Lawn Tennis

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 62, 10 September 1910, Page 14

Lawn Tennis

(By "Huka."j Tennis clubs, officials, and players are astir generally now; the extra fine weather warning one and all that summer is upon us, and that it is necessary to start training at once, so as to be fit and well for the season's matches. TENNIS IN ENGLAND. Mavrogordato, on& of the players who was chosen to represent the British Isles in the Davis Cup contest, was badly beaten by E. R. Allen in the final of the Warwickshire championship — 6—2,6 — 2, 6—4,6 — 4, 6—o.6 — 0. Allen played all over his opponent, and in tho third set only made three mistakes. The loser should have been in good forth, as a few days before he won the three championships of Shrewsbury, and also the combined handicap. Possibly, of course, ho may have been somewhat worn out; yet his defeat by Allen was a crushing one. C. P. Dixon, another Davis Cup representative, was beaten, by Ritchie in the final of the Ivjorwood championship — 6—4,6 — 4, 9—7,9 — 7, 6—2.6 — 2. Tho loser should have taken the second eet, as he led 5—2, and 40—30, but a doubtful j decision gave Ritchie the eighth game, ! and Dixon nover really got going properly afterwards. AUSTRALIANS ABROAD. Stan. Doust retired to Ritchie when the latter led 4—24 — 2 in the semi-final of the Reading singles. He and Ritchie cap tured the doubles. Doust intended to have a try for the Irish championship. He will have Powell, Beamish, and Parks to contend against. The result should be known shortly. At Edgbaston, Doust beat Lowe (tho latter was chosen as a Davis Cup representative) in the semi-final of the Midland Counties- championship — 6—2,6 — 2, 3—6,3 — 6, 6—6 — 1 — but the Sydney player then fell to Parke, the Irish champion, in the final, 9—7,9 — 7, 6—3,6 — 3, 6—2.6 — 2. Jones and Whitehouse also settled Doust and Myers in the final of the doubles, 6—3, 4—6. B—6, 6—4, 6—l. Doust and Mrs. Hillyard were beaten in the semi-final of the combined championship. Doust and Dixon won the Nottinghamshire championship doubles, beating A. W. Gore ancj Hillyard in the final, 6—2, 6-^4, pp — 2, and Doust, with Mrs. Chambers, is in the final of the combined. Griffiths and Pockley, well-known Australian players, competed at Ryde. In the singles, the former failed in tho first round to Murray, 6—2, 2—6, 6—4. Then in the third round Pockley was outed by Ridding, 4—6,4 — 6, 6—4,6 — 4, 6—2.6 — 2. Ridding and Murray met in the final, the former winning. Tho Australian pair had their revenge in. tho doubles, which they won after a great set-to with Ward and Fellows in the final, the score being' 3—6,3 — 6, 8-6, 6—l, 6-8, 6—o. Poidevin, of Sydney, won the championship doubles at Watford (West Herts) with Gobert, but was beaten by Beamish in the third round of the singles, 6—3,6 — 3, 3-6. 6-L RIVIERA TOURNAMENT TROUBLE. The English Association investigated the conduct of prize-winners at the Riviera tournaments, and as the finding concerned Max Decugis, the leading player of France, a report was made to the French governing body. Tho result was that Decugis was suspended for two months for having exchanged the prizes he won at tha Monte Carlo meeting for various articles of food. Gault and another player were also suspended for one month for a similar reason. AMERICAN PLAYERS. . At the New York championship meeting, a surprise was sprung, G. F. Touchard beating F. B. Alexander (score 2—6, 12—10, 6—2). The latter was the brilliant player who challenged, with Beals Wright, for the Davis Cup at Melbourne in 1908. Alexander led by one set, 5—25 — 2 and 40 — 15, only wanting an ace for match, but Touchard saved the eet, and eventually won the match, 2 sets to 1. Thomas C. Bundy, of Los Angelos, California, set tennis enthusiasts thinking when he downed Beals Wright in the championship at Rhode Island. Bundy is a player of the Pacific States, and in 1909 ranked fourth on tho list of Californian players, Long, M'Laughlin, and Gardner being placed before him. Bundy won the Colorado championship in 1907 and 1908, but M'Loughhn beat him in 1909, 7—5, 13—11, 6—4. Bundy is a short, thick-set athlete, and is one of those plucky players who never give in. An account of his match with M'Laughlin is worth a few lines. As the players- appeared on the court, the tall, long-limbed and limber-looking M'Laughlin p reseated a striking contrast to the short, but stocky, _ Bundy. Bundy began to serve, and his slow-flying service gave him plenty of time to reach tho net, where he mot the return, and killed it. M'Laughlin seemed unable to deal with the service accurately, as the ball twisted off the ground with a reverse break to hi» right. The work was short and sweet. M'Laughlin either passed his opponent at the net cleanly, or the latter belted the return with a deadly smash across courtBundy led 5—2,5 — 2, but here his opponent changed his game; he roversed hifi serve, giving the same accuracy. He also changed his chop into a drive, and mixed in some low lobs with his passing shots. Every game went to "deuce," but Bundy could not pull on& off, and M'Laughlin won the first set, 7—5.7 — 5. With brilliant pay on both sides, the second fiot went to "11 all" ; then Mac. tore loose four perfect drives and led 12—11. As the leader had been winning his service games somewhat easily, it looked a "soft enap" when he started the next game, but his opponent fought liko a demon, and five times he had tho advantage, but could not pull it off. Bundy at last wont for a hurricane kill, the ball did a jig_ on the top of the net, fell back on hie side, and the second set was M'Laughlin's — 13 — 11. The latter, in the third sot, broke through one of Bundy's seryico games, and led 3—l,3 — 1, which assured him the 6et, as he was successful in winning the balance of his own service games. Score 6—4.6 — 4. Then Carlton R. Gardner shook up W. A- Lamed, -3ie champion of America, I and had him tattled in -the firat eet.

Gardner went off at a terrific pace, and before Lamed could get going, led, 5—5.5 — 5. Lamed evened by a most wonderful display, but then Gardner opened out again, and led. At this point Lamed strained ' a tendon in his leg, and Gardner took the set, B—6.8 — 6. Gardner offered to de- j fault or postpone the < match, but Lamed would continue, and just evened the sets with a 9—79 — 7 win. It was now seen that the champion, was in pain, and, Gardner insisting, Lamed retired,_ and two physicians worked at the strained muscles for quite half-an-hour. When the match was re-started Lamed rushed the net, and took third set at 6—3, and match. Lamed has retained the championship, but Bandy gave him a great run, although not accustomed to grass courts Lamed took the first set at 6—l;6 — 1 ; then Bundy captured the second at 7—5,7 — 5, but Lamed again led with a "lovfe" set, and it looked all over. Bundy, with great grit, again evened the score by winning the fourth set at B—6, only to lose the final at 6—l.6 — 1. Lamed won 29 games to 17. Gardner had defeated the brilliant, but erratic,' Karl Behr before h& played his sensational match with Lamed. One thing is certain — the Western players in America are going to give tho Eastern champions a great shake up in the near future. AMATEURISM OR VEILED PROFESSIONALISM. The Sporting Lile of 21st April made a vague and wholly inconclusive indictment of the status of the amateur lawn tennis player. Then Mr. Story attacked "Pseudo Amateurs in Sport," but the Lawn Tennis Association of England does not see its way clear to hold an enquiry. The official organ contends that the need for a _ definition of "amateur" in the rules is not required, and that experience has shown that the task of framing a satisfactory amateur definition for any sport is fraught with considerable difficulty; also that the longer a- game can do without an amateur definition the better.- But right on top" of this comes a charge at English teams -by P. A. Vaile. Mr. Vaile is a New Zealander who while in Auckland took a great amount of interest in lawn tennis, and, in fact, started the school^ championships in that city. He is a writer on sport generally, and has fallen foul of many experts on account of views expressed by him from time to time. He now makes a direct charge that a certain firm in England has the game of lawn tennis under its thumb, and states that "if the inner history of tho manner in which ball contracts for tournaments are obtained by the aid of bogus amateurs and venal secretaries was known to the police, there would be sufficient foundation for a remarkable series of prosecutions under the .Corrupt Practices Act." If Mr. Vaile' is in earnest, and wishes to proteot the sport, why does he not give the information to the police ? The English Association must surely take some 'notice of_ this charge, and should invite Mr. Vaile to bring his evidence before the council. Mr. Vaile also charges a firm with squaring" players, and he contends that there are various ways in which amateurs are squared. One of the most important methods of doing this is by naming a racket after a player, and giving him a royalty on it. If such things exist in England they will appear here, and for the sake of the sport, the authorities in the colonies should deal with the matter without fear or favour the moment it does appear. The writer is not quite" prepared just at present to deal with the subject at length, but will do so in the future if proof can be produced.