LAWN TENNIS

Evening Star, Issue 19410, 19 November 1926, Page 13

LAWN TENNIS

[By Recorder.] Once again tho weather .prevented play on Saturday last, and so far only one of the four Saturdays has been fine this season. B and C grade players are perhaps worse off than the seniors, for a wet Saturday to them means a 'month between matches. The first result of last week’s postponement is perhaps the fact that the A grade banner appears to have been pretty definitely won by Moana, for University, the only remaining team that would seriously threaten them, cannot field players for postponed matches at the end of tho season. Both these teams have played Roslyn, and if the results are analysed University certainly appear to have clone better than Moana. ' Thus, in the singles matches Moana won four aitd lost four against Roslyn, while University won seven and lost one. In the mixed doubles Moana won two and lost two, and, though these games were not played in the Univcrsity-Roslyn match, it is only fair to assume that University would have done at least equally well, seeing that their players have not yet lost a mixed double in the matches to date. Thus University are unfortunate in being deprived of meeting last year’s premiers, for on results they would appear to have had at least as good a chance as Moana, of winning the banner.

No reports have yet been sent in concerning B and CJ grade matches, and therefore they have not so far received tho space they deserve in this column. If players ■in . these grades would send in even brief notes on matches, such games would be written up, and should bo of interest to readers, for, after all, there arc many more B and C grade players than A grade. The idea of a Ladies’ Committee to run a series of ladder- matches on Thursday afternoons, is an excellent one, and should result in an improved standard of play. The committee has published a doubles ladder, and there is no reason why this should not he a success. It is to be hoped that one or two junior players. will take part in these games, and if, for instance, Miss Fleming (Cosy Doll) and Miss Crawshaw (St. Clair) joined forces on the doubles ladder, these two players, besides improving their own game, would give some of the more experienced players a close match. “ Ladder days” will be held alternately at Moana and Roslyn on Thursdays, and players desirous of taking part are requested to get into touch with Mrs Gale or Mrs Evans. A booklet containing tho revised rules of lawn tennis, together with photographs and information about past and present Otago players, is at present being compiled. When published, these booklets will no doubt be forwarded to clubs for free distribution to all members. A similar booklet for Canterbury has been published, and if the local publication is as good then players are going to get a booklet well worth having. The following statement appeared in a recent Wellington paper:—“Owing to the association courts not yet being ready, clubs, desirous of playing in the interclub matches are to bo asked if they will consent to play some of tho matches on their own courts.” To us unfortunates who havo to play mo of our matches on club courts tho above appears peculiar, but perhaps the day is not far distant when alf club matches here will bo played on association courts. A correspondent forwards the following, and asks for a ruling;—“A ball is hit over the net to a player, who, realising that the ball is out of his reach, and knowing it is a match point against him, throws his racket at tho ball in disgust. The ball is thereby returned. Who wins the point?” The stroke, if it can .be so called, is against the man who throw the racket at the ball, and so the disgusted one loses after all.

No Otago players have yet announced their intention of going to Auckland for the championships at Christmas, but the Oamaru tournament will probably be as well supported as in the past. The South Canterbury tournament at New Year is also a tournament deserving of support from B and C grade players, as well as A. There is always a carnival on Caroline Bay at that time, and the tournament can therefore be combined with a delightful holiday. V. E. Page is the present holder of the three championships, but whether he will defend nis title or not remains to be seen. . Lindsay, the popular Wmton player, is still a force very much to be reckoned with in Southland tennis, though “he is hardly as active as when ho ran twenty miles in a match with M'Dougall, of Otago, a few years ago,” says a Southland exchange. Ho will probably be found in the Southland team against Otago this season. Sumpter and Gilmour are to play off for No. 1 position in the Invercargill Club in the near future, and on performances the ex-North Otago player should win comfortably. A matter that could well be looked into by the association is the question of plavcrs tossing for service m each set, instead of the present rather unfair method of the captains tossing once for the whole match. The advantage to the winning side is a great one if'any matches go to 8 all, and that this frequently happens is seen by the fact that in recent A grade matches alone no fewer than ten sets were decided by the odd game, the side having the service winning a majority of them. If players tossed before each set the service woud bo more equally divided—surely a fairer method than the system now in vogue. On his past performances Bray was entitled to a, place on the recently published New Zealand ranking list, A plaver who at one time or another has defeated Ollivier, Goss, Griffiths, and Lampe, and who has taken Peacock to five sets, deserves a place at least as much as some who are included. Further, ho played some very close matches with Page, and all who saw his great game with Page in the final of the singles at Easter will agree an injustice has been done to this player. It must be admitted, however, that the New Zealand Association has had an unenviable task in ranking the players, and, with no doubt several claimants for the last position, it was impossible to include all. At the time of the American championships the score in the match between Borotra and W. M. Johnston was not cabled. It appears that the Frenchman won 4-6, 4-0, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, and after the match he was terribly upset at defeating .the American. Johnston-had lost to Tilden in the final for the last six years, and, as Tilden had already been eliminated, the popular Frenchman apparently thought that “ little Bill ” should at least have a chance of defeating Lacoste in the final, for he felt he himself had no chance. Events proved him right, his countryman defeating him in straight sets. , A paragraph in the ‘ Bulletin quotes Tilden as • stating that he will not be turning professional this season, thereby apparently intimating that ho will consider it- next year. If ho decides to leave the amateur ranks the chances of America retaining the Davis Cup are decidedly slender. In this connection it‘is interesting to note that Norman Brookes, in an interview, recently stated that he thought Australia had as good a chance as France, provided Anderson and Patterson made the trip next year. The long-looked-for. New, South Wales v. Victoria men’s match takes place next Saturday, followed by the Victorian championships. As Anderson will be meeting Hawkea, Patterson,

and O’Hara Wood among others, a true index of his form will bo gained, and probably these three players -would be the first to wish him success, for it means a lot to Australia jf J.O. can win. Southland is not to have the services of V. E. Page after all tins season, for he has gone north. The Canterbury ladder does not include the names of Ollivier and Seay, the latter being omitted, as ho intends going to Auckland a month before the championships commence there. The list is as follows:—• MEN. 1. Greenwood. 2. Glanvillo 3. K. J. Walker. 4. Patterson. 5. Shephard. 6. Robinson. 7. Wilding, 8. Loughnan. 9. Field. 10. Denton. 11. Angus. 18. H. S. Wilkinson, LADIES. 1. Miss Speirs. 2. Miss Wake. 3. Miss Muirson, 4. Miss Partridge. 5. Miss Ferrier. 6. Mrs Sharp. 7. Miss Saunders. 8. Miss Sowddn. At present negotiations are taking' place between the local association and the Anderson’“S Bay Club for the sale of the Bay courts. Though the association is not dcsirohs of ipaking money out of one of its associated clubs, a fair price will no doubt be decided on, for the money realised will go towards the laying down of the new courts at Logan Park. Of course, if the Anderson’s Bal Club decides to purchase the courts it will not take possession till the new courts are ready. As the laying down of these, courts is to commence next month if practicable, there is still a chance that the next Easter tournament may bo held at Logan Park—good news to “all those Southland players who have shivered at Anderson’s Bay ” (as. a Southland writer has stated)*