, met and defeated the New Zealander in Sydney. When Miss Stewart beat Miss Nunneley, "Kurrajong" wrote: "As Miss Stewart ranks onl.v as Victoria's best, Australia can still reckon* herself superior " Then that was upset by New Zealand's champion, Miss Powdrell, putting all the "superior" ones out; but, of course, the old cry then came in: "Had Miss Payten been able to play singles in her old form, she would easily have -won again." Miss Payten, without doubt, has been a good player, but if she cannot now play—and "Huka," for one, regrets exceedingly that she cannot as she is as fine a sport a« can be met — what is the use of talking? One might as well say that i had Miss Nunneley, who won the New Zealand championship in 1895, been in her form of that year no player would have lived with her Ivurrajong ' -tells us that "nearly all the New Zealand ladies copy Miss Nunneley's bad example in shirking their backhand" ; but he does not try to advise the New South Wales ladies, who all copy Miss Payten's bad example in foot-fault-ing. The' foot-faulting is a more serious fault than the" shirking of the back-hand, as it should, with a "fair" umpire, ba called every time. The "All England" Championships start at Wimbledon on 21st June. Tickets, at ono guinea for the meeting, wero applied for in largo numbers as far back as February, oven though there will bo no competitors from or Australasia of tho Wright-Brookes-Wilding quality. Miss Stewart, the Victorian player, has had experience in the game outside of Australia. In 1804 she won the Ladies' Doubles Handicap at the South African Championship Meeting held on the Wanderers' courts, with - Mrs. George Washington. The latter lady is now South African lady champion. Her forte lies moro in volleying than in ground stroke play, while her treatment of overhead balls is both sound and convincing. She never suffers from nerves, and never allows herself to be put off by a doubtful decision Sho is indebted to tenacity of purpose for her knowledge and acquirement of the game, and her progress has been most rapid.