Lawn Tennis.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 118, 21 May 1910, Page 14

Lawn Tennis.

fßv "Huka.") During the summer season tennis has flourished in New Zealand. All the afnilia^ted associations ,held championship tournaments, and in every case players entered freely—from the end of December, 1909, to Easter, 1910, the fine total of twenty-four tournaments were held. From reports gathered, the tournaments were all well patronised by spectators, and it is evident chat the genera] public is now taking a greater interest in the sport than it has done in former years. It is to be regretted that only three inter-association matches were played; as usual, Taranaki met Auckland, and Canterbury played Otago and Wellington. Nelson, Marl borough, and West Coast could easily arrange a triangular contest, which would do much to foster tho game in those provinces. Hawkes Bay, Wanganui, and Taranaki, and also Wellington, might with advantage arrange matches with one another. Inter-county matches are regularly played in England, and associations in New Zealand should be encouraged to arrange annual fixtures. Coming to the clubs : It is a fact that some clubs regularly run off the usual five championship events, and also five handicap events, but other clubs ars content to have singles championships only, whilst many clubs do not even run a single event. Associations would be encouraging the sport by requesting clubs to annually arrange for the club championships, and if a record were kept of the winners, the resujt would be interesting history in years to come, and, besides, would be a guide as to who were the best players in New Zealand clubs. A definite rule as to the events being clayed off hi a certain time, would bring to an end, onoo and for all, the trouble which at present delays—and in some cases kills—club championships. Players who have entered for certain events seldom make a start with their matches until absolutely compelled to do so by the committee, and some scheme should be de-. sired and strictly adhered to, whereby a player or players could not delay the playing of the ties in any event. Every fine Saturday players attend the local courts in good numbers, and it is the intention of many to continue practice^ —more so this year than in the past—right through the winter. Many jcung players flourish during the winter, and upset the calculations of handicappers in the early tournaments. The player who does so is the one who has mapped out his or her plan to steadily practice with the sole idea of improving their weak shots. They do not play games or sets with the idea of being winners every time, but to ooiiijner some 'weakness in their own play. Mr. W. E. Evelegh, the first^ profes. sional tennis referee and handicapper, is dead. Mr. Evelegh was associated, in his capacity of a journalist, with lawn tennis from its infancy, and, although many have followed his example, none ever had his success. To the day of his death he stood alone as the fhvesi. tournament manager in the lasud. English tennis players will miss his familiar figure, his ever-ready smile, fo/ he was a man of light-htsart-ed disposition, and his great, strength of character, innate sense of fairness and impartiality, which is really the true sporting instinct, together with his admirable tact, will long cause players who have met him to cherish the memory of this hard and conscientious worker. TENNIS ON THE CONTINENT. Max Decugis, the French champion, has of late been carrying all before him. In the South of France championship — won last year by the American, F. B. Alexander—fine entries were received. Decugis worked his way through to the final somewhat easily, and M. J. G. Ritchie likewise had an easy passage until he met Stan Doust, the Sydney player, in the semi-final. Ritchie won the first set 6—3,6—3, then Doust evened, taking the second set 6—0;6—0; but he had expended too much of his energy in winning by his set to love, and was beaten 6—46—4 m the final. The final saw a great match. The Frenchman sprinted from the start, and took the first set, 6—2.6—2. Ritchie is noted for his stubborn, plugging game, and slowly but surely he was taking the steam -out of his opponent. Still, by great brilliancy, Decugis took .the second set, 6—4. He was

in distress for a time during the third set, which Ritchie took at 6—3. In the fourth 4>et Decugis again made the pace, and forged ahead, but the Englishman, by steady play from the base line, evened at "5 all," and as he was the fresher of the two it looked his set. Three times he held the advantage game, but Decugis, by sheer pluck, secured the set at 13—11, and match. In the doubles, ! Decugis and Ritchie beat Doust and Wallis Myers, 6—3, 7—5, B—6, and thus avenged their Monte .Carlo defeat by the Australian-English combination. A. Holmes, of America, partnered with Miss Brook-Smith, of England, sprang a surprise by defeating Decugis and Countess Schulenburg, the German lady champion, in the final of the combined championship, 6—3,6 —3, 6—2.6 —2. Decugis (owe 40) won the handicap singles easily. At Mentone he beat G. H. Simond (England) in the first round of the championship of the Riviera, 6—2,6 —2, 6—2.6 —2. Doust retired to Holmes, the American, and then Decugis beat Holmes, 6—1,6 —1, 6—2.6 —2. In the final, Decugis led Ritchie 4—2,4 —2, but the former slipped and sprained his foot. He could not go on playing, and decided to retire, but Ritchie, not wishing to take advantage of the mishap, retired, and, in a thoroughly sporting spirit, insisted on Decugis taking the Cup. The doubles were finished befere the accident, and the DecugisRitchie combination beat Doust and Simond, 6—4,6 —4, 8—6,8 —6, in the semi-final, and won the final easily. Dousfc and Simond gave the winners a great run, and looked like winning the second set when leading 4—2.4 —2. DAVIS CUP. The Lawn Tennis Association of England invited America to play the preliminary tie for the Davis Cup m England, at Wimbledon, offering them the same guarantee that America gave England last year. The amount guaranteed by America last year was £400. The Lawn Tennis Association of England had £427 Is 4d balance on account of the international match for 1908. Subscriptions for the year 1909 amounted to £265 10s, and expenses on account of the international match of 1909 were £281 7s 6d (that was when I a team was sent to America). i Decugis and Mme. Decugis defaulted to Ritchie and Miss Salusbury in the final of the combined. The defaulting pair had beaten Doust and Miss Hawley m a previous round, 6—0,6 —0, 7—5.7 —5. At Cannes —the Beau Site meeting — Decugis and Ritchie again met in the final of the championship singles, when Decugis caused a sensation by retiring at a stage when he looked all over a winner. He took the first and second sets at 6^ —4 respectively; then Ritchie, with his usual doggedness, won the third at 8—6.8 —6. At this stage Decugis retired, for no apparent reason, and he did not appear to be at all distressed. Nettleton, an American, who had shown good form in England last year at the Folkestone tournament, ran Decugis to 6—4, 6—4, in the semi-final. The doubles went to Ritchie and'Decugis easily, as Doust and Myers retired. Decugis had a field .day, as it were, at Easter, as he won "the treble event" in tho covered court championship of France, played at Paris. A. H. Lowe (England) met him in the final of the singles, but was handicapped by having to go into court after a gruelling match with his countryman Powell, whereas Decugis was comparatively fresh. Lowe played, brilliantly at first, and took the first set 6—0,6 —0, but could not keep the pace up, and Decugis won the other sets 6—l, 6—2, 6—2. Decugis and Germofc beat Lowe Brothers in the doubles (third round), 7—5,7 —5, 9—7,9 —7, and won the final from the other French pair, Cavet and Micard, 6—1,6 —1, 6—2,6 —2, 4—6,4 —6, 6—2.6 —2. Just as it were to finish matters off, Decugis and his wife won the combined championship, beating Wallet and Mile. Aperanza, 6—l, B—lo, 6-4. At Monte Carlo, in the handicap singles, M. Decugis (owe 30), M. J. G. Ritchie (owe 40), and Doust (owe 46) were the back markers'. The two lastnamed went out in the first round, but the Frenchman was just pipped in the third round by Baron Saillard (rec. 15, 4—6).4 —6). Doust and Good won the doubles handicap from the scratch mark. Decugis beat Ritchie in the "FormeBecherat" Challenge Cup competition, at Mentone, 6—3,6 —3, 6—3, 6—3. WILDING ON THE CONTINENT. The Wiesbaden championship meeting has an attraction for New Zealand players, and it was no surprise to hear of Wilding again competing there. Decugis was too good for our champion, and beat him three sets straight —l 9 games to 13 —for the Wiesbaden championship. Then, when tne two met again in the final of the Wiesbaden Cup event, tlie French champion was again returned winner by 3 sets to 1, the games being equal —lB all. The doubles were won by Wilding and his 1908 partner (G. M. Simond). In the final they met Decugis and Gemiot, 11 —9, 6—4, 3—6, 6—1 5 26 games to 20.. In. 1908 Wilding easily beat Kinzl in the cup, and Widmann in the other event. He and G. M. Simond also won the doubles in 1908. In 1909, H. A. Parker was beaten in the final for the cup by F. W. Rahe, the German player, and a young Austrian player stopped the ex-New Zealand player in the final of the championship. Parker and Rahe were beaten in the semi-final of tho doubles also that year, so it would appear <is though i^ew Zealanders' luck was out at Wiesbaden. I