LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 56, 15 September 1928, Page 23

LAWN TENNIS

♦ .By"HUKA"

GEOFFREY OLLIVIER WELL-KNOWN CANTERBURY PLAYER WILL HE TURN PROFESSIONAL? The -well-known tennis player, Bcoffrcy Ollivicr, who lias now won the New Zealand championship singles seven times, which is a record for the event, may not bo defending the title at Auckland tliis year, as ho is seriously conisideriug whether he should become a professional or not. Ollivier won the singles for the first time in 1911, iind was again successful in 1914, 1919, 1922, 1924, 1925, and 1927. But for the break between 1014: and 1919 ho might have added four more victories to his total. He won the doubles in 1912, 1914, 1919, and 1922, and the mixed doubles in 1912, 1913, and 1921. The writer had a chat with Ollivier last week, aud the champion was of the opinion that he could better assist the sport and the players generally if he took up coaching. Ho feels that he may be able to make champions of many of the younger players now to be found throughout the Dominion, many of whom may fail to get out of the ruck just through lack of first-slass coachings Just as to how or when he will take the step Ollivicr is not certain. In fact, he thought the whole matter required very careful consideration, and until he was quite sure of the position he would not take any action. At any rate, he will remain, an amateur while' the English players are here, and will be available for play if required in any matches against; them. If Ollivier does turn professional ho may see lit to offer his services to the four big centres, Auckland, AVellington, Canterbury, and Otago, or he may confine himself solely to his home association, Canterbury. The writer saw Ollivicr in action with Goss, Berry, and Glanvillo last week on the Avonslde Club's courts, and the champion was playing well, as were the other members' of the double. While the amateur ranks will be losing a champion should Ollivier turn professional, as he is-still capable of beating the leading players in the Dominion, it may be that in the futuro other players will be led to become champions by his advice and coaching. Experience Teaches. There is a decided difference of opinion as to whether the Australian Association was wise in sending abroad Crawford and Hopman,. two young Sydney players. Some critics consider it would have beeu better to wait a year or so until they were more matured, while others are emphatic that the colts should havo the experience to be gained by playing against the champions of other nations while they are yet young aud impressionable. At tho present time it is clear that neither, of the Australian colts are- world-beaters, but it is just possible that they have not yet "arrived," and 3icxt year will tell its tale one way or tho other. Exporienco teaeh.es, however, and tho Australian Association, and also possibly the New Zealand Association, may by next year.know which body of critics was correct in its forecast. Why tho writer mentions New. Zealand is "because thero is apparently a movement on foot in somo quarters to sond some of the Dominion's, colts' on a similar tour. It is an old saying, and a true one, that more can be learned from one's defeats than from one's victories. •Assuming, that to .bo correct, tho Australian colts should have acquired some knowledge of their faults, as well as the good playing qualities of quite a number of players representative of the different nations they have met. William Johnston, the famous American Davis Cup player, said it might be five or six years before America could win back the Davis Cup, as America had no players up to- the standard of Cochet or Lacoste. Tilden, of course, was not playing, and until players were developed to beat those Frenchmen, France would retain the, cup. Of course, Johnston did not give any other nation a chance of doing what he considered the United States was unable to do, consequently he could not have been greatly impressed by the play, of the Australians. Gregory Mangin, the American who defeated Hopman recently at New York, 0-1, 2-C, 6-4, is a colt, only 20 years of age. Berkeley Bell, the 19----year-old representative of the University of Texas, beat Mangin in tho final, 6-0, '6-o, 7-5. That was in August, and as Bell was beaten l)y Frank X. Shields in the semi-final of the Delaware championship singles, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, in July, it is clearly seen that Hopman is not- yet in. the first flight when compared with American players. Doeg, Coen, Hennessy, Lott, and- Van Kyn are all in a class better than Bell and Mangin. Crawford and Hopman have previously been considered champion doubles players, yet Lott and Hennessy defeated them in the United'" States national doubles, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4, and in tho match France v. United States, Brugnon and Borotra defeated Lott and Hennessy, 6-3, 3-6, 8-6, 6-4. The Australian pair may develop into real champions, but time alone will tell. It is clear that Mangin was playing well, as he caused a sensation by defeating John Doeg, of Stanford University, the eighth ranking player of the country and the top favourite in the 45 annual Southampton invitation tournament at New York. The Jersey youth, who holds the Eastern clay-court championship, was playing at the top of his form, whereas Doeg was off colour. Yet for all that, Mangin'a win, 6-0, 6-3, was a great performance and a still greater surprise. Bell must have been even better than Mangin as he fought his way to the final by defeating Wright, Herbert Bowman, Dr. King, and Jack Hawkes, of the Australian Davis Cup team.Amateur or Not. William T. Tilden has been hoist by the very rule that he is said to have been the composer of. The United States ■ Association thought it a good thing to put Tildon on the special committee that was appointed to draft a rulo defining an amateur. Briefly, the rule holds that a player who writes for newspapers or magazines is an amateur provided the writer does not write about a match or tournament in which he is a competitor. Now five months alter Tilden had framed, or had helped to frame, the rule it has been his undoing. The general public cannot quite understand it, and some say that if the amateur is allowed to write at all what difference does it make when ho writes? Many players, champions of note, write as often as possible, and get well paid for it. Some players make from 12,000 to 25,000 dollars a year by their, tennis -writing and other sporting activities, yet they are considered to be "lily white" amateurs. Many people contend that Tildeu in Hie real sense is an amateur whatever and whenever he writes. But that is the whole trouble, for some Americans do not like Tilden's writings, consequently they snared him with a rule which,' while not stopping him from writing whatever he liked, did not permit him to write whenever he liked. The latest to come out about the suspension, of Tilden is that the Press syndicate that he has been writing for may sue the American Association for damages, as harm has been done to the valtfo of his works by the suspension. The whole question now is the amateur definitiou. The federation which is

i supposed to rulo the tennis associations of all nations should clear; this matter up, as the rulings adopted' by the many national associations are different one from another. Tilden is an amateur in France, Tiptwhafc-is he according to his homeland? Only recently tho New South Wales Association ruled that a referee can' order a player off the court, but other leading nations have not adopted any such ruling. If the Tennis Federation is in earnest about tho control of the. sport it should see that no nation or association is allowed to bring into action any rule regulating the game or the players thereof that has not first of all been adopted by the federation. Amateur v. Professional. During the period that Tilden was suspended in Paris for the alleged breaking of the amateur rule he played and beat do Morpurgo, the Italian champion, in an exhibition match in the Uoland Garros Stadium. Another exhibition match also took place between Henri Cochet, the French champion player, and- Vincent Richards, the former American Davis. Cup star, who was declared a professional when he joined up with Mile. Suzanne Leliglen and her party. Cochet won 5-7, 6-2, 6-0. The matches were under the control of tho French authorities. It would appear from the above that the amateur ruling is looked.upon in a different manner in Europe to what it is in the United States, or is it that those who compose the French executive have not the same interests on and off the courts that it is alleged some of the controllers of-the sport have iii the United States? If officials have axes to grind they and not Tilden should be suspended. An Important Meeting. A meeting has been called of all members (life, ordinary, and associate) of the Miramar Grounds, for 16th September, at 3 p.m., in the groundspavilion, Miramar, to enable members to consider matters of importance and generally to foster a club spirit amongst its members.. It is proposed to bring tho following matters before the members: —Constitution and rules of the ground members, opening day, and as to whether a tournament should be held on that day, formation of ladder (ladies' and men's) from which the Miramar Grounds representatives in the interclub competitions will be selected, calling of entries for the grounds' championship, and schemes for the promotion of social activities to engender

ii spirit of sociability amongst members. Much enthusiasm is being shown by the Mramar ground members this, season, and a strong band of younger ' players is putting its shoulder to the' wheel to assist the association. A big gathering of members is;expected, and present members are invited to bring intending members to the meeting, so that some idea may be gleaned of how many competitors there will be. The AVeliington ladies' team will be strengthened this year by the'inclusion of Miss Dulcio Nicholls. This very fine young player won tho .girls' Now Zealand championship, singles in 1923, 1924, and 1925. After leaving Wellington she showed first-class, form in Auckland, where, she has been for a year or two. Miss Nicholls will ro-, ccivo a very hearty welcomo back],to her home city by her . many tennis friends. - Keep your eye on the ball, and see it's a Slazengor. Ask your sports dealer about tliem; see the Slazenger Eacqucts, too; 30 per cent, of the Wimbledon entrants last year used Slazenger Kaequcts.—Ailv.t.