LAWN TENNIS

Evening Star, Issue 19763, 13 January 1928, Page 12

LAWN TENNIS

[By Reooessb/}

A NEW ZEALAND RANKING LIST.

The recent Davis Cup trials in Australia have not made the task of the selectors any easier. After the interstate match last month Kalms appeared to have an excellent chance of a place, when he defeated both Patterson and Hawkes, bnt he did not live up to this reputation in the trial games. Patterson and Crawford are certainties, with Hawkes, Hopman, and Moon the most likely contenders for the remaining places. One would like to see Moon and Hopman in the team, for they are young players with all their tennis before them, and consequently they would gain more benefit than Hawkes from the trip. Tho personnel of tho team is to be announced almost immediately. New Zealand appears to have a favorable opportunity this year of entering a team in the Davis Cup competition. E. D. Andrews is already in England, and. Peacock is going over shortly, combining business and pleasure. If the New Zealand Association has sufficient funds in hand an effort should be made to send away G. Ollivier, the present champion. With Ollivier and Andrews to play the singles, and Ollivier and Peacock the doubles, the dominion could place a team in the field, capable of extending any of tho teams in the competition, with tho exception of the strongest two or three out of the twenty-five or more entrants. With an opportunity such as this presenting itself, the New Zealand Association should, seriously consider the advisability of entering a team this year. The following _ ranking list of New Zealand players is suggested on recent form:—l, Ollivier; 2, Bartleet; 3, Mailboy; 4, Sims; 5, Laurensou; 6, D. France; 7, Sturt; 8, L. France; 9, Seay; 10, Angasll, Wilson. Ollivier, the winner of the singles championship, must be ranked first on his play in Christchurch, and there is greater difference between Ollivier and Bartleet than the scqres in the final would indicate. Ollivier likes the fast driving g ame, and was worried by Bartleet only when the latter attacked his backhand with a slow, high-bounding ball. Critics are expecting Ollivier to do well against the Frenchmen. Bartleet, the Aucklander, is the neatest player in New Zealand, never making awkward strokes, and appearing to put little effort into his game. His service down tho centreline was one of the most difficult to handle in the tournament. Ho is a little weak at times oij high-bounding balls near the net, and hit many of these balls into the net when trying to chop them back in his match against Malfroy. Ho is deservedly second on the list. Malfroy is the most promising player in New Zealand, and, being ‘ not yet nineteen, is a colt with a brilliant future. As yet handicapped by his physique, ho will grow out of that, and, possessed of a brilliant tennis brain and endowed with an amazing variety of strokes, he should go far in the game. Ho was unlucky to lose against Bartafter being two sets in, but a tennis elbow handicapped him in the concluding stages 'nf the match. He is not a very hard driver, but is amazingly accurate, both backhand and forehand, with moderate paced drive-, and is sound overhead. One imngic fhat Lacoste may have played a simile came a.-few years ago. He is a very popular player with the crowd, his engaging smile when beaten by a good shot always appealing to the spectators. A. W. Sims was not a competitor at tho championships this season, hut his past record, combined with his recent performances in the Wilding Shield match against Wellington, entitle him to fourth place. He has the peculiar!: ■ of serving and smashing left-hambm and playing his groundstrokes righthanded. Another player of medium paced strokes, ho is exceedingly diflicn), to beat when on his game. Laurenson ia a player with little more than amazing steadiness, combined with a good overhead smash. Probably the,fittest man in tho tournament, he used to wear down his opponents by getting almost every ball hack into play. After being run yards and yards out of court he would sky the ball, giving him time to get hack into position and continue the rally. His match with Len France, though uninteresting to tho casual onlooker, was one of the headiest games at the tournament. Blade' to look a novice in the first two sets, which ho lost 6-1, 6-2, ho stuck to his guns, finally winning 15-13 in tho fifth set. His steadiness played a big part in the success of the Bartleet-Laurenson combination in the doubles. Sturt first came into the limelight by winning the doubles championship of New Zealand with Knott, at Auckland last season. This year his singles game shows a great improvement, and he deservedly reached the semi-final with wins over Browning^Noel Wilson, and Seay Against Ollivier he gave a good display, but found the champion at his best, and went down in straight sets. He is the sounder man of tho two in the Knott-Sturt combination, and frequently carried his partner for a set or two at the recent meeting. He went right off his game in the fifth set against Laurenson and Bartleet in the final, however, and in spite of brilliant play by Knott the holders went down. The France Brothers were very disappointing at the tournament, neither playing up to the form expected. G. Ollivier considers Len France the hardest man in New Zealand to beat, but his displays at Christchurch did' not bear this out. Don France seemed to lack energy, and gave a very poor display in tho mixed doubles with JVLss Soeirs. Seay is a very pretty player, who enhanced his reputation with a great win over Angas in tho fifth set Christchurch _ papers took Angas to task for taking the net so often, bnt the. writer considers that a vigorous attack on Seay’s backhand, followed bv an advance to the net* is the best method against the left-hander. Angas is the most promising young player in Canterbury. He owes much to natieht coaching by F. J. Murray, and this is revealed in his perfect footwork. Equally sound forehand and backhand he has no weakness against which to launch an attack. His chief fault is carelessness, and he is just as apt to try a risky shot at 30-40 against him in a vital game as to trv the same stroke when leading 40 love. Hia doubles game is poor for a player of his ability, though he gave a camtal

display with Walker against Laurenson and Bartleet, only losing in the fifth set. He added to his laurels by annexing the New Zealand Plate from a strong field, including Noel Wilson. Wilson is another young player who wa» disappointing at Christchurch. He iust got home against Lampe in the first round, but then went down somewhat easily to Sturt. Ho reached the final of the New Xealand Plate, losing to Angas in straight sets. A mixture of brilliant play and bad patches in the doubles, he made amends by annexing the mixed doubles with Miss Tracy. He has a beautiful smash from inside the service line, but his overhead work cannot be compared with that of E. G. Boddy from further barfe; % the court.