LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 96, 27 April 1929, Page 23

LAWN TENNIS

BY "HUKA"

RANKING LISTS

TOO MUCH GUESSWORK

COMING ■ COUNCIL' MEETING

A meeting of Uio Council of the Wellington, Provincial Lawn Tennis Association will bo hold in the Chamber of Commerce, Mercer street., on Monday, 29 th- April, at 7.30 p.m. There are several motions on the order paper referring to a change of rules. - One is to define the boundaries »6£. affiliated clubs and sub-associations, if necessary. It may be necessary to ■ define the boundaries of sub-associations,; but to attempt to define the boundaries of affiliated clubs is a more. difficult matter, and appears to be interfering with the constitution and rules of ' clubs established years ago.. If it means the boundaries of clubs entitling them to join up with a sub-association, then it is not required', as the boundaries of the.sub-associations will cover all that is necessary. If it means the boundaries of a club as to its individual members then,' of course, that would :£ot only be most unconstitutional,!: but unwise to carry it.- It is also proposed to alter the name of the / association, cutting out .the.'word- Provincial. "" The association is studying economy and would be well advised to' leave such an alteration alono at 'present, as it cannot be done without additional expense. Then again, no one can foresee the future, and it might so happen that some-clubs.not now affiliated may have good' reasons for being admitted, to the Wellington Provincial fold. Still, if a good reason can be advanced for- a change the expense may be worth it. "Some of the. other suggested alterations' might be better, if treated 'as bylaws rather than as amendments to the rules. As the meeting is the last gathering of delegates before the annual meeting in July, clubs should see to' it that their representatives attend. Next season may possibly be the association's most strenuous one up to date, 1 and much may depend upon the activities and enthusiasm of the clubs and their delegates. The association, with a little more push, should, be able to climbi the grade in front of it successfully, but any' slackening at this'period' would >be: fatal. The Banking List. - , ■The New Zealand -Association, has a "ranking" committee, which annually ■ranks the foremost players of both sexes at the end, of each season. The writer does not pretend .to. understand just how this committee.arrives at its decisions, but nevertheless has to admit that generally speaking the ranking in the past has been well'done. 'There has been, of course, a few cases whore "Huka" has not agreed with, the placings, but it is generally : agreed . that no matter how excellent may be/ the results of any ranking committee everybody would not.be pleased. Auckland, Wellington, ; Canterbury, or Otago, of course, think, perhaps, most about their own players, while some, of-the other associations may also . consider that their players have been.unduly neglected when the names of their champions are not in the first ten. It .yould be, interesting to. know just how players are' ranked.' If players,do not compete at tho National meeting, for instance, are they ranked on other daita, .or if they only compete . at the National gathering and no other tournament is that, sufficient, for . ranking ■■ purposes? Does the National Championship tournament count above other championship meetings' for ranking purposes, or. is it the general all;round performances of a player at association as .well as club championships that. count most. . Unofficial ranking lists of New .Zealand's champion players: have been published in Auckland, Wellington, and. Canterbury before the season has ended, and it is. very apparent that- the home players are most in" the limelight. One writer, not of Wellington, puts. J. Laurenson in the sixth"position, "solely on his play at the New Zealand^ meeting," yet , loaves I. A. Seay -out because he had not taken part ,in serious tennis this, season.; Seay beat Malfroy and, also Don France, in the Anthony Wilding . Memorial \Challenge Shield competition." Surely that must be classified as serious tennis. Don France is placed No: 2 and Malfroy No. 3, France being, given .preference becausp of a slight advantage, when taking'the season as a whole, yet N. E. C. Wilson, who recently beat Don France in the final of the" Thorndon Championship, is ranked tenth. Laurenson was beaten by Bartleet in the semi-final of the New Zealand championship, singles, yet he 'gets'sixth; place by an Auckland writer, yet Wilson, who, beat Don France, can only just scramble: in tenth, and Seay,'who beat France and Malfroy, 'is. left out altogether. In regard, to the ladies: Miss Tracy is placed fourth on her performance at the New Zealand meeting. She was.beaten by Miss Spiers in the semi-final,, getting as far as Laurenson did in the men's event,' v yet it -is said by. the writer that she had had but few performances since thenj and^ it may possibly have been; fairer to have omitted her. ".Whywould it have been fairer to omit Miss Tracy and yet leave Dr. Laurenson in ? Mrs. Scott, nee Miss Jean M'Laren, won the South Island championship singles, yet is not included, while Misses Wake and Gibson are.: The two last-named players were beaten in the South Island singles." "Huka" contends that it is a mistake io' attempt a classification unless one'knows the classification committee's method and'uses such, otherwise the ranking lists so published are only mere guesses,'because the writer has not the, data" to go on. Much better ■to await the official results, and if not in-agreement\with tha.t ranking to say so, giving reasons if necessary.. What about A. W. •Lamb, who boat A. C. Stedman in the final-of the Bemuera Cluh's 'junior', championship singles, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3? If.that does not go to Lamb's credit it must'at'any rate be against Stedman's performances. Miss D. Nicholls beat Mrs; Adams in the Brougham Hill championship singles, but then Miss M. Williams has caused complications by beating not only Miss Nicholls but also Miss Tracy. Then, again, Mrs. Melody beat Miss M. Williams in a challenge match. Too much data is often worse than too little, and the ranking committee- has no easy task this year, notwithstanding the information .that will be available. It is easy to get a list out,-: but it is not easy to get "a correct list, even. Trhe.n all the performances'of flayers are to hand. \ Notes in General. ; The Lawn Tennis Association of England does not stand any nonsense by tournament players who do not pay their fees. They arc suspended and prohibited from competing at. or taking part in the management of any open tournament sanctioned by the council. Besides, their names are. published in the official organ, "Lawn Tennis,"; so everybody-knows that they, are defaulters. -It ■ has been shown by tho bal-ance-sheets of some New Zealand associations that some players are bad payers,

but for reasons unknown these players have been allowed to get away with it. That should not be, even if they arc champions. .Why should champions get free entry, whereas the ordinary player iias to pay up and quickly at that? Tho time is over-ripe for non-payers having any benefits, and tliey should be made to toe the line. Some fees havo been standing so long that associations now treat them as bad debts, but even, now these players should be forced to pay up or be made to stand down from all tournaments.' In fact, it. would be 'well.if such defaulters were posted, and not permitted to play for or" at any club until their fees are paid.

One of the"~features of the. Southern. Transvaal championships,- according to '' Lawn Tennis,.''.: was the appearance of Mrs. Peacock on the court without stockings,-so that after several months of indecision she has now definitely joined the ranks of women players. Incidentally, Mrs. Peacock was partnered by Miss Tapscott, the Kimberley player, who introduced the fashion. It may be recalled'that.when Miss Tapscott first appeared stockingless in South Africa some years ago she was received in somewhat disapproving silence by'the gallery, 1 but since then, others have come round to her way of thinking, with the result that South Africa to-day has quite .a regiment of stockhigless girls. . There may be some excuse for, the fashion in South Africa, as owing to the heat it is a great relief for players to abandon, even thin silk stockings. ; ■