LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 112, 14 May 1927, Page 23

LAWN TENNIS

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THE DAVIS CUP

EUROPEAN ROUNDS STARTED

A' COLT WINS THE^N.S.W. CHAMPIONSHIP

The international championships for 1927 have started, ana some of the first round contests' have already been decided. There are 21 nations in the European zone contest, and four nations will play off in the American zone. The Swedish players journey ta Birmingham to meet the British team, which was composed of Edward Higgs and Charles H. Kingsley for the singles, and Leslie A. Godfree, and J. 0. Gregory in the doubles. Higgs came to the front in 1924, when he was chosen to represent England against Scotland and Wales. The next year he was again a representative against Scotland, and was also a member of the British team that visited Bermuda. One wonders why Higgs has been chosen before H. K. Lester. The latter, a Cambridge University player, was a competitor in the Hampstead championships held in March. He beat D. A. Hodges in the final of the singles, 6-1, 7-5. H6ages Higgs in the semi-final, 6-0, 6-2. Ine British Isles selection does not appear to be of the best. King3ley was captain of the Oxford University in 1923. He represented England in 1924 and 1925 against Scotland, and in the latter year represented the British isles against Poland and Denmark in the Davis Cup contest. The pair representing the British Isles in the doubles are well known players, Godfree in particular being experienced, as he has represented his country in Davis Cup matches as far back as 1923. He is nd.ted for his doubles play, and, with R Lycett, won the doubles at Wimbledon in 1923. Gregory's arrival in the limelight is more recent, and his improvement must have been rapid for him to secure a place in the Davis Cup team this year. Higgs beat Malmstrom in a five-set go, by taking the second, third, and fifth sets. Kingsley beat Carell easily in three sets straight—the last one being advantage. England's doubles pair after losing the first set to Muller and Malmstrom at 6-4, took the other three eaßily. Having won three matches the British Isles now meets Denmark in the second round." .'§. Malmstrom played for Sweden when she made her first appearance in the Davis Cup contests in 1925, and ho won both his singles against the Swiss players. Sweden scored a surprise victory over Switzerland, as no one expected Malmstrom to defeat Aesehliman. Carell and Muller are of the younger school, taking the places of Wallenberg and C. E. yon Braun. The South Africans had to journey to Dublin to meet the Irish team, which is not as strong as was expected. Patrick .v. B. Spence was born in South Africa and is 27 years old. He has been a member' of the Edinburgh University since. 1922, when he won the Scottish singles championship, and has been a Davis Cup representative for South Africa since 1924. He is an all-round athlete, and is a representative Rugby football player. J. Condon, who is a Southern Transvaal player, proved himself a strong player when the British toam visited South Africa in 1925. The Irish representatives, St. John Mahony and the Hon. Cecil Campbell, in the singles, did not do as well as expected, and Mahony failed to win a sot from Spence. Campbell, who is 34 years of age, is en- ox-Oxford player, who won the Irish siugles in 1919. He represented the British: Isles against India before Ireland became a tennis nation. Ho was the only competitor to capture a sot from "Billy" Johnston, the American, at the Wimbledon championships in 1923. Condon and Campbell played a nve-set match, and Condon won by capturing tho last three sets. In tho doubles, Condc and Louis Ra\ ond boat tho Irish pair, Moldon and Mahony, in- throo sets straight, tho last set being advantage. By winning these throo matches South Africa will now meet Switzerland in tho second round rho latter nation beat Austria in the first round. Since 1919, Raymond has been in the front rank of South African tonms, and has been a Davis Cup roprosontative several times. Ho had a distinguished career in the' South African Plying Corps during tho war, when ho was sovercly wounded. He won tho boutn African singles in 1921 1!)"2 and 1923. In 1924 ho was in tho semifinals of singles and doubles at Wiinblodon.

Czecho - Slovakia, whoso players roaohed the final of tho European zono in 1924, (that was tho year tho Now Zoalanders foil to tho Slovakians at Irague in tho second round), has mado a good start this year by defeating Greece by 4 matches to 1, ana will now meet tho winner of tho BelgiumPoland match in the third round* Tho Slovakia™ are expected to got' through the upper quarter. The Indian team, if successful against Spain, may bo strong enough to upset others chances in the top quarter. N.S.W. State Championships. Tho New South Walos championships, which were concluded on the association s ground at Eushcutter's Bay last woek, are of interest to New Zoalandors. E. F. Moon, tho Brisbane colt who defeated F. Kalins, tho holder of tho New South Wales singles title, in the match Queensland v. New South Wales, was expected to givo a good account of himself in tho- State singles, but aftor beating L, E. Baker 4-6, 3-0 7-5, 6-3, 6-4, he went out to E. O. Cummmga, 0-3, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2. Cummings appears to have somo hold ovor Moon, as the latter has never been able to. boat him, al^ough ho accounts for players who nave repeatedly beaten Cummings. J. Crawford, who played in tho junior singles when the New Zealand team was in Sydney, and who at that time was no match for some of our. players, beat C. C. Brewster, 6-0, 6-2, 6-2. The latter was in tho New South Wales team that visited Now Zealand last season. F. Kalms beat K. L. Poulton, 6-2, 6-0, 3-6, 6-8, 8-6. Tho latter was in the Sydney team that camo across three seasons ago. J. Crawford, Sydney's new star, beat L. J. Hill, 6-2, 8-6, 3-6, 6-3. Hill was beaten in the 1925 New Zealand singles by Dr. Smyth (Wellington), 6-1, 6-0, 6-0. Norman Peach beat H. Hopman, 6-0, 7-5, 1-6, 3-6, 6-4. The former was hero witli the last team from Sydney, and the latter.competed against the New Zealanders in Sydney, being beaten by D. France, 8-6, 6-4, and by Seay, 6-4, 6-2. Cummings beat C. S. Colvin, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1, when our players were in Sydney, the former was beaten by D. France, 6-4, 6-3, ana also by Seay, 10-8, 6-1. Colvin was beaten during that same visit by Smyth, 7-5, 6-1, and by Andrews, 6-2, 6-4. F. Kalms's chances of retaining the championship appeared to be rosy when ho boat J. Willard, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, but J. Crawford was also in the running when he beat N. Peach, 6-8,6-3,6-4, 6-3. B. E. Schlesiuger beat G. B. Williams, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, and was also successful in the semifinals, beating Kalms 7-5, 6-4, 6-4. Kalms tired rapidly, and it is possible that the after-effects of his recent illness troubled him. Crawford accounted for Cummins in the other semi-final, the score being,. 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 10-8. It was a groat test for the nineteen-year-old boy. The final between Crawford and Schlesinger was a great match, but the colt won by 3 sets to 2, the score being 7-5, 1-6, 9-7, 5-7, 6-4. The loser scored 29 games to the winner's 28. The colt has covered himself with glory by >this win in the championship singles. When

the New Zealanders were in Sydney he and Hopman won the State's doubles championship, yet neither of them were then considered good enough to represent the State against New Zealand, but Crawford by his recent win must make aom» of the "always chosen few" sit up »n"d think. In the wa's doubles, the holders, Crawford and Hopman were beaten by E. Dunlop and"C. Donoho'e, 8-6, 7-5j 2-6, 3-6, 6-3. The win was a surprise, but Dunlop's brilliant driving and volleying in the fifth set, combined with Donohue's sound' play and accurate serving, carried the day. Kalms and Baker beat Frank Peach and Plomly, 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2; Schlesinger and Willard beat Poulton and Colvin, 6-3, 6-0, 9-7; Norman Peach and Dr. North beat Jordan and Goodman, 4-6,' 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. When the holders, Crawford and Hopman, were unexpectedly defeated, it was certain that the best pair was out of tE3. contest. The singles had taken too much out of the colts, and they somehow could not find touch in the first and second sets of their doubles. Kalms and Baker beat Cummings and Williams, 6-2, 6-2/3-6, 7-5; N. Peach and Dr. North beat Moon and Cameron (Queensland), 6-2, 7-5, 4-6, 6-0. In the final, Norman Peach and Dr. North beat Willard and Schlesinger, 6-2, 8-6,- 7-9, 4-6, 6-3. In the ladies' singles, Mrs. H. G. Utz beat Miss Lester, 6-2, 6-0; Miss Cox beat Miss Waterhouse, 6-4, 6-3; Miss Akhurst beat Mrs. L. ■ Utz, 6-2, 6-4; i Miss Cox beat Mrs. H. G. Utz, 6-3, 10-8; Mrs. Martin beat Mrs. E. Harper, | 4-6, 7-5, 7-5. The two last-mentioned ladies visited New Zealand with the 1922 New South Wales team, the former as Miss Ann Gray and the latter as Miss Sylvia Lance. Mrs. Martin beat Miss P. Meaney, 12-10, 6-2, and in the semi-finals Miss E. Boyd (Melbourne) beat Miss Cox, 6-0, 6-2, and Miss Akhurst beat Mrs. Martin, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.. In the final,. Miss Boyd beat Miss Akhurst, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. General News. Hawkes Bay l Tournament. The Hawkes Bay Club held its Easter tournament at Napier, and the annual gathering drew a record entry for the championship and handicap events, in all 110-players taking part. Competitors from Palmerston North, Wellington, Gisborne, Waipukurau, Waipawa, Dann.evirke, Eketahuna, Masterton, and Maryborough participated. E. D. Andrews^ the New Zealand champion, was never extended and won all his rounds with ease. He beat A. H. Richards, 6-2, 6-1, in the semi-final, and J. N. Lowry, 6-2, 6-0, in the final. With Lowry he beat Wellwood and Guy, 6-1, 6-3, in the final of the doubles. In the ladies' singles Miss SnowClark beat Mrs. Gardiner. 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, and Miss Lowry beat Mrs. M'Master, 6-3, 6-2, in the semi-finals. The final was to be played at a later date, and Miss Snow-Clark, who has been showing' better form than she did in the Hawkes Bay singles championship, is expected to beat MiBS Lowry. Mrs. Hetley and Miss Snow-Clark beat Misses Fahnin and Haggitt in the. semi-final of the championship doubles, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3; in tho third round of this event Mrs. Gardner and Miss Lowry beat Mrs. M'Master and Miss Oraig, 6-5, 6-5; but were beaten in the final by Mrs. Hetley and Miss Snow-Clark, 6-4, 6-2. In the combined championship doubles some good play was seen. Miss Lowry and Lowry had a great go against Mrs. M' Caskill and M' Caskill to win 2-6, 6-5, 6.1. In the semi-final Mrs. Hetley and E. D. Andrews beat Miss Fannin and Wellwood, 6-3, 6-3, and won the championship by beating Miss Lowry and Lowry, 6-2, 6-4, in the final. A. H. Richards, who was beaten by E. D. Andrews in the semi-final of the singles, showed good form in the several victories that were his before meeting Andrews. He stood up well to Andrews, and as he is only a colt, his future is full of promise He is well worth keeping an eye on. Mrs, Prior and' Miss Woodward boat Mrs. M'Mastor and Miss Craig, 50-48, in the final of the handicap doubles. Mrs. Prior won the final of the handicap singles from Miss Lowry by default, and Miss Craig and Dr. Annett beat Miss Mooro and Goldsmith, 50-45 in the final of tho handicap combined.

The Brougham Hill finished off its championship events for tho season with the final of tho mixed doubles championship. Miss May Tracy and Don. Franco defeating Miss Doris Howo and Len. France, 6-0, 6-1. Miss Tracy plays a splendid mixed doublo, and D. France has a reputation for this oliiss of game. Ho, with Miss Spoirs, holds the New Zealand mixed doubles championship, Tho weather was perfect for tennis on Saturday, and tho winners gavo a good all-round display. Thoy won easily, the opposing combination not being strong enough to extend them. Miss Tracy and Don. Franco, especially tho latter, wore very aggressive both overhead and off the ground. Miss Tracy by this win has secured the throe championships, the singles, the ladies' doubles, and tho mixed doubles of the club. 1 A visitor from Melbourne in Mr. J. 0, Blair, was seen in action during tho wcek-ond, and ho still plays a very attractive (jame. The genial "Joe" was resident in Wellington before tho war, and represontod the association on several occasions. Ho also showed good form, especially in men's doubles and mixed doubles, at some of the New Zealand championship meetings.