LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 118, 14 November 1925, Page 18

LAWN TENNIS

|Bm vi^iji ititi-i n ■ iTTITnn n matm«a«gi«a

CLUBS NOW BUSY

HANDICAP EVENTS IN FULL

SWING

WHO ARE THE LIKELY

WINNERS?

COMING EVENTS.

New Zealand Championships, at ChrUtchurch— December 2G, 26, 2», 80, 31. North Otago Championships, at Oamaru— December 20, 20, 28, 29. Southland Championships, at InvercarglllDecember 25, 20, 28. Rotorua Championship!, at Eotorua—December 25, 20, 28. Auckland Handicap Tournament, at Auckland— December 26, 28. South Canterbury Championship!, at limaru— January 1, 2, 4. . Canterbury Open Tournament, at ChrUtchureb. —January 1, 2, 4. Otago Open Tournament, at Dunedln—January. Taranakl Championships, at New PlymouthJanuary S to 8. Palmerston North Championships, at Palmereton North—January 12, 13, 14. Rotorua Junior Tournament, at Eotorua— January 14, 15. Waipukurau Champlonihipi, at Walpukurau— January 18, 10, 20. Walrarapa Championships, at Maiterton— January 21, 22. 28, 25. Wellington Championship!, at Wellington— January 22, 23, 25. Hastings Championship!, at Hastings—January 23, 25, 20. Auckland Championships, at Auckland—January 27 to 30.

City clubs are busy at present getting off their handicap events, and splendid progress has been made at the Brougham Hill, Newtown, and Wellington Clubs. At tho first-men-tioned club the beat players have been put' well back, and many of .them would have had to produce something above their best form to win. That is as it ought to be, as the back-mark-ers have the experience, and too often win these minor events. It is a good thing to see the less experienced players getting a sporting chance of a win. The winners are hard to pick, but in the men's singles C. G. S. Ellis looks nicely in with 12 points. Miss Lapworth with 14 points should have have a great chance in < the ladies' singles, especially if she plays as she, did last Saturday. The ladies' doubles should be won by a pair with a fair start, and at present Misses Graham and Baudinet, receive 20,, promise well, but Mesdames Cooke and Penlington (ser) have a very fair chance. Mrs. Laurenson and Miss Williams are very steady handicap players, and with 2 points start will take some beating. Pairs with a big start must remember that it is not a good policy to play the soft game against a superior pair, and to win they must; force the play from the. very start. Hit hard with a good length, as it is the back marker who cannot afford to lose points by going for 'uncertain winners. The mixed doubles is a very open event, the winners may come from C. Ellis and Miss Ellis (receive 20), C. F. Williams and Mrs. Cooke (receive 10), and W. Ralph and Miss Gardner (receive 22). F. France and Miss D. Howe, the scratch pair have done well so far, but they will have a hard task to win. At Newtown Club, a backmarker in W, P. Hollings (owe 12) is still in the hunt for the men's singles, but F. Cornet (receive 10) appears to have a better chance. In the ladies' singles Miss East has a load to carry with a handicap of owe 10, and will have to show great form to beat Miss M. Clegg or Miss A. Stevens, who are on the receive 3 mark. Mrs. Rhodes looks well in with receive 14, aB she plays a forcing game. In the ladies' doubles Misses Eaßt and Mountier (ser) could have been put further back, but some of the limit pairs may trouble them. The combined is a problem, but Miss R. Clegg and W. P. Hollings, although on the owe 10 mark, are in winning vein, and will be hard to beat. Miss A. Stevens and H. Polblase, receive 8, are nicely placed. At the Wellington Club the back-markers are mostly coming through so far, but C. G. S. Ellis on the receive 12 mark should be able to hold Noel Wilson (owe 15). The winner may come from Ellis or E. H. Donovan, the latter receiving 8. Wilson and Ellis (owe 10) could have been given, a heavier load, but Donovan, and Rhodes-Williams (receive 10, will 1 take some catching. Miss May Tracy is well back (owe 20), but will ouly have to play with her usual accuracy to win the singles. One of tho limit markers might be able to secure a victory, if hard hitting is" made the motto.

Anthony Wilding Shield,

The Canterbury Association has challenged the Auckland Association, the latter being the present holders, for the Anthony Wilding Memorial Shield, and the holders have not only accepted the challenge, but have agreed to play the match at Christchurch, upon the conclusion of the New Zealand championships.. The Auckland team will possibly be picked from E. L. Bartleet, E. W. Griffiths, V, H. Johns, H. L. Bobson, . A. C. Johns, and L. G. Knott. Only four are required, and possibly the firstmentioned four will be Auckland's best. Canterbury can put in a stronger team than tho one that was defeated last year by Auckland in the Queen City, and the City of .the.Plains has a very good chance of regaining the much-coveted shield. Geoff 01----livier will lead the way for Canterbury, and his match should result in a sure win for his association, and Don Frar.cc, Canterbury's second man, must have just as good a chance. .T. A. Seay may be third. player, and if he is in good form should have a very even chance of accounting for Auckland's third man. Canterbury's fourth man may bo picked from Kilding, Patterson, Sheppard, Greenwood, Aitken, or Glanville, with chances even against-Auckland's fourth man. Canterbury should be able to win one double, and on summing, up at this stage, Canterbury appears to have more than a good chance of regaining the shield by winning three singles and ono double, to Auckland's one single and ono double. Don Ji'rauco, who represented Wellington laat year, is now lucuted in Christ-

church, and has thrown in his lot with Canterbury, which waß, of course, the correct thing to do seeing that he has resided in the southern city for over twelve months. His inclusion in the Canterbury team makes a win almost certain for his side. . From all accounts ho is playing splendid tennis this season—in fact, he is reported to have improved greatly since he left Wellington, and if that is so he must give all-comers a great shake up in the New Zealand championsliips. He will have one advantage in that he will get'all his prac-. tice'on the same grass conrts that the championships will be played on. Lady players of quite a number of the Wellington clubs have a very happy plan of inviting ladies' teams to an afternoon's tennis, and in return the invited team returns the compliment. Thus some very happy afternoons are spent, and the players improve their tennis, but of course, only doubles are played. During the week a team from the Lyall Bay Club visited Brougham Hill, and play was indulged in from 1 o'clock until 4.30. The Brougham Hill ladies journey to Lyall Bay next week. The arrangement is a capital one, and other clubs could'well follow suit. Of course, the visits are quite unofficial, and are arranged informally. .

The Nelson Aimiatitn,

The Nelson Lawn Tennis Association, which has recently been reconstructed, will be considerably above its old-time strength when the country clubs connect up. There are at present seven clubs, with a membership of 387. The Waimea Sub-Asso-ciation has ten clubs, the membership of which is 250, and the Steedwood Sub-Association has six clubs, with a membership of 150. The total membership is 787. When the Church Sub-Association, with aix clubs and membership of 150, and the Motueka Sub-Association link np with the Nelson Association, the clubs affiliated should be well over 40, and the membership should top the thousand. The Nelson Club held its opening day last week, and over 160 players were on the ground. Considerable interest was taken in the play of A. W. Sims, who was the winner of the New Zealand singles championship in 1923 at Christchurch. Sims is at present stationed at Motueka, and he hope's to bo able to visit Nelson during the weekends so as to strike form for the New Zealand championships, at Christchurch during the Christmas holidays. The- Nelson Association is blessed with a very live secretary in Wilf: Cannington. <

Advantagtt «f AffillatUn.

"Hautana" has asked the writer to. explain the advantages-and cost .of affiliation to a club wishing to connect up with the Wellington Association, also whether the association represents the majority or the minority of the clubs and players in and around Wellington. The rule regarding a club's affiliation fee is as follows:— "Each club whose playing ground is situate within a radius of five miles of the Chief Post Office, Wellington, shall pay an annual subscription of 2s 6d per member of such club, and each club outside the said radius of five miles, but within a radius of 25 miles, shall pay an - annual subscription of Is per member of such club. All, other clubs shall'pay an annual subscription of 6d per member. The objects of the association shall be to provide a central organisation:—To foster, control, and advance the game of lawn tennis, in the Provincial District of Wellington, and to arrange, control, and manage inter-club and inter-provincial' matches, championship ,aml open tournaments.'.'- There are other objects, included in which are—to lay out and construct, furnish, and maintain any lawn tennis courts or grounds, buildings, or works necessary or convenient for the purpose of the "association. The members of affiliated clubs have the advantage of •playing matches with other affiliated clubs, and also of competing at any championship or handicap tournament throughout New Zealand that has been approved of by the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association. In the very near future the association will have the finest lawn tennis ground in the world with an up-to-date pavilion, and that has only come about through there being a central organisation- governing the sport in Wellington. At the present time the Wellington Association has about 40 clubs affiliated to it with a total membership of about 3300. Eecently the association approved "of the Wairarapa clubs forming an association of their own, otherwise it would* be stronger by about twelve clubs, and a membership of about .1000.. It can be definitely .stated that the association represents the majority of the clubs • in and around Wellington. . It is well known that there are a few clubs unaffiliated, in the district, but it is only a matter of time when they will link up with the central organisation. The association should have the support of ■ttlL.tennis clubs and tennis enthusiasts, so that the game may progress in and around the city. The gamo has been hampered in the past through not having a proper playing area controlled by the association, but that has been overcome, and in tho near future clubs and; players will realise what a wonderful asset they have in the splendid ground at Miramar.

A start wds made during tho week with tho hard courts on the association's ground at Mixariiar. A level surface, top-dressed with rotten rock from tho association's quarry, has been ready for some time, at the north end of tho ground, and when it has received its surface of bitumen 16 courts will be marked out. About the middle of the ground, the 16 grass courts are being prepared, and already the grass seed has been sown on four courts. Tho hedges that were planted across the ground from east to west are coming along nicely, being well protected by brush windscreens. Life members can be certain of being able to piny on tho hard courts before tho Christmas holidays, and it is hopod to have another 16 hard courts down before Easter., Players are reminded that v the life membership list is limited, and it only costs £25 to secure cue lifo membership. The period of life membership does not go beyond the first day of January, 1974. That averages out at 10s 5d per yeai-, and it must be remembered that tho lifo

iuembership jan be transferred yearly; therefore it is possiblo for 4S players to have one year's tennis for 10s : sd, during a period of 48 years. If the life membership wore ended in 25 years, the holder would still bo paying the very small annual fee of £1, and that would entitle him to admission to the grounds and clubhouso of the association, to use tho lawn tennis courts, and to vote at tho election of life members' delegates. Tho club; house-is to cost £10,000 or over, and will be fitted up in quito an up-to-date style—which nlono will bo a deckled attrftctiou uml benefit to uieinbers. ' " ' ' " "