TENNIS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10752, 24 November 1928, Page 9

TENNIS.

SPEED WANTED. NEED OF N.Z. TENNIS. TEST LESSONS* “The Test, match against the British tmm showed New Zealand tennis players one thing. We have all the strokes, (and all the craft—-but we must have more speed,” said Geoffrey Ollivier, holder of the. N.Z. singles .title, in the course of an interview ■ at Christchurch on his return from Auckland, where he had participated in tho test match against the British team which recently toured Now Zealand. “The old top-spin fetish must go.” he added. “The Englishmen have shown us that s]>eed is the great necessity in New Zealand at the present time, and that in playing The top-spin shot we are saoi ■ firing speed to safety. The only' way in which we can get the greater speed which enabled most of the Englishmen to win their games in this country is to adopt the straight, flat drive that they exploited so successfully.”

Ollivier said that not one of the tourists used top-spin to central the ball, but relied on flat or even slightly undercut -strokes. Their barichands emphasised this characteristic of their game, particularly well, a.v one and all employed a sweeping sliced stroke on this wing. Another noticeable feature was that the ball was taken always on the rise, indeed, the flat drive reached its greatest- success when played to a ball which had not quite reached the top of its bounce. IT? was convinced that speed was the great necessity here at. the present time, and as a means to that end.' tlie adoption of the straightdriven shots. Nearly all the great hitters in tho world had discarded top-spin after reaching a certain stage. Tilden, he said, was a terrific Litter on both wings, and the American crack always advocated the straight, shots. J. 0. Anderson, the Australian, when in form, was reckoned to have the fastest anti best forehand in the world, and his strokes wore made without any overspin at all. Coining nearer home, he said that Don France illustrated very well the method employed by the Englishmen in executing backhand strokes. This stroke was the American version of the backhand drive.

Discussing the various styles, 01livicr said that Austin used tho old English grips for all strokes, and played the typically English game as it has Leon played for many years, including the slower style of play. The others, however, all much harder hitters, used the American or French grips. Where Austin played a backhand with an angle between racquet and forearm, others played with the racquet in line with the arm. It was becoming generally recognised now, however, that, no special style was superior to all others, and that many old dogmas were going by the hoard. “As long as the player can hit the ball hard and accurately over the net, lie will do well. Many of the world’s greatest players have, what a few years ago, would have keen called serious flaws in their games, such as for instance, unorthodox footwork. Most of the world’s host players varied widely from each other in their styles and methods.”

Ollivier’s appearance against the visitors at Auckland was his final game as an amateur, but his future, plans are not yet definite, as they will depend largely on the action of the New Zealand'Lawn Tennis Association. Tb had been suggested in the North Island that he should assist the various Associations there, instead of only the Canterbury Association. “Although T would like to work for my own province first, it must be remembered that the North Island has many more young players of promise than the South can boast, and it is these young players upon whom New Zealand will be relying for future Davis Cup teams, that I would like to assist in any way t can.” said Ollivier.

AMERICAN TENNIS TITLE. CO CHET WINS AGATNST ODDS. Further details of the American lawn tennis championships are new to hand, and indicate what a. very fine performance H. Cochet, the great French player, put up in winning the event. Cbchet’s'-win marked the fourth occasion on which the United States singles title has gone overseas, the other times being m 1903. when H. L. Doherty wen, and in 1926 and 1927, when Lacoste secured the title. It was the third time Cochet has been a serious contender. On the first occasion, in 1926, he defeated Tilden in a closely fought five set match, and the next day in the semi-final round he won the first two sets from Lacoste, but then lost the next three. In 1927 he was unexpectedly defeated Dy Hennessey. This year he was the logical winner, - and in spite of a very partisan crowd, who wanted a Cochet defeat and made no mistake about showing it, came through with flying colors. ,

The only member of the Bntisn team to show up at all was H. W. Austin. He won two matches and was then beaten by Doeg by 3 sets to 2 after a tremendous straggle.' J. Crawford, the promising Australian player, did well and was beaten in the fourth round by Hnuter. Bad decisions, the time Hunter (who- was feeling the strain) took to change over, and the behaviour of the crowd, all seemed to have combined to upset the Australian. In the end Hunter, who maintained his concentration and kept his head, won by three sets to one.

BRAINY TENNIS PLAYER. PRAISE FOR. N. E. BROOKES. N. E. Brookes has given sqme delightful displays in doubles since his return to Europe, says an English lawn tennis writer, and it is still an artistic delight to watch him play. He is essentially a brainy exponent of lawn tennis with the mind of a chess player. He never makes a stroke which is haphazard, or without set purpose. Always he is thinking one or two moves ahead and that is why so often his final winning shot is an easy one, for he, has got his rival or rivals hopelessly out of position. There are some good judges who believe Norman Brookes, at his best, was the greatest. player of all time. However, that mav be, he was, to use a much-abused woqrl, great.

SERVING IN TENNIS. BEST METHOD •FOR WOMEN. Ts it so vastly important as some people allege for a woman lawn tennis player to have an overhead service? Many women have so-called oveihaad services which simply ask to be hit.- An overhead service like that of Miss Helen Wills is,* of course, a real match winning spiset, hut Miss Wills’ gen-ice is quii* exceptional in speed and accuracy. A really good under-hand service ns not to be despised, for it generally keeps too low to lie severely dealt with.

combined doubles. POSITION OF LADY PLAYER. ■The modern system of combined doubles play in tennis seems to bo for the lady player to go to the net, even although her ideas of volleying may be' very remote. It is not by any means certain that this system is tbs best. There is no doubt that if one pair go through a match lobbing aIL the time over the head* of the lady at the other side of the net, the latter’s partner is kept continually running back for lobs unless he, is exceptionally brilliant overhead. The old game of the lady at the base line and the man intercepting at the net certainly produces fine tennis, dWI there have been many famous combined pairs who employed this method. Of course, it is not suggested the lady should avoid the net altogether. When a really good opening presents itself, if she can volley, let her go right in and end the rally, ODD STRINCS. JOTTINGS FLOW ALL COURTS. A sensation has been caused in the tennis world by the decision of the French Tennis Federation to transfer the challenge round of the Davis Cup from Paris to Brussels. This is the result of the French Treasury’s decision to levy entertainment-tax on national and * international tennis tourneys in future, these having been exempted in the past. As to the proposed taxation amounts to .33 per cent, of the gross takings, the decision of the Federation to hold the final in Belgium is .understandable i Football and other field sports are not affected by the tax. In. this connection, the Treasury is alleged to have got a nasty one off its chest 1 . Approached by the Federation with a request that tennis be accorded the same privileges as other sports, it dismissed the application with the freezing comment- that tennis was not- a sport-.

HAWKE'S BAY XI. PLAYERS. FOR PRACTICE. 17 SELECTED. Hawke's Ray players chosen to practise with a view to the. preliminary match for the Hawke Cup, against Poverty Bay at Napier on Friday and Saturdav next, are as follow: T. C. Lowry, R. I). Worker, I). Shephard, H. Ynrwood, A. Reek, H. Stephenson, M. O’Brien, G. Stevens, ■L Stevens,, E. Mitchell, E. Elliott, T. lleaney, ,C. Temperton, E.. Evans, H. Milgate, D. Pirie and H. Owen. Of the above players, the following have been nominated, dor inclusion in the country side against Wellington. in a match to be played on Decemlftr 7 and 8: Lowry, Elliott. Mitchell, O’Brien, Stephenson and Heaney. TWELVE SIXERS! CENTURY IN 22 MINUTES. MUDGEE (N.S.W.), Nov. 0. The feature of the cricket match between Blue Mountains and Mudgee teams, at Bathurst, was the sensational batting xjf.W. Werner, of Mudgee. He hit with remarkable vigor, and scored 101 not out in 22 minutes, out of a total of 5 for. 184. His runs included twelve sixers—all mighty hits. It is doubtful if faster scoring has ever been registered on the Bathurst ground, where the mighty George Bonnor used to make prcdigous hits. Mudgee was defeated by 46 runs. 1000 WICKETS APIECE. ENGLISH TOTALS SINCE WAH. NEWMAN INCLUDED. •T. A. Newman, of Hampshire, the Canterbury Cricket Association’s professional coach, is one of the 12 men who have taken, in the last 10 years, a thousand wickets in first-class cricket in. England, leaving out of account anything done abroad. These men, and their figures, are:—

W. Rhodes— Ralls. Runs. Wickets. Aver. 54,177 '• 17,766 1200 14.8 ■T. C. White--68,226 22,863 1456 1.5.7 G. G. Macaulay—--52,864 , ,20)066 1200 16.5 R, Tyldeslcv 46,523 '18.484 1077 17.1 M. W. Tate—--72,118 24,273 1419 17.4 O. Parker—--79.587 30,662 1753 17.4. A. P. Freeman—--64,677 29,187 . '1657 17.6 T. L. Richmond—--46.587 23,673 1134 20.8 ' A. S. Kennedy—--72,411 30,897 1457 21.2 W. E. Astill—--50,975 22,272 1020 21.8 P. G. H. Fender--56,155 26,179 1122 23.3 J. A. Newman—--55,044 . 28,327 1092 25.9 •!,(’ : It is pointed out, Ity an English writer who gives these figures, that Newman played no part in the cricket of 1919, as he had not been demobilised in time. Fender also, Wrtk out of cricket that season, with a broken leg, and Macaulay had not been hoard of.

HOT STUFF.

WHEN “AUSSIES” WARM UP. TEST "CHANCES. (By W. H. Ponsford in Sydney Sun.) MELBOURNE, Nov. 12. With the English batsmen knocking records ‘‘all ways,” and making centuries in every match—-they,have scored eight \to date—pessimists abroad say our Inwling has “gone to the pack.” It. is not our bowling, which is not one. whit inferior to that'of- the. 1914*-2-b season. Indeed, it is just possible i t may be found to be better. How does the pessimist' reconcile the ability cf South Australia to score 624 against the Englishmen, with their dismissal for 176 by Victoria? "What he ignores is the fact that the Englishmen are in best of cricketing trim. Following the season in. England, they had an enjoyable respite in the trip out, and needed only a few knocks to bring thorn right into top gear again. A different perspective may bo looked for when the combined,-forces of all the States are arrayed against them. As the .'weather becomes warmer our players may bo expected to develop their true form,, and ’the “livening” of the wickets will suit b'f'i latsmen and.-bowlers, while cricket will be infinitely more serious. Then we will probably hear less of broken records and mammoth scores.

. As I have written before, I expect the tests to be protracted, and provide arduous struggles, hut, despite the performances of our visitors to date I see ,no reason to alter my opinion that, with an even ‘break in. the luck of the game, we should just about win hack those Ashes.

Have you ever teen to Lord’s? asks an English paper. Do you know why it Is called Lord’s.? Have -you ever basked in the sun there? If you love cricket, go. If you would not walk across the road to see a game, my advice still is—go 1 Right in the midst of seven millions of people, mostly engaged in toil of some kind, is Lord's on. the north side of the Thames. It is a big estate, and as I look; at it I cannot help thinking that a railway might hgve teen cut through it- on the eastern side. That was avoided. This ground was laid out over 100 years ago by one Thomas Lord, • a man of Scottish descent horn in Yorkshire. Js it any wonder that he had an eye on the main chance and laid out this rendezvous for the nobility and gentry to play this game which had a vogue even then? There were two grounds before this plotof land off St. John’s Wood Road wns secured. Ever since it has been devoted to cricket, and is- now held in perpetuity by the M.C.C. Some magnet think that it is so pretty as-it was when the tennis court, with its ivy mantle and familiar clock, stood where the mound is now situated. That is a matter of opinion, but 1 think Lord’s is beautiful. Trees in leaf lend grace and a certain sylvan rusticity to the scene.

An Englishman took_ an American friend to see- his first cricket match at Lords’s. The game was exceedingly dull, hut the visitor stuck it out without comment. At the close of .play the Londoner said, “What would you like to do to-morrow?” “Oh, said the American politelv, “I’d like to do just whatever would suit you best. How about a nice rollickin’ funeral?”