TENNIS STANDARDS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 14, 17 January 1925, Page 13

TENNIS STANDARDS

NOTHING LOST

COMPARISON BETWEEN DOMINION AND BRITAIN.

Some remarks of interest to tennis pi'.yers were made by J. N. Lowry, of tiiuvkes Bay, who made liis presence felt at this year's tennis tournaments, appearing , here for the first time after Having been studying in England, for some years, during which time he saw much tennis played in England, on the Continent, and in America, where he played with most of the' leading players, excepting Tilden. Comparing .New Zealand tennis with that'of bona fide Englishmen, Lowry told. "The Post's" special tennis reporter at'the provincial tennis championships in Pahnerstori North! that New Zealand could put up a dozen -or so playeis who would' hold their end up very creditably in any company in England. There was a very big tennis population in England in the summer time, but fully 80 per cent: of the tournament trophies went to foreigners. After seeing many of the players, he had no hesitation in saying that such players as Andrews, the France brothers, Fotheringham, Lampe, Seay, Bartleet, • Griffiths, Smyth; Laurenson, Peacock (and the writer adds : Lowry'a own name to; this list) would meet with no disgrace in Britain. Lowry places Ollivier in a class on his own, and re-; marked that he would include him in the list of the world's best ten! -

"On;what grounds do you make that assertion?" asked th 0 writer. _ Dowry replied that Ollivier seemed to him to have a greater accuracy than anyone he had seen, though not perhaps as great a severity. His figures showed his calibre amongst New Zealand's best. It was his fearful accuracy that carried him through. "Even playing against the best American players—and I. should- think America would have fourteen in the world's first twenty. I never felt so hopeless as JLdid when I played against Ollivier. Just look at the result in the final at Auckland against Laurenson, who is a heady, good player, who will run all day." Our informant said Ollivier-s-style was practically that of Williams, America's second man. "They* are very earnest in Aineriea. They don't overdo it, they concentrate, and they look alter themselves. Their young players are wonderfully fostered by the _ governing bodies of the : game, while, if a young chap shows any promise he will be properly looked after, and probably adopted by some old mas-' ter, such an Richards was by Tilden. who also fostered Weiner, who is just coining into prominence. There is not the same encouragement given to younger players' in England." Speaking of New Zealand, Lowry said he thought more was being done here than in Ens- j land towards helping, the young play-| ers, but the facilities were against them, I though .he thought s-jnie of the good | players were living near enough."to each j other to get more together and improve their games by this method. "Though I ! nm a New Zealander, and ' perhaps j should not say it, I must say thore is ' j an excellent spirit at the tournaments ' I have besn to this year. I hav^, neveronce seen or'heard of" anything unspcrt- ; jiiig'at one of them." A compliment to the tournament management was paid by the speaker. He said New ■ Plymouth, Hastings, and ; the . Manawiitu (Wellington) tournaments left nothing to be dosired He woiilil -.not' expressi an opinion about the New-Zealand-meel-iiiSi. He also suid the courts everywhere were surprisingly . good, >vith splendid surfaces:.

Remarking on the -women's play, Lowj-y said tlia Engiish stan.'linu v. a:s the best in the world. Out of tlm fait thiity (jlayers in tut world, kumisiiwonien. wi/.ucJ undc.jucediy Jiave li.^n.y Miss Maui'arifciiu, of Aucida.nl, imJtiie best, local • ecurci, but. even ut her besttjero \v-_m o wonly or iliirty ]<.ii£ii;>ii piayifi'K wlr \vujia t>uaL her.'-hi lu,"iiinj the 1.1-.vvei-s wcio capnblp uf g ie °c variety, 1.0 curld u.t o.vplaiii -.vliy tiny (laiis-Ji, tbeir Bt».tiof!tv(j':'wii« cuiifidccubly" sajjiii'jjj- tj that oi tlio iucu -^_-