On the Courts

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 133, 2 December 1922, Page 16

On the Courts

CHAMPIONS IN THE MAKING.

COMIKG EVENTS.

New Zealand Championships, at Hastings, 26th to 30th December.' Hawkes Bay Championships, at . Hastings, 28th to 80th December, Ist to Bni Janu-

ary. South Canterbury Championships, at Timarn, 23rd, 25th, to 27tb December. Southland Championships, at Inverorgill, 25th and 26th December. Rotorua Championships, 25th, 26th, and 27th December. Marlborougn Championships, at Blenheim, 25th, 28tn, and 27th December. Canterbury Open Tournament, at Christchurch, 26th, 2Sth, '27th, and 28th December. Auckland Handicap Tournament, 2Stfl, 27th, and 28th December. Kaikoura Open Tournament, at KaiVonra, 27th to 30th December. Wanganui Championships, at W&oganut, Ist, 2nd, and 3rd January. Wellington Championships, at Masterton, 20th, 22nd, and 23rd January. Auckland Championships, at Auckland, 28th, 27th, and 29th January. Taranaki Championships, at Now Plymouth, 31st January, Ist, 2nd, and 3rd Februwy. West Coast Championsnips, at Westport, end of January. Waik&to Championships, at Hamilton, Easter. Otago Championships, at Dunedin, Easter. Canterbury Championehips, at Christchurch, • Easter. ■ . North Otago Championehips, at Oamaru, 25th 26th, and 27th December. Waipuluirau Club, at Waipukurau, Open Tournament, 18th, 19th, and 20th January. Masterton Club, Open Tournament, 20th, 22nd, ' and 23rd January. Dannevirke Club, Open Tournament, Mth 25th, 26th, and 27th January. Waipawa Club, Open Tournament, 31st January, Ist and 2nd February.

(By "HOXA.")

The infcerdub matches were continued in fine weather last week, bot the wind was troublesome until it died away about 4 p.m. Conditions were then ideal, and the late starters had the best part of the day. As usual, the courts were crowded everywhere, but tennis players are a very patient tribe and they waited, and waited long, for the very short games they got, with never a grumble. The match players all appeared to have an enjoyable time, and are now content to make the contests a social event as well as a competition. Some of the clubs would do well to attend to their nets, as it does not look well to see a torn net with holes big enough to put one's head through, more especially when the holes are just under the top band. Of course, nets are expensive, but a torn net can easily be mended. The clubs should also see that the net-has a centre band to keep it at the proper height, and the net posts most certainly must be 3ft 6in high—no more, and no less, AH clubs should be supplied wfth aideline sticks, and they should be used whenever singles contests are played; even in practice that is desirable, and players should demand that they be put up, otherwise they are not playing under the proper conditions, which should be always observed. In the men's senior contest, the Weilington Club secured a win from Lyall Bay, notwithstanding the fact that they played without Barkman. . Foden and Hollings were the only winners for the Bay Club, and they combined better than against Brougham Hill. Pigou and Smith—the latter was the substitute for Barkman—started well, but when their, opponents got going they had no chance. Pigou was misstiming his smashes, and his partner, who is a left-handed player with a good style, would have done better had he been more consistently aggressive. Pearson and Wright combined well, and knew too much about the double game for their opponents. Wright has a nice easy style, but is inclined to be erratic at times—that will wear off with more tournament experience. Irons and Fernie. appeared to have the match against Swinburne and Edmandson won when leading 5-2, but they slackened, and slowly but surely their opponents evened. Play became very safe, and errors on all sides e.xtended the games to 10-8, when the Wellington pair won. They were within an ace at 7-6, and should also have" won at 9^7. Swinburne showed improved form, but his partner is more at home on the grass courts. Brougham Hill, [ which had raised its third pair to second place, were expected to win all three matches against Petone, but again Williams and Koberts failed, going down badly to Stephens and Cowie—Petone's third pair. The losers threw their shots away, and. again combined badly. Williams will not take the net in a double, although he can volley, and volley well, when forced to. France and Howe beat Sherman and Parkinson comfortably, as did Goldie and Wilson the Thomas brothers. The meeting between the Wellington and Brougham Hill Clubs in the men's senior "contest should be interesting, as the pairs appear to be evenly balanced. Wellington has strengthened its side by pairing Pearson and .Wright. • Brougham Hill's weakness lies in its present third pair, *and possibly the match committee may see how to solve the trouble before long. Victbria College are still to be reckoned with, and will take some beating! The-Petone senior ladies defeated the Victoria College team in, the three matches, but V.C.'s second pair, Misses Gardener and Madeley, gave Misses Waiters and Cockrane:a close run. Petone's third, pair was composed of young players, in "Misses Nicollsaud I*ee, and they fully justified, their inclusion by winning against Misses Pigou and Coull. Misses N. Curtis and Arrowsmith won from Misses Thwaites and Sheppard, and the losers did well to take three games. The' Petone' Club's ladies form a very strong team, and. when'at full strength will take .some .beating. The only club likely to give them a run for the' championship will be the " Brougham Hill ladies. '

Close on 50 teams were in contest last Saturday,, from senior down to fourth grade, and from all accounts the competition has ' now 1,." caught on, so never again will' the' Wellington clubs be without their interclub competition. These contests are quite a new thing to some of the players, and it is amusing to watch the return home of some of them. Last Saturday' one team marched in bedecked with flowers, and they made therr clubmates quite envious by relating what a grand time the other club had given them. "Who won?" said the club .wag. The team as a whole said: "Oh, we did." Anyone could have picked that a mile away. Another team stole in very quietly, with their hats drawn well down ovsr their eyes. No one asked them how they had fared, but a home-bird whistled -the "Dead March." THE LADDER. This men's and ladies' ladd«fs at the time of writing are as follow:—Men's

—1 Peacock, 2 Swanston, 3 Salmond, 4 France, 5 Parker, 6 Power, 7 Barkman, 8 Hollings, 9 Berry, 10 Goldie, 11 Young, 12 Martin, 13 Wright, 14 Fathers. The 15th place has become vacant through Williams retiring from Bth place, and the others moving np. Ladies—l Miss N. Curtis, 2 Mrs. Melody, 3 Miss Travers, 4 Miss Tracy, 5 Mrs. Peacock, 6 Miss Howe, 7 Miss Arrowsmith, 8 Mrs. Parkinson, 9 Miss Walters, 10 Miss Foster, 11 Miss M. Williams, 12 Mrs. Turnbull; 13 Miss Shearer, 14, Mrs. Norris, 15 Mrs. Bhodes. France has. advanced a step by beating ParEer. The latter is hardly in any form yet, and will give the winner a much better run next time they meet. Hollings deserved his win against Berry. He kept a good length, and never looked like losing. Goldie retained his position by beating 'Young. Few of the players are show, ing their true form at present, but some interesting contests are sure to take place before Christmas. Miss Travers stalled off a challenge from Miss Tracy, but had the latter know how to spell herself in the second set, might have give hex opponent a better run. in the third. Mrs. Parkinson has just recovered from influenza, and may be seen in action next , week. Miss Shearer held her place from-- Mrs. Norris, and it was volleying that chiefly accounted for her win. Mrs. Melody, after successfully defending from Miss Travers, gave Miss N. Curtis a run for first place last Saturday. The New Zealand champion took the lead early, and won the first set 6-3. The second set was even going up to six all, and then Miss Curtis took two games in succession for set B*6. It can hardly be said that either of these two ladies are in their best form yet; in fact it would be a pity if they were, as both might then be stale for the New Zealand championships, and staleness is what players must avoid. It is better to be a shade undertrained than over-trained, as 'one then improves with play, but if overtrained, there ; is only one remedy, and that is a spell from playing. Mrs. Melody has improved her strokes, and, pro. vided she does not overdo her training, should play above last year's form. It is too soon yet to judge of the form of Miss Curtis, but 'it can be taken for granted, that she will endeavour to be at her best by Christmas. ' She trains with more system than any other tennis play in New Zealand, and those who desire to succeed should follow her example. NEW ZEALAND AND THE DAVIS f CUP. The cablegram from London saying «*hat the NiZ.L.T.A. is organising a match at Rockhainpkm on 2nd December in order to test New Zealanders in Britain to play for the Davis Cup, is to put it mildly, very misleading. The New Zealand Association has certainly applied to become a separate nation for Davis Cup purposes, and it is to be hoped will enter a team for the cup at some future date, but the match that is being arranged between New Zealanders in England against the British players is simply a friendly match, and by no means an official test for Davis Cup, or any other purposes. The result may, of course, be of some, information to the New Zealand body, but one wonders why it is that Bartlett and M'Carthy have not been included in the friendly hit up. Wallis '\A. Myers and J. B. Gilbert will lead the English side. F. M. B. Fisher has beaten both these players, so it is clear that there is no intention to put a very strong team in against the New Zealanders. The playing strength of New Zealanders in England will be disclosed at any rate, and that will- be worth knowing. POVERTY BAY., From accounts received tennis is booming in Poverty Bay. It will surprise many to know that there are ten clubs or more up in that district. These clubs have quite a "Davis Cup" contest as it were;, this takes the form of a competition for the Tuckwell Challenge Shield. The shield was given by Mr. A. L. Tuckwell, of Waipiro Bay, and he is the leading spirit and enthusiast •of the district. Waipiro Bay at present holds the shield, and the order of play for the first round is as follows:—Tolaga Bay v. Tauwharepare (Stan Reeves Court); T. G. Buchanan's Court v. Tokomaru Bay; Uatahiia Court v. Tapuwaeroa, and the winners play Kuatorea. Te Araroa v. Hick's Bay, and the winners play Soldiers' Settlement (Messrs. Cowan and party). The first round wj>e to be completed in 'November, and the next two before Christmas. The challenge round is to be played at the Waipiro Bay Club's Christmas tournament. From all accounts there is a fine foundation in these clubs for a Poverty Bay Association.) HUNDREDS OF THEM. The 20th annual championship tournament of the Wellington Public Schools has broken all records with this year's entry of over 1000. If that does not make some j)eople sit up and think, what will? Where are these young tennis players to get their games? Happily the tennis clubs in and around Wellington are lending their courts, but splitting up the players makes the management extra hard. In the near future 100 courts will be required to cater successfully for these many young hopefuls, and it is to be hoped that courts to that number on one ground, will shortly be an accomplished fact. The events have filled as follow:—Girls'' singles 166, girls' doubles 194, boys' singles 177, boys' doubles 202, combined doubles 262, and there are over 70 entries for the secondary events, which brings the grand total to 1071. Mr. W. J. Melody is the secretary, and he has all arrangements well in hand for a start on 2nd December. It will be a sight worth seeing when the children assemble at the Brou•gham Hill courts on Monday, 4th December, for the combined event. FEATHERSTON CLUB. The Featherston Club was hampered by bad weather on two occasions, when it was intended to hold the official opening, of the season, but last Saturday the weather was all that could be desired. The senior team played Carterton Club on the latter's courts. Featherston was well beaten, but the second team, gave the Carterton second string all they wanted on the home courts, and the visitors just won on the post by 12 sets to 11. The Featherston Club has now 60 playing members, with three grass courts, and all in good order, and a new asphalt court.

SOUTH CANTERBURY ASSOCIATION.

The first championship and handicap tournament of the South Canterbury Association will be held in Timaru, commencing 23rd December, and continuing on 25th, 26th, and 27th December. Play will be on the courts of the Timaru Club (Elizabeth street'), Wai-iti Club (Preston street), and the V.M.C.A. Club (Nelson ten-M«), Mr. G^ D, Virtue v the secretary.