Lawn Tennis.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 83, 9 April 1910, Page 14

Lawn Tennis.

(IJv "Iluka.") Although the Ea6tcr was better than usual so far ns weather went, yet tho Wanganui Association's tournament and the Hawkes Bay Club's meeting wero hampered towards tho finish by 'am. 'Blair, from Wellington, was looked upon as a certainty for tho Napier Club's championship, but Tipping met him and won 6—5, 6—4. Hawkes Bay players are to bo reckoned with nowadays. Upton, of Auckland, met his futo at the hands of a Hawkes Bay player when competing in the bingles championship of tho latter province, played at Dannovirke. And was it not Alias Uuby Wcllwood, of Hastings, who was the li ret New Zealand player to defeat in a singlo championship the once thought-to-be-invincible Miss Nunneley. Seriously, tho players in Hawkes Bay, especially tho ladies, are forcing their way into tho limelight, and it may not bo long before that province can put tho strongest ladies' teum of New Zealand into tho field. In the handicap events at Napier Miss Ruby Wellwood (owes 20) put up » g^ood game in defeating Miss J. Hindmarsh free. 10) 70—64. Mies Irvino (rco. 20) just beat Mie» K. Braithwaite {sc) 60—48. In tho handicap cotnbinod Mim S. Clarlc and Brubant (rec. 20) beat Miss R. Wellwood and Blair (owe 20), 80—64. The Napier meeting was played on the club* now grounds, situated in Napier South. A good background was obtained by having tho fence painted green. Tennis is on the mov* in Napier, and good things can bo ex* pocted from that quarter next year. A new club has been started in OrmondTitle, and the committee has obtained a leato of grounds front the Wetleyan Church trustee*. -Two tennis and two croquet lawn* wilt be laid down. It is indeed etrango that the South Island ha* not produced any Mar lady players of late years. Miss Campbell, of Dunedin. can (till hold her own with all-comers she has met bolonging to South Island clubs. It would be interesting to tee how a match would go between her and Miss Hartgill or Miss Browster. Mifw Hartgill is a playoi of great promise, and if sb» will continuo to attend big tournaments whero the opposition i« strong her game should improve. Tho South Island Associations should endeavour to improve the play of their ladies by arranging matches with tho North Island Associations, and it| is about time the ladies made their voices hoard upon this question. Mim Novill and Dickio beat Mi«» Lucy Powdrell and Powdroll easily in tho final of tho Wanganui combined championship. Miss Ledger won the Marlborouch championship by beating Miss Douslin (N.Z. champion in 1891, when she beat Mrs. Abraham 3—6,3 — 6, 6—3, 7—5) at 9—2 in the scmi-iinal, and Miss Wright 9—59 — 5 in the final. Misses Lodger and Wright won the ladies' doubles, beating Misses Douslin and Anderson 9—59 — 5 in the semifinal, and Mrs. Menlove and Miss Clarke 9—39 — 3 in tho final. Miss Ledger and M'Shano won tho combined championship, putting Mrs. Hulme and Davey out 9~ 6 in tho final. Davy and M'Shano secured the men's doubles championship from Wiffen and Bagge in the final, 6—3, 6—4. Miss Douslin scored a very fine win in the handicap singles, beating Mrs. Waddy SO — 42. Theio two met in the championchip last year, and the former won, although many thought her opponent the stronger of the two, but tho ox-New Zealand champion has proved that she can et ill hold hor own. Davey and M'Shano i won tho handicap doubles from Bennett and Anderson 70 — 64, and the ladies' doubles went to Mrs. Menlov* and Miss Clarke (roc. 17) by 50—38 from Misses Douslin and Harding. Tho final of the combined was a hard fight between Mrs. Waddy and Waddy (rec. 15) and Miss Wright and. DaVey (owe 10). The backmarkers played a great game, and slowly but surely crept up, but in tho end had to acknowledge defeat 50—46. Tho tournament was the best yet held in Blenheim. The courts were good, and extra interest was added by tho visitors from Nelson. It i* about timo Nelson and , Marlborough arranged an annual match, and there is no doubt that tho two assoI ciatiqni would gain benefit thereby. The [ Wellington association should also try to ! arrange for its second team of men and ladies to %-isit, say, Blenheim one year ami Nelson tho next, and it is quite possible fiaf. both associations across the Strait would gladly return tho visits. By so doing players just below tho top-notcher* would got two matches each year, and it would do tho players, tho sport, and tho associations concerned' a lot of good. Tho time is ripe to inako an effort to get out of the old groove. Players expect (omething from tho committee other than what was considered good enough ten or twenty years ago In fact, a team used to visit Blcnhoim every season a few years back, and good sports were found in tho Marlborough capital; and will bo again if any one has the- energy to try. Mr. C. J. W. Griffiths, Marlborough's vice-president to tho New Zealand Association, is just iho gentleman to take up tho above- idea if it in put to him. Tho Australasian championships aro over for another year, and Rod Heath, of Victoria, h«s coma out on top. R. W. H. beat H. A. Parker and H. Rice in sets ilrai^ht 1/ater, ho met Parker again in the challenge round, and although the ox-Ntw Zealander took the fimt ict at 7—5,7 — 5, Heath camo at him and n<curod tho next three. 6—4, 6-^2, 6—2. Heath had previous'y beaten Rice in the final of tho event 6— 4, 6—3, 6—2. Heath can now claim to be "next best" to Brookes in Australia, and must have a claim for selection when Davis Cup defenders aro wanted. Tho young Victorian has improved his game greatly of late. He does not now cover up hi* back hand, which used to be weak, but goes for his shoe with confidence, and, what is most to tho point, fcores with the shot. His forehand driving and his volleying aro said to be excellent, and, taken all round, both overhead and off tho ground, his gams is particularly sound. H. Rice and Campbell, the New South Wales j.laycrr, won the Australasian as well as the South Australian doubles championship without much opposition. South Australia could only manage to win one championship — Miss Boyce and A It. Taylor, by a splendid effort, beat Miss P. Stewart, of Victoria, and Campbell, of New South Walos, in tho combined championship. 6 — ♦, 7— S. New Zealand ladies will be interested to hear that Misses L. Addison and P Stewart met in the final of tho South Australian championship, Hie former winning eatily. 6—2, 6—4. Tho above pair also took the doubles from MUsos Parr and Boyce at 6—2, 67-O. Heath won the Australian singles in 1905, when this classic, event was inaugurated, but lost it the following year to Wilding, at Chrictchurch. Rico won it in 1907 ; Alexander, tho American, took it the following year; and in 1909 Wilding journeyed to Perth, and, again captured it. Strange to My, neither Brookes nor Parker have yet won the Australasian singles championship. When the timo cornea for the Davis Cup defenders to bo chosen, the following names must attract attention :— Brookes, Wilding, Heath, Sharp, Parker, Rice, Dunlop, and Doust. A real good eight to pick from, and oven wero the two firstnamed to drop out, Australasia would still have real good material— provided the players went into strict training — to defend the cup against tho chosen of the other nations. Who are the first fligbtcrg in Now Zealand? is a, question that has been recently Mkcd, and without going into the why and wherefore, the following appears to be tho order of merit :— Wilding, Swans-ton, Cox, Peacock, Fisher, OUivicr, Blair, Quill, and Brown. Of course, that is taking the players when they are in best form, puivier ia a coining player, and might easily any day advance a stage or two. Brown, on his day out, would euily appear to claim a higher position. Quill, since his tour abroad, is, to a certain degree, an unknown quantity. Ho should have improved, and can, until tho revor«o is proved, claim a position on pait performances. Jennings is another who should bo to the front soon. Now for the ladies. Misses Powdrell, Nunnoley, Wellwood, Travers, Gray, Campbell, Williams, and Baird call for most attention. The threo last-named players have never met, and it i« & question which would come firrt. Mirm>s K. Wellwood, Hartgill, and Butterworth are, so far, practically untried, but »io improving playeri. Mrs. Payne's oxporisnee still itand* to h«r, and tho would win mutches wuort a»ma (4 tho others

would loee Miis Braithwaite may come to tho front again next season : aho plays fino tennis when at her best. Thoro are •ox oral other ladies all about on a par, and it would not be a surprise to the writer to geo tome of them blossom out as greatly improved players this coining seaeon. Miwcs R. Hughes, Brewster, D. Wellwood, and some of our local players are in tiie writer's cyo at the present moment. If tho affiliated association wcro each year to frame a clarification lift of, say, their twelve be*t lady and men plnyers, it would arouso considerable interest. Besides, it would serve as a sort of roll of honour, and would give players in New Zealand generally icrno idea as to how tho veterans hold their own or how tjio young players were, perbane, slowly but juroly finding their way to* the front. It it an idea that might well bo discussed at one of the quarterly meetings of the New Zealand Council.