LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 109, 9 May 1914, Page 14

LAWN TENNIS

(Bj "Huka.") "Huka" acknowledges with thanks a programme of the Otago Lawn Tennis Association's annual tournament, kindly forwarded by an Otago enthusiast, Mr. A. E. Harraway. A.E.s active connection -with tennis dateeaway back into the eighties', and yet he is still going strong, being on the Otago Association's Management Committee, as one of the association's handioappers, and in the championship meeting held last Easter at Dunedin he got through to the fourth round of the championship singles, and in the handicap was on the "owe four-sixths" mark. Truly tho veterans die hard. The sight of Otago's well got-up programme, and a query asked, has caused "Huka" to delve into the past. The result may be of interest. The question is : Which association holds the record for the largest number of entries received ? Canterbury holds the record, with 429 entries. That Was for the 1906 Australian and New Zealand championship meeting and handicap tournament. It was made up as follows: — Australasian singles 10, doubles 6 ; New Zealand men's singles, 32 ; ladies' singles, 17; men's doubles, 16; ladies' doubles, 11 ; combined, 15 ; handicap men's singles, first grade, 32; second grade, 32; third grade, 47; ladies' singles/ firsb grade, 32; second grade, 43; men's doubles, 41; ladies' doubles, 40; combined, 55. , Thirteen events were _ on the programme. t Entries for championships, 107; handicaps, 322. Tho Wellington Association holds the re'cqrd" for the largest entries for a purely provincial meeting. Its great year was 1904, when 385 ontries wero received — 118 for championships.' and 267 for handicaps. How the mighty have fallen, if we compare preßent-day figures. Taking that big meeting, for the Men's Singles Championship, 35 entries were received ; ladies' singles, 25 ; men's doubles, 21 ; ladies" doubles, 15 ; combined, 22 ; for the handicaps, Ist grade, 36, second grado, 54; ladies' singles, 60 ; men's doubles. 41 ; ladies' doubles, 26; and combined, 50. Eleven events wero played. In tho following year 87 entries were received for men's handicap singles. In 1909, Auckland made a big bid to take the record, but failed owing to tho ladies not entering as they should have for the handicap singles. One hundred and twenty-six entries were received for tho championships, and 242 for the handicaps, divided as follow: — Championships, men's ■ singles 37, ladies singles 20, men's doubles 23, ladies' doubles 15, combined 31; handicaps, men's singles, first grade 61, second grade 23 ;' ladies' singles 36, men's doubles 38, ladies\ doubles 27, combined 57. Eleven events were played. Grand total 368 entries. Now oomes Otago — fourth — but as, there were only nine eventson .the programme the 346 entries recetved_ constituted a record. Why this association continues to bar the ladies' doubles and the combined doubles in the championships puzzles many. With those events on the programme surely another 40 entries' could have been obtained, and that would havo given the association the record for provincial tournaments. Perhaps the lad'qs down south will next year ask and receive the attention that they and these two championships doserve. The entries w,ere as follow : — Championships, men's singles 50 — a record for New Zealand, ladies singles 26, men's doubles 24. Three championship events with 100 entries is another record. Handicaps, men's singles, Ist grade 34, second grab's 41, ladies' singles 49, men's doubles 36, ladies' doubles 30, and combined 41. Championship entries 100. Handicaps, 246; grand total 346. Well done Otago ! The Now Zealand Meeting held at Wellington in 1905 had a total of 105 entries for championships and 254 for handicaps, making a grand total of 359. The events, of which there were eleven, filled as follows:—Championships: men'e singles, 33; ladies' singles, 19 ; men's doubles, 15 ; ladies' doubles, 16; combined, 22; handicaps: men's singles (Ist grade), 53; 2nd grade), 23 ; ladies' sipgles, 68 (a record for New Zealand) Mies Powdrell won tho event from owe 10: mn'a doubles, 33; ladies' doubles, 31 ; combined, 46. It is nine years, since. the Now Zealand Championshiba wero held in Wellington or Otago, but Auckland and Canterbury havo had the meeting twioo Bince 1905. OTAGO EASTER MEETING. In tho men's championship singles, Bray, of Otago, played splendidly against Ollivier, and beat him in tho third round, only to go out to another Canterbury player ( (Jennings) in the next round. Two Canterbury players fought out the final, Jennings beating Warns Peaise, of Tomuka, 6-0, 6-3, 6-0. 8,. S. and S. N. Brown, of Otago, showed that the standard of tennis in Otago is higher than many thought by beating Jennings and Peatse in the final of the championship doubles- Miss F. Campbell, who won her first Otago championship singles in' 1896, is still too good for all-comers in Otago. She held the championship until the 1913 meeting, when, owing to a family bereavement, sho did not compete, Miss G. Bauchop being tho winner that year. Miss J. Campbell, owing 35 and 1-6, won the handicap singles. In the ladies' handicap doubles, Misses F. Campbell and R'. 1 " Bagley (owe 40) fought down all opposition in five rounds, and won splendidly. Then in tho mixed doubles Mies F. Campbell and Pearso (owe 40) put up a splendid performance, winning the event from fifty-fivo other comnetitore. Wilkie and Bray (owe 30) took men's doubles. J. H. Meek (owe 15 1-6) won the first-grade singles. Meek beat S. N. Brown (owe 30 1-6) in the fourth round, 9-7; he then beat Black (owe 15 3-6) in the semi-final. _ In the lower half of the draw, J. S. Nicholson (owe 5-6) beat G. F. Mi rams (owe 4-6), 9-8, in the semi-final, and in the final Meek beat Nicholson, 9-8. Good handicapping. K. G. Sahnond' (owe 3-6) won the sec-ond-grado singles from forty other competitors. Tho winner is a Wellington pla.yer of promise. , ' DAVIS CUP. The late6fc from Victoria is that Heath is now eager to g_o to America, and if required would willingly play for Australasia, in the contests. With Wilding, Brookes, Dunlop, and Doust available, it does not appear as though Heath is required; but if Heath, why not v "Horry" Rice? There is plenty of money oarmarked for Davis Cup purposes, so why not a, "joy" ride for Heath, also Rice? But what about. New Zealand ? Why not Olliviisr, and also Parker, of Wc&teni Austt&luU