LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 51, 1 March 1930, Page 22

LAWN TENNIS

»y "Muka~ ... ,

WELLINGTON'S WIN

OTAGO LOSES TO CANTER-. BURY

MRS.- Scott "defeats; miss " AVAKE V ".,-■'

The Anthony Wilding .Memori-' Shield contest, between teams from the Wellington and Canterbury: Association?, which took place last Friday and Saturday, was robbed of considerable interest by the absence of Seay from the Canterbury team. On 17th February, which was four days beforo tho contest was duo to start, tho secretary of the. Canterbury Association stated that he had received definite advice that 1. A. Seay, Canterbury's second player, would not be available for the mutch. That appeared to have settled the matter, but to the .writer's surprise un Thursday evening lie met Seay motor ing down Ngahauranga Gorge, and subsequently it was ascertained that the Canterbury player had motored to Wellington with the idea of playing in the match. Why ho did not play, when apparently available, of course, rests with tho "Canterbury Association, and is not the business of anyone else. At any rate, Seay attended the contest on the Friday as a spectator. There is not the slightest doubt that Seay's absence weakened' tho Canterbury team, as it is certain, even if be had lost both of his singles, that he would have strengthened the doubles, and Rhodes-Wil-liams would have been more difficult to defeat by Wellington's third and fourth men than was Patterson. As it happened, the visitors were hardly in the hunt, yet the AVellingtonians, before the contest, were not satisfied that the Wellington team had made, any serious preparation for such an important fixture. It may be that the top players have not the time available for serious practice matches against one another, but the popular belief is that for some reason or other they are rather reluctant to meet in serious practice matches. Mali'roy and Prance were in tho happy position of "carrying no woight," as it were, after their performances in the New Zealand singles, whereas Angas, as New Zealand champion, had a reputation to uphold. It would appear that some of these young players aro just as high-strung asa young racehorse, and the moment the colours are up a certain amount of fretting or nervousness prevents thorn-from giving o£ their best. It is quite apparent that some of our best players do not appear to enjoy their matches, but it would be to their bonefit and the upeetators' enjoyment if they could only cultivate a more genial demeanour when in court, for, after all, it is only a game, they are playing. Provided players givo.of their best to secure victory for their side, what matters it who wins. The game is the real thing, and the sport would be all the better for less interference and suggestions from outsiders, as to who should bo selected as representatives, and also as to whether the game as now played is better,or worse than that played, in years gone by. All the matches were keenly fought, especially in tho singles, but there was the usual weakness in the doubles, few of the players advancing close enough to the net when attacking.1 ■ : / . • \ Matches in the South. Canterbury, without five of its best players, defeated Otago last Saturday in an intcrprovincial match by 20 matches to 4, on the Wilding Park courts. Otago lost all the men's singles, and that in itself practically solves the South Island team to play against the Australians at Dunedin. Sheppard, top player for Canterbury, beat Bray 6-3, 7-5, Loughnan beat Guy, 6-0, 6-4; and Greenwood beat M'Dougall, 6-4, 6-1. A. S. Moody and E. G. Boddy could not make the trip to Christchurch for tho match. Just lately Boddy beat M'bougall for third place on the Otago ladder, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, and he also won the < Otago Club's championship by beating Bray, 6-4, 8-6, 6-2. The -ladies were more evenly matched. Miss Scott (Otago) beat Miss M. Sherris, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; and Miss E. Partridge (Otago) beat Mrs. B. Miles, 6-1, 4:6, 6-4. The Otago lady champion, Miss M. Pattison, was beaten by Miss Wake, 6-3, 6-2. Otago players are accustomed to playing on hard courts, and for a time were all at sea on the grass. The weather was fiuj, but -a keen wind proved troublesome to players. ■ .''.-.'. Canterbury v. South Canterbury. Canterbury met South Canterbury'at Wilding Park last Saturday week, but unfortunately the fixture was marred by the weather. A soaking drizzle fell nearly all the day, and two matches had to be abandoned, when an. extra; heavy shower drove players from the courts. Canterbury won by 19 matches to 3. Augas beat W. G. Robertson, the junior Now Zealand champion, 6-1, 6-2; and D. 11.I1. Glauvillo beat D. C. Johnston, 6-1; 6-1. The latter at one time gave promise of becoming a' champion, but of late years has had no one to press him in Timaru, and he practically gave the game up altogether for a time. T-. W. Patterson beat the evergreen.. Warno Pearse 6-3 j 6-0. . In the ladies' - contests the younger association did better. -Mrs. Scott beat Miss Wake, .4-6, 6-3, G-3. Miss Gibson beat Mrs. B. Miles, 6-4, 6-4, and Miss Andrew (Canterbury) had to work hard to defeat • Miss D. Hart, 8-6, 7-5. All tho other Canterbury ladies had easy wins. Still, South Canterbury ladies did well to win two singles, the -top ones at that. Robertson played well against Angas, and he held the New Zealand champion, stroke for stroke. It was only a matter of inexperience ' that caused Robertson to lose strokes, through over-eagerness. His stroke production was good, and, with careful practice, he should soon be able to hold his own against allcomers in the South Island. Mrs. Scott played brilliantly in all her matches with Miss Gibson in the doubles, the score was 6-2. and 3-all in favour of the. South Canterbury pair, against Misses Wake and Andrew, tho holders of tho New Zealand doubles championship, when. rain, stopped play. Miss Andrew and RhodesWilliams were forced to-their utmost by Mrs. Scott and 'Craininond, the Canterbury pair-just getting homo, 5-7, 6-4, 7.5. Miss Wako injured her anklo ;iii the first few-minutes' of- the -ladies ' doubles. 'She pluckily;- played on, : but was not ablo to take her usual share of tho work, yet for all that-tho'visitors, played well to win tho first set. Council Meeting. ;.,-.....■; ; : ' ,A quarterly meeting of th« council of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis.' Association will bo held in the: Chamber of Commerco meeting room; ■ Dominion Buildings, on Monday, 10th March, at 7.45 p.m. Tho order paper is a: fairly full one. The Wellington Association will move that tho junior hard-court championships of New Zealand be held annually in tho May school holidays. Another motion, to be moved on behalf of tho management committee, is: "That this Council of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association define a policy in tho matter of the acceptance of cups and of trophies from commercial firms," Tho management committee has also given notice.of its intention to move that several named persons be elected honorary; life members of the association,