TENNIS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 21 June 1924, Page 11

TENNIS.

Under the heading of “English Society and me Tennis Craze.” a leading paper snows a pnotograph of Lady Per* rott, one of ti,-e latest recruits to the lands of lawn touras players’, taking great pains to become efficient in the game. She is seen taking lessons from -Vir if. W. Last, a well-known player aacl instructor. It is wonderful liow long some great players retain their form. .Late reports state that in the finals of the Surrey championships .at Surbiton N. E. Brookes and S. N. Doust defeated Kingscote and Gilbert, 4 —6, 6 —3, 6 —4, 6—2. Brookes was great in service and volley, playing the best game of his tour. His whipped return recalled his Wimbledon days when he piayed Doherty. In the semi-finals N. E. Brookes and S. A. Doust defeated Thomas and Ritchie, 6 —l. Writing of tiie matches between New Zealand and Czechoslovakia, a correspondent says that there were large attendances and the crowd was most im partial. The New Zealanders were treated in the kindliest manner, and enjoyed the visit immensely. They are staying at- Prague this week participating in, a tournament in which the Swiss Davis Cup men are playing. Much of the interest in the British Hard Courts Lawn Tennis championships at Torquay (says a Home correspondent) was centred in the appear-

anoe of Norman Brookes, but the famous Australian has already been defeated in both singles and doubles. Brookes, of course, has taken no partin singles for- some time past, and his defeat caused no great surprise. H-is conqueror —the Anglo-Indian, F. R. L. Crawford—is more:than a useful performer, and he is, moreover, in firstrate practice at the present time, having been playing in all the tournaments on the French Riviera for three months past. In spite of a most ungainly style, he is always -a difficult man to beat, and is a rare “sticker.” Brookes, after winning the first set, obviously tired, and Crawford was not slow to seize his opportunity, gaining the next three sets fairly comfortably. It is quite probable that the loser was still feeling the effects of the attack of influenza which he contracted on the Riviera, but apart from this, be is obviously a .long way below his old form in singles, a fact which, of course, is not to lie wondered at. Curiously enough, it was Crawford who again defeated Brookes in the doubles. Crawford /was partnered with -another Angio-Tndian, B. L. Cameron, whilst Brookes played with Lieut.-Colonel j. N. Bud ley', and it was generally expected that the lastnamed _ air would pull the match off. Brookes, as ii matter of fact, played a really fine game, and showed himself almost as good a doubles player as ever. However, his partner was decidedly patchy, and the AngloIndian pair had little difficulty in winning in three straight sets. *The Torquay meeting is not yet concluded, hut the 'semi-final stages have been reached to-day. A great feature has been the pay of the two Dutchmen, H. Timiner (a, youngster of 19), and' C. Van Lenneh. Timmer is evidently destined to make his mark in the lawn tennis world. He was beWn to-day by the English ipterfiational.

J. B. Gilbert, but only after a'great struggle. Partner.ships are already being fixed up for the championships, and I am given to understand that •I. I>. P. Wheatley, one of our lawn tennis hopes, will play with that brilliant all-rounder, Max Woosnam. Excepting It. Lycett, Woosnam is probably the best doubles player in the country, and this combination should give the strong overseas pair something to think about-.