Lawn Tennis Notes

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 1, 2 January 1937, Page 5

Lawn Tennis Notes

(By "Deuce.") TOURNAMENT SEASON STARTS

GENERAL NOTES AND NEWS

TF anything has been shown by the tournament season during the past week, it is that the Christmas period is too early for the holding of major tournaments. For one thing, the unreliability of the weather tends to interrupt tournaments in vital stages, and the loss of public patronage on doubtful days can be serious to the club or association controlling the event. As an instance, the Canterbury tournament, which immediately preceded the New Zealand championships, suffered seriously, not only because of the rain, but also because the heaviness of the courts tended to take the edge from players' form and to leave them dissatisfied with their own achievements. In future years, the position should be recified, especially so far as the New Zealand titles arc concerned.

Some fine performances have been achieved by various players in tournaments already completed during the past week. One of the best was by P. Hawksworth in winning the Martinborough tournament from J. E. Giesen, formerly of Wanganui, who has just returned to New Zealand from medical studies at Home.

Hawksworth attained fame during the winter by winning the New Zealand badminton championship and the speed of his strokes and quickness on the court, paramount necessities at badminton, stamped him as one of the most gifted performers the winter game has yet seen in New Zealand. He carries on to the tennis court those self-same virtues, though he is less dominant than at badminton. He has his weaknesses in tennis, some of them noticeable, but he is gifted with immense keenness and at tennis keenness and fighting instincts can cover a multitude of sins.

Giesen, runner-up for the Martiiiborough titla, would probably be one of the first to acknowledge Hawksworth's abilities, for he has had plenty of tournament experience in England. He qualified for a place in the select 128 entrants to Wimbledon's championship and in minor tournaments in England has had plenty of experience. Moreover Giesen. like Hawksworth, is

him at a disadvantage against certain players. Now he is cool and calculating and confident in his challenge. He is rarely caught on the wrong foot or in a bad position. There is constant menace in his firm pressure. Quist will rise still higher in the coming year. Schwartz, after being extended to five sets by E. Hanger, won in straight sets from G. Holloway in a match which began on grass and was completed the following morning on porous courts. He was no match for Quist. who held complete control because of the superior power and accuracy of his ground strokes. Against Hopman, who has always worried him in the past, Quist held command, except in the third set, when he appeared to relax his pressure. His passing shots and superb tossing,enabled him to counter Hopman's net sallies. TURNBULL'S FINE WINS. Turnbull has never been seen to better advantage in Victoria than in his matches against Bromwich and Kay. Bromwich was regarded as certain to reach the final, but after defeating Ewin easily with the loss of only seven games, he was outplayed by Turnbull. The South Australian captain proved that he is a great player on wet courts. The low rebound peared to give him better control from