TENNIS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10740, 10 November 1928, Page 9

TENNIS.

MISS SPEIRS PRAISED.

HIGH PLACE IN LADIES’ TENNIS

VISITOR’S OPINION

An interesting feature of _the English team’s practice at Christchurch was a series of combined doubled, m winch the English players were partnered by Miss May Speirs (New Zealand champion) and Miss May Andrew. Miss Speirs, who has had very little practice lately, played her usual brilliant game, and Miss Andrew, who was also a little short of practice, rose to the occasion splendidly. Austin and Miss Speirs played Dr. Gregory and Miss Andrew, later Dr. Gregory and Miss Speirs played Collins and Miss-Andrew. The last combination produced the best games, two sets going to advantage, although Miss Speirs did not lose a set during the afternoon. In reply to a question regarding Miss Speirs’s play, Dr. Gregory (tine, v.sitors’ captain) said that it reminded. him of the. style of Madame Borde, a Frenchwoman, who drove veiy hard and played a vigorous game. Hut he was surprised at the consistency of bliss Speirs’s overhead. Usually lone did not look for great brilliance in this department.,of a lady’s game, but Miss Speirs missed nothing. “In fact,” ‘he said, “she has no weakness.” Asked liow Miss Speirs would compare with English ladies, Dr. Gregory said that although he had not seen her in singles, her combined play was equal to that of the best in England—with perhaps one or two exceptions. Dr. Gregory also praised the play of Miss Andrew. He remarked that he had thoroughly enjoyed the play in all the combineds. H. W. Austin, who had played with Miss Speirs earlier, was also very complimentary regarding her game. He remarked that she had some wonderful shots.

position. Immediately after the Games both became professionals, and Ounfi going to America, the Madison Square Garden (New York) promoters got busy, and arranged an indoor Matratlion of 26 miles 400 yards. Ouafi won by three laps from Bay with the other competitors quite outclassed. Bay has turned professional at an age when most athletes think of retiring and leaving the game to younger men. The one thing in his favor is that a man who has reached the veteran stage so far as the usual track running is concerned. can keep going in long distance racing. DeMar, who is several years older than Bay, is an example of this. OLYMPIC SCOR INC. A correspondent, writing to a leading American sports writer, asked, “What country officially won the Olympic Games? In other words, what country goes down officially as the victor?” The reply was : —The Olympic Games Committee does not recognise a championship "or keep any score of the points. It is individual competition so far as the. Games Committee is concerned. The result is that each country keeps its own score. One country figures points on a certain basis, while another country may adopt a second plan. The result is a lot of confusion, with several countries claiming top honors. It might be a good thing for the Olympic Games Committee to decide upon a standard system. of scoring points. Then we wilt be able to establish an official and legitimate winner. Writing on the same subject, Mr. Grantland Bice, America’s leading sports writer, says: “There is cnly one thing that counts in an Olympic event, and that is first place-. • The unofficial point scoring that has been used all about tbe country means nothing at all. As it happened, the United States won the greatest number of first places, but the point svstem accredited to this country is, of course, a joke. The biggest team would nearly always win. One of the larger 1 nations could mop up without winning a first. Let us he atisfied with, our total of first places hereafter, and cease being ridiculous in the eyes of the world by our totalling up a huge number of points which mean nothing and do nothing but- flatter our vanity.

track jottings. Several athletes are showing good form for so early in the season, among them being Tom Corkery, Fiank Dobb'e, Frank Martin, and “Billy McDonald. They should be direful and not overdo it. Despite the fact that they have contemplated retirement for the last couple of seasons, “McTavish” McDonald and “Oost” Paltndgo have again shaken the dust from their “spikes.” , “Pip” Martin has again taken; up sprinting and should he an acquisition to the ranks of the speedsters. Sleldom do we find two sets of three brothers competing in the one club. J suggest the McDonalds and Martins stage a relay race over a suitable distance. , Several High School boys are showing a decided interest m'field events. Lockett is particularly good at long lumping and tlie triple loap*> During the week-end Xr noticed Club Captain Percy Fulton and Chairman “Bui” Jenkins making frantic efforts to throw the 161 b-pill out of the ground. Vic, .Caullon should He-on bis guard against these hefty “weight-stingers.-” “Oscar” Thorpe, who made 'Jackson Scholia go close to a world s re r cord on the Reserve, is again out lor scalps and is moving mce.y m, his training runs. Very few ladies are to be .seen, m practice, hut among those noticed are Misses Haisman, Beale. Tier Robinson and Williamson. It fs also rumored that Miss McCarthy mil again take up the sport. , , Secretary John .Fraser worked opr during the week-end, , but - was in very “roly-poly’ ’ condition. The large number of High School boys who are taking on the sport augurs well for the future.,. It is to be hoped they don’t 1 throw it-ill after a, few races. So far Phil - Francis, Poverty Bay distance star, has not commenced training. ‘Trick’ Smith, holder of the muchcoveted Black and White pup, "is again .on the job and looking very neat in a brand new uniform. The cyclists are still a small liana and so far few new additions to their ranks have been noticed by the writer. The track to be used this season is quite a good one and far more suitable than that of last year,

ENGLISH LADIES. THEIR, STANDARD OF PLAY. AUCKLANDER’S. VIEW, : “ Miss Marion Macfarlane, a member of the Bemuera Lawn Tennis Club, arid one of the most promising of Auckland’s younger players, has returned from England. She played in a number of tournaments while at Home and met many of the leading players. The experience she gamed will undoubtedly have strengthened her game considerably.. She will play in the New Zealand championships at Christmas in partnership with her sister, Marjorie, and also in tile Auckland championships later. Miss Macfarlane said that E. D. Andrew's, the New Zealand champion, had greatly improved his game. He was thought very highly of in England and was most popular both on and off the court. When he first arrived it took him six months to produce his real form but now tnero seemed no reason why he should not reach the topmost rung of the tennis ladder. V.

The standard of the English ladies’ play was, exceptionally high, and even if the leaders were removed there were hundreds of very fine players who, if they were in New Zealand, would undoubtedly be in the first flight. Miss Betty Nuthall had not produced anything approaching her true form last season. She had been trying to learn the overhead service, and this seemed to have undermined her usual confidence. Doubtless when she had mastered this she would once again move ahead. Miss Eileen Bennett playea a wonderfully stylish and attractive game, but always seemed to do better in France than in England. It wag doubtful whether she. had sufficient tenacity to keep her in the forefront of ladies’ tennis. Miss Susa Noel was probably the most promising young girl player in England. She was only fifteen years of age and could defeat many, of those accepted for play in the All-England championships. What Miss Macfarlane noticed most in connection with the Eriglish ladies’ play was the great steadiness of the majority of players. The standard of play among the men was, comparatively speaking, not nearly so high, and,"moreover, there, were not nearly the same numlfer who could he classed as good. The general opinion among experts seemed to be that the grass courts were spoiling play, in Englan dand keeping tUe game hack. I VALUE OF SPIN. ' OFTEN MEANS YICTOBY.

NOTABLE EXAMPLE.

With the exception of those ol ; Lon France, spin shots are scarcely known in New Zealand in first-class tennis. Yet tlie-ir use is of undoubted value as was seen in the great come-back Tilden staged against Lacoste in the final of this year’s Davis Cup. Although Tilden has written a hook oil spin it is not associated with his game in the popular mind, and his matches are to a large extent won on flat drives and an equally flat service. How great a_ measure of spin. Tilden can impart into a drive can be gauged by his match with J. C. Peacock, the Wellington player, in the Wimbledon singles. It is true that Peacock is not in the front rank as a player, yet he is not beyond returning any ordinary shot. Against Tilden lie lost 6-0, 6-0, 6-0, and did not look like getting a game. The reason given at the time was that he could not get. his racquet fairly on to Tilden ’s sliced drives. France has two cut drives, and it is the variety contained in them that -makes his game so formidalle. With one, the ball strikes the ground, and rises abruptly, with, the other, made with a similar action, the ball, on touching the court, shoots forward at a great pace. It is this latter hall that is evidently the Tilden attack. A variety of strokes is needed for tennis, and included in these a few “spin shots are necessary. O'llivi.er has succeeded without them, although his famous cross-court shot has probably top spin, otherwise it could hardly keep in the court. Again, on occasions he lobs with a cut ball. There is also an action slice when lie plays a ball off the wrong foot. Seay has twice defeated Angas with the aid of a heavily-sliced ball which upsets Angas’ game. The details of Tilden’s game with Eacoste shows how a series of defeats can be changed into victory with the help of a spinning hall. “American Lawn Tennis” says:— “Losing the first set the American had now committed himself to a definite line of policy and liis strategy and tactics were clearly revealed. He had found that he could rely on his service. The ball came off his racquet with a lot- of speed, it was varied and beautifully placed, a,nd its direction was cleverly concealed. It had Lacoste on the anxious seat all through the match, and particularly during this period. Even more noteworthy than the service was Tilden’s choice of shots. Tie had found in the first set that he had little .control of straight-hit shots \ consequently he tried a'different, kind, and that was, naturally a heavily spinning shot; one that he could control, one that Lacoste disliked and could only return, in a measure, defensively. As the play went on Tilden increased the amourit of spin he iriiparted to the hall, finding that he was jin no danger of rnaking errors with such shots, and that s Lacoste was soon all at sea on them. But if these gyrating balls became Tilden’f; stock in trade he was not content to simply starid there and project them into Lacoste’s court. He was over on the alert for an advance toward the net, there to make a volley that might give him the point; and he never sent over enough twisters to give Lacoste assurance thnt—nothing else would come to him. Balls were hit with a flat racquet,. or with/over spin, sometimes as a forcing shot, at pthers sa -a message that he believed in variety.” it was spin that brought Tilden this win. : f ,