TENNIS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10450, 3 December 1927, Page 3

TENNIS.

hard court and lawn

(By

NOTES AND VIEWS

Several of the local dubs bare cum nionced compcti tions reeen Ilv and at least one utter-club game lias been played. With the Poverty Bay tournament' in view, players should, welcome these opportunities of obtaining .match practice, Tor nothing tones one up as we'll and as quickly as such play. Entries are coming in rather, slowly, as yet, for the Christmas tournament, blit, judging from conversation among club members, there will be a" lug rush of entries (luring flic- coming .week. The closing date is,. December 17.

it is- sincerely to he hoped that every local plajer that possibly can will support ■'this tournament; .Not only will lie or she have a highly enjoyable time, hut it will be a- big thing for, the -game in this district if it proves a real success. Almost every other ..district in New Zealand has its annual championship and handicap meeting which is always lhe most- important event of tlie tennis year. It is quite time that Gisborne followed suit and whether it- becomes an annual fixture or not is now 'in the- hands. of the players* themselves. Should they give Him support, which the innovation merits, there can he no qualms as Lo its success.

Mixed Doubles Play. In mixed doubles, temperament plays an important- part (says a writer in the "Weekly Scotsman”). Mayers .should always keep themselves under, control. Don't get cross with .your partner it a mistake is made. We all do it. None of us are perfect. A . Lit of “grousing” does not improve, your play either. Try smiling. It will pay \ou a whole lot hatter in the end. Then there is another thing. Don't try to “kill” every shot that comes?, '•'cur wav. There are very lew firstclass players who can do this, do iioi at icmpt ii. It sometimes happens during the course of a rally that a slier, comes ever .".hunt which yon are in doubt-. You ma.;, wonder whether to lake it yonr.se!! or leave it to your partner. ■Such a situation sin n!d i ' i aris'' where there is a perfect understanding belwoon the pair, and in mixed doubles ii is often considered the tiling.lor, the man to do must of the chasing a him t. while the lady of the partnership- deals 'with the “soft si.iili'." If. however, your lady partner is a tennis enthusiast she- will not he content to allow-her more aeOve partner to do all the work. If she .lie wise. ,

she will tell him frankly that she prefers to. take, all shots that come to her side of the court and that she will not expect him to. have to cover all Die time. ' -.

This question of covering is'important-. When, playing the “one-up-one hack” formation, it is customary for the player plavmg hack to cover the whole of that area along the baseline, the partner up at the net being there solely to deal with low not strokes.

It is important in mixed games to come to a thorough understanding with your partner beforehand. Position cn the court is important. The 1 formation J have mentioned is rather old-fashioned, hut not quite so oldfashioned as when both players remained at the hack of the court, and net play was not considered quite the thing. Nowadays the “advanced” tennis players have discarded both, those'formations and one sees both players up at the net. This has its advantages as well as its dangers, and as yet too few players in open tournaments risk it to any great extent, so it is dillicuh. to know liow far the advantages are nullified by the risks. When both are at the not, howevoi;, a. formidable, barrier is thus raised against 'aggression. Jt is easy enough, on occasion, to pass one person at the not by means of a well-placed ball down the side lines, hut, with two there, the problem undergoes a complete change. It becomes a question of tactics an ! the volley must mu questionably be resorted to. T he volley that is deep into court is considerable' disconcerting to players who are both in at the net. It means that one or both of them have to got back into | orthodox position again to meet it, > and the return is never so fast- as the volley at the net. Personally, while I lor see that the two-up- formation is hound to become popular and well-nigh essential as the game becomes even faster and more vigorous, it is at present a risky proceeding, and .1 do not advise the playtr of average ability to take such a"Teat and problematical risk unless ilie game in question is nothing more serious than a friendly one. No general discuss’,on on mixed douldes could possibly be complete without some re'erence to the qnes- • ion of “poaching.” Bv “poaching,” ; f course, is. meant the familial' propensity on the part of the man to run j •liter every shot that tomes over, 'caving the lady with nothing at all ' i -i do. A great many men do this in ; mixed doubles. They imagine—quite j , rreneously. of course—that the lady j with whom they happen to he playing ! :s hopelessly inrapahm of doing anvtliing right. j The result oi' This is that it often | happens that a good shot comes her j wav which she can take effectively, i end proceeds to do so, oniv to find | that her partner, with a muttered ex- i (Tarnation of “mine” or “leave it to I

me,” cuts in and virtually takes the hall right from Tier racket. The sooner the male in thh mixed doubles partnership realises that lie is not supreme, the hotter it will he for. tennis as a. whole. What more frequently happens jn ,siHt flagrant cases of “poaching” is that the “poacher” muffs the shot altogether, whereas if he had had the courtesy ’to leave it., to his “weaker” partner, she would probably i’.Yvc made a perfectly good return.

That Fighting Spirit, i Mention is often made in all games, I and especially in tennis, to an asset j that all. champions possess (says a I fehristchurch writer). This is describI od in, various ways, as “fighting spir- ! it,” “dogged tenacity,” etc. Un till j a few years ago it was considered an 1 .exclusives attribute of the British, j though Americans got a little on a:oGunb of .their ancestry. Fortunately this latter opinion has changed. Jt would be going too far to say that fighting spirit never won a championship, but it- can he safely said tlmf'it never made'a champion.' It is' a sad fact. * A conversation with a tennis champion on match tactics has brought about this short- article. Here is his opinion: No power on- earth can save a match when your opponent is ahead. If he is. an average good pla,vcr. you cannot overcome 'the handicap of being behind either by strokes or determination. It is luck that decides all final strokes, and. rio matter bow 'rood you arc no matter what your lighting-snirit is, if your opponent has match point and a fraction of luck j with him he will win. “Why. then.” the champion, was asked, “do you see players win matches who have a mu Ii poorer stroke equipment than the loser?” The champion said: “There is a quality that wins matches apart from strokes, hut it is not a fighting spirit ; rather it. is the opposite. A. fight irig spirit, an added intensity, a consciousness either way of desire to win • r fear to lose, is dangerous. To win out in a tight corner, the mind must he free front the knowledge of the score and the state of the game. It must be a blank as to anything else Imb cac;h successive shot. “Do the best with each shot that comes along, unmindful of everything. Forget vour.opponent or the crowd. “Lot the other mail remember his lighting spirit. You calmly put bac-k the most difficult ball you can everv time, and the next thing you will ! now is that you have won. Jt is the disturbing things like wanting to win or fearing to lose that are fatal—and they lire equally fatal.” Ensure record crops and beautiful I.looms this summer by regular watering. The North British Garden Hose will give good garden service for many seasons. See that you gc-t "North British.”—4.