LADIES' TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 15, 19 January 1927, Page 9

LADIES' TENNIS

ON I®E BOWK GEADE

ARE THE MEM TO BLAME?

CASE FOR DEFENCE

lii the last few days it has been demonstrated that there is very little wrong with New. Zealand tennis so far as the men are concerned, but the position in regard to ladies' tennis is not so reassuring. Miss May Speirs, an ex-New Zealand champion, has stated quite emphatically that ladies' tennis in New Zealand is slipping back. Miss bpeirs, however, did not think that the ladies were to blame; rather, she blamed the men, who, she declared, thought only of themselves and would not spare a little time to help the ladies. ■ ;

J Miss Speirs has made a serious charge against male tennis players in 'general,*, but has she the evidence to support it? There are two sides to every case, and to-day Mr. M. E; Denniston, chairman of the Management Committee of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, spoke on behalf of the defendants. . ■

Is Miss Speirs right?" .was the question which a "Post" reporter addressed to Mr. Dejiniston to-day. Mr. Denniston, who has never been a prominent player, but who is a very sound judge nevertheless, confessed at once that the question was a difficult one to answer. "I have been thinking the matter over for some time in an offhand sort of way," he said, "and I have come to the conclusion that ladies' tennis is not as good as it was when Mrs. Stunner (frequently misnamed Mrs. yon Stunner) was at her best. She played better tennis than any girl playing now. The reason rests partly with the ladies themselves. For instance, I know one leading player (who shall be nameless) who has repeatedly been ofiered advice by nien and has consistently declined to take that advice. *

| 'The ladies' tennis at Auckland this year . was,. in my opinion, not as good as that shown at Christchureh last year, when Miss Speirs herself won the championship. This was partly due to lack of concentration prior to the tournament and an undue overanxiousntfss to win their games, which resulted-in their getting away from their natural style. They went for safety instead of playing naturally. That was particularly noticeable in Miss Speirs'"own case in Auckland. If any reason is to be assigned for Miss Speirs' defeat in Auckland it can be put down, to use the words of Mrs. Hodges (formerly Miss Eva Baird), a well-known New Zealand ex-champion, to faulty foot-work. I remember attention being drawn to this in Christchureh last year. Mrs. Hodges, by the way, is a player of repute, a keen critic, and a shrewd judge, and is in a position to give advice, which I am passing on secondhand. 8 '

"Leading men players cannot, rather than will not, spare their time to give the ladies the benefit of their advice and- expert play. Very few women players go to tho trouble of watching the stroke production qf leading players, and that is one way in which' one's game' can be improved, immensely. I am sure, the'men-players would respond if they were invited by the ladies to help them. It is difficult for a man to volunteer his assistance when there is a chance of its being refused. It rests with the ladies themselves to seek the advice, assistance, and co-operation of those men who have the best interests of the game at heart." ' '