LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 21, 25 January 1913, Page 18

LAWN TENNIS

(By Huka.) ' SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP. In the men's matches, senior grade, the Victoria College team has again come out on top, having by its defeat of Brougham Hill on Saturday retained the championship. The team deserves all congratulation, as the members have been triers right through, and their tennis Has been, very uniform. Cleghorn, on Saturday, was in good form, and although hard pressed in both sets was ]ust good enough to win from H. Howe. 6-4, 6-5. Hunter was on his game, and despite all the efforts of Beere held his opponent, but just that and no more. Albert Howe was out to win, and right pluckily he battled. Ho had Smith beaten badly in the first set, and secured it 6-2, but his opponent opened out as Howe rested in the second set. and it went, to Smith, . 6-5. Howe -made every game the winning one in the final 6et, and secured it and match atr 6-1. Fathers won easily from Roberts, playing a str6Hg gam© all the time. In the doubles the Howe brother* got well away, and snatched the first set 6-5 from' J# Cleghorn and Beere. but it was a flash in the pan, as they fizzled out badly afterwards, and the College pair won 6-2, 6-0, Smith and Fathers took the first set 6-3 from Hunter and Roberta the latter; pair, with r an effort, evened by winning the second set 6-4, but Smith and -Fathers romped home 6-1 in the final. Brougham Hill made a mistake m 'altering its team from what it was the week before, though its selectors, no doubt, had 6omfe'good reason to guide them. The Wellington team faulted to Newtown. In. the junior, grade all tie winning teams secured their victories easily, although some, of the matches' were close. For instance, in the College-KilbirrM© match Taylor was going at top the whole time to keep Worboys at bay, and just won, 6-4, 6-5. K. Henderson was tho only player to win a match for his sido in the Karori-Trinity competition. He beat Clark 6-5, 6-4. In the third grade Reeves battled for Brougham Hill against College, and beat pelamare 9-4. Brougham Hill B team had a close run with Wellington, and just got home by two games. Instone went down to Hunt in a love set, and R. Graoe was beaten by Rout 9-6. G. Grace beat Irons 9-2, and Morrison <kted Rowe 9-4! The teams, ■ with two matches each, fought out an exciting finish. The first doubles went, to Brougham Hill, Instone and Morrison beat Hunt and Irons 9-6, and the second doubles was a great light between Grace brothers and Rout and Rowe. Eight all was called, and then th© Wellington pair secured the seventeenth game. Matfthes were even, but on totting up .the games Brougham Hill was found to be just on top, and no more. ( In the fourth grade College B and Oriental were most evenly matched, and although the former team won on matches, the losers were ahead on games, and had hard luck in nearly all the matches they lost. In the ChapmanBamfield single eight all was called, but College won; and again in the second doubles the score was eveii at the six* teenth game, but College came out on top •by taking the seventeenth game. After all, it is exciting finishes like the above that help the game, and would there were more of them. , HASTINGS. The Hastings tournament, which followed the bigger meetings, was somewhat delayed by rain, and consequently the Danneyirke* officials of the Hawkes Bay championships had to delay the start of their' meeting. Miss Nunneley, despite her bad arm, played at Hastings. She beat Miss Brewster, of New Plymouth, 9-3, but Was beaten by Miss Hartgill, 5-2. Seeminglj Miss Nunneley retired after seven games wore played. Miss Eva Baird beat Mies Hatfgill, 9-5, in the final. The winner has not the hard drive of her opponent, bdt i* more accurate. . In, the ladies' doubles,' Misses Hartgill and Baird beat Mrs., Maddison and Miss Ruby Wellwood, 9-8, ahd going on secured tho final from Misses Hill and Clark, 9-5, la tho men s singles, Swainson beat Wellwood, 6-1,i 6-5; and' Webber disposed of Margoliouth, 6-4, 6-6. Then in the semifinals Swainson beat Symes, 6-2, 6-3; and .Pearce beat Webber, 6-5, 6-5. Webber and Miss Baird beat Maddison and Mrs. Maddison in the combined, 6-4, 6-4, and also secured the fihal after a great go with Pearse and Mise Ruby Wellwood, tho scoro being 6-5, 5-6. 9-7. Mfcs Clark won tho ladies' handicap singles, beating Miss Bfowster, 50-39. The latter is, a good handicap player, and she also got to the _ final of the handicap singles at Dannevirke, and plays off with Miss Simpeon (Taranaki) at New Plymouth. DANNEVIRKE. The Hawkes Bay championships were played off at - Dannevirke, and attracted good entries. Cox won the men's singly beating PearßC, 6-5, 3-6, 6-1. In tho ladies' singles Miss S. Clarke beat Miss L. M. Hughes, 6-1, 6-2; Miss Simpson beat Miss L. I). Hughes, 64, 6-3; Miss Hartgill boat- Miss Brewster. 6-1, 6-3; Miss Simpson 'beat Miss Moore, 6-1, 6-3 ; and Miss Hartgill won the championship by befttmg Miss Simpson, 6-1, 6-2, in the final. In the" semi-final of tho ladies' doubles, Mrs. Cato and Miss Neville lost to Misses Nunneley and Hartgill, 6-&, 6-3; ca T ! atter P ai r were nil out to win, 6-4, 6-5, in the' final from Misses Brewster and Clarke. In the men's doubles, Pearse and Cox beat Webster and Parker, 6-4, 6-2, in the final. . The , combined championship fell to Miss Hartgill and Cox, who beat Miss Nunneley and Poarse, 6-4, 6-i; in the final. Griffiths (15) beat Groves (40), 63-61, in tho final of the men's handicap single A grade; and N. W. Groves .(15) beat, R. Grant (5), 66-38, in tho final of the B grade handicap singles. Symonds and Evans beat Rowe and Russell, 61-59, in handicap doubles, and Mrs.' Cato and Miss Neville beat Mrs. Nymand and Miss Crallon, 50-36, in the ladies' handicap doubles; the winners, who. were on tho 12 mark, beat Misses HartgilJ and Nunneley, (owe 20), 50-30, in the second round. ' The combined 'handicap, fell " to Miss Speedy and Groves, who beat Miss Neville and Webster in the final, 60-55. Miss Nunneley played at the Hastings as well as in the Hawkes Bay championships, notwithstanding that she left Wellington determined to only look on at the tennis .in Hawkes Bay. ► Of course it is a hard task for the ex-champion' to look on at - her favourite sport and not get tho fever to play, but if she is ever to come back," and win the New Zealand championship, she irfust first get her arm welK-complet© rest from tennis until next November will give nor the chance ail wish her. >■ THORNDON CHAMPIONSHIP. The Thorndon championship promised to furnish an exoiting struggle between Swanston and Fisher, but the latter has scratched to the New Zealand champion, as business has called him" out of the city.' The final will be 1 fought out between Swahston and Peacock— barring accidents on the road to the final— and as these two players had a great five-set match in the New Zealand championship, this meeting of the two champions is .being eagerly looked forward to. THE BRITISH ISLES v. AUSTRALIA. Australia ' has beaten the British Isles, but the letter's team came to Australasia for the Davis Cup, and having won that can rest content. Brookes played fiVr over D * xon » an d, as written by . Huka ' a week .or so ago, beat -Parke in "seta straight." Nevertheless Parke in the first eet led 5-2, and Brookes was indeed lucky to win four games in succession, making the score 6-9 in his favour. When a player like Parke only requires one game for set, ahd his opponent has only two games in, a shade of luck would destroy all chances of the player who requires three games in succession to make it 5 all, far less to get the lead 6-5. Parke struck his purple patch too late when he got his two games, which again gave him the lead 7-5, but Brookes was at the top of his game to again prove hia superiority (on the .day) by taking three games in succession. He ran away with the second set 6-2. Yet one cannot put that win up against Parke's in th* Davis Cup, as it was ottly the best out of three sets, and the Irishman might have been able to take the next threo eets had it been a five-set go. Notwithstanding the fact

that, the writer argued that Brookes would win the Australian match again«t Parke in sets straight, Parke must be looked Upon as the champion until our man proves btherwise in a recognised five-set match. The Davis Cup players had a good ramble through New Zealand, with fairly hard travelling, and it can be reasoned that after' having won in Melbourne what they_ really came for, a certain amount of relaxation set in — at any rate, whatever .may be the inner mind it is fairer to bid them farewell as champions, and Parke, the Irishman, as the great tennis chief. They are good 6ports, and should our players take the honours from them in _ the future, they are just the ones to hail our champions likewise.