LAWN TENNIS

Evening Star, Issue 20653, 28 November 1930, Page 16

LAWN TENNIS

[By I! ECOKDEI!-]

TOURNAMENT DATES. The following is a list of the principal tournaments which have been approved by the New Zealand Lawn Tenuis Asso ciation:— New Zealand championships, at Christchurch. —December 26, 27, 29, <lO, and 31. . , Marlborough championships, at Dim l heim.—December 25, 26, and 27. North Otago championships, at Oam aru. —December 25, 26, 27. Southland championships, at Invercargill.—December 25, 26, 27, Auckland championships, at Auckland, - —December 26, 27, 29, 30.^ Nelson championships, at Nelson. — December 31, January 1,2, 3. South Canterbury championships, at Timaru. —January 1,2, 3. Otago, championships, at Dunedin. — January 1,2, 3. Wellington championships, at Miramar. —January 21, 22, 23, 24. Auckland championships, at Auckland. January 28, 29, 30, 31. Canterbury championships, at Christ- . church.—January 29, 30, 31. EASTER DATES. Canterbury Association (hard court), at Christchurch. . North Auckland Association, at Whan , garei. ■ Thames Valley Association, at Thames. Otago Association, at Dunedin. Wellington Association, at Miramar. It must be many years since the interclub matches have had such a bad spin as regards weather. Since the commencement of the matches on October 17 there has been only one fine Saturday,- and as a Yankee tournament was held on that day there has not been an afternoon oh which rain has not 'interfered with the competitions. The Competitions Committee of the association will certainly find it very difficult to finish the various competitions unless some arrangements are made to try and play a number of the matches in the evenings. Bowlers play matches in the evenings, and there does not Seem to be any reason why tennis players should not also be asked to play some of the matches which have had to be postponed. It is not often that a doubles match in which the standard of play reaches such a level is seen in Dunedin as was the one played at Logan Park last week when Guy and Duthie retained third Slace on the association doubles ladder y defeating Deaker and Pollock, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1. The outstanding feature of the match was Duthie’s smashing and volleying. Deaker’s forehand was working well, and he won many clean aces with this shot. The match was marked by brisk volleying, and many exciting exchanges at close range. In the deciding set the excellent combination and steadier play of tbc Aloana pair was the deciding factor, R. Guy and H. Pollock played a ladder challenge match on Tuesday night for second place, the former winning, 6-1, 6-1. Guy’s steady play and well placed cut drives, both forehand and backhand, proved too good for bis opponent. Pollock did, not make enough use of his opportunities to get into the net, and by hanging back was continually forced to volley up. In a recent ladder match G. Pearce, who was right on Iris game, defeated K. Webling, 6-3, C-4. In the Moana-North-east v alley match the scores as published in the Super were wrong, in that_ Cheyno, 'orth-east Valley, won his singles against Chisholm, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, and Smith and Cheyno defeated Gale and Chisholm, 6-3, 6-3. In both his matches Cheyne gave a good all-round display, serving and driving well, and he should make marked progress as the season ad vances. ■ ' With only five weeks to go before the -Otago championships, all those players who intend taking part in this tournament should be getting down to real hard practice. The Otago championships are to be played at Logan Park at New Year, and the association confidently appeals to tbe rank and file of tbe tennis players to give this tournament their support. In the past the absent f • -Ves from B and C grade players lias been very noticeable. As the majority of tennis _ players come under these classes it is to be hoped that they will not fail to give their support to "their own association’s tournament. _ ' E. D. Andrews, the New’ Zealander who is secretary of the Covered Courts Club at Dulwich, will be lost to English tournaments for some considerable time to come owing to his absence abroad on a world tour. He is to visit India and the East, but so far it is not, known whether he will bo able to touch New Zealand in his travels. Fritz Mercier, who is the sixth tanked player in the United States, has been suspended for an infringement of the amateur rule, and has been declared ineligible to compet*' •> tournaments and matches under the auspices of the United States Lawn Tennis Association. The trouble took place when Mercier entered it. the championship of tiie Holley Valley Club, in Michigan, on condition that he received several customers for insurance in return for bis appearmv there. Mercier is an insurance salesman.’ Ho is known as one of tho best players in the world when in top -m. In 1 o scored a brilliant victory'over Tildenjr. the eastern championship at Rye, New York. Candidates for both men’s and women’s New South Wales tennis teams to visit Victoria in the first week in December are practising hard, and the competition for places has rarely been keener (writes H. Hopman, in the Sydney ‘ Rfeeree ’). Among the men three players stand out—J. Crawford, J. Willard, and Hopman—and tho remaining three places will probably go to C. Donohue, R. Dunlop, ami C. Sproule, not necessarily in that order. That means the most promising junior in Australia. Dave Thompson, will be excluded, which would be unfortunate, as the interstate match and yictorian championships would afford him wonderful practice. Fred. Kalins lias no performances to be selected ahead ol Donohue, Dunlop,-and Sproule without playing himself m at practice games. Donohue beat him in New Zealand, and although he (Donohue) did not compete in the metropolitan championships is in good form, and did well in tho city oi Sydney championships. With regard to Donohue being selected ahead of F. Kahns this is hard to understand, as on his play while in New Zealand last season Kalins prove himself to bo a much better player than Donohue, even allowing for the tact that Donohue had ono victory over Kalms. ... . • An Australian writers impression ot John H. Doeg, American national junior champion <1926; , American tional doubles champion with Geoige Lott (1929-30), and American national singles champion (1930)., is as tallows “ John Hone Doeg is just twenty-out, tail,, powerfully built, and P os ' charming personality. -He I l3l * k courage, strong ’determination, and a

‘ will to win,’ which, allied to his Kolendid equipment, has won him many- a long match. This tall, fairhaiml boy is of a tennis family—his mother was a champion as -Miss Violet Sutton, and his> aunt,. May Sir'ton Bundy, won the English championship at Wimbledon in 1905, and returned to reach the semi-final in 1929. Doeg's service is perhaps the fastest in the world to-day, equal in speed to that of Gerald Patterson at his best and .that of W. T. Tilden when serving bis famous ‘ cannon ball.’ He is lefthanded, which fact makes the hall oven more difficult to return. His overhead is magnificent, hit tho same way as his service; ho controls the placement and gets tremendous speed. His volleying is also good, and there his game practically ends. His ground strokes are half chop, half push, with an occasional attempt at u top-spin drive; his backhand is more reliable than his forehand, because he restrains it more, and he can toss most accurately- from that side. Ground shots such as be lias earn him very few games, but bis superlative serving ami splendid volleying make his own service so sure that iuTneetl only win an opponent’s service rarely to gain the match.”