TENNIS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 6 December 1924, Page 10

TENNIS.

The following are the principal tournaments which have been authbrised by the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association: -

New Zealand Championships—December 26 to January 1, at Auckland. Marlborough Championships—December 25, 26, 27, at Blenheim. ? North Otago Championships—December 25, 26, 27, at Oamaru. Southland Championships—December 25, 26, 27, at Southland. Canterbury Open TOufnament—Decem- , . her 26, 27, 29, 30, at Christchurch. Wanganui Championships—Jahuary 1, 2,3, at Wahganui. South Canterbury Championships—JanTaranaki January 6 to., 9, a.t New Plymouth. Auckland. Championships—January 29, -30, .31, at Auckland. West Coast Chainpionsliips—February ~ 10 to 13, at Greymoiith. Hawke’s Bay Championships—Easter, at Napier. BATHS IN WELLINGTON. Writing on the subject of the sport of swimming, the 4 Post says: “It may seem strange that in a ,sea-washed city like Wellington fresh-water baths should he a necessity. But the old times when bathing could he had at any place on the foreshore are now long past. Reclamation and wharf construction have pushed the bather further and further out; aiid so it has become necessary to build fresh-water baths in the town. The sport of swimming is one of the oldest and most healthful known to the British race, and, within hounds, every encouragement should be given to' the hoys and girls to follow it. At present many children receive instruction in swimming and life-saving througli the efforts of teachers and enthusiasts who give their services freely. They deserve encouragement.” DAVIS CUP. (Sydney Referee.) Ajt Germantown for the challenge round,. the last “big tennis” of the year, instead of sweltering heat, calling for the thinnest clothing, it was a cold Octoberish snap —good playing weather, but not nearly warm enough to draw the heavy morning dew out of turf already sluggish by rain. Any, .prospect Australia may have had of breaking post-war precedent at Mannheim was dissolved" when both Tilden and Richards wbn their opening singles without, the loss of a set. The champion beat Patterson, 6-4, .6-2, 6-2, the Olympic champion beat O’Hara Wood, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. In both matches the Australians flattered only to deceive. Patterson took the first three games from Tilden, Wood led Richards three games to one. Then str'okes, strategy, and the tennis brain which both Americans have developed almost to the nth degree came into full play—and the matches were over

WHEN RICHARDS FALTERED. “Richards, however, sowed his greater youth by faltering on the brink of victory. At 5-1 in the third set he had an easy shot on two occasions for match. One was a quiet backhand volley down the line, of which he had given many perfect specimens during the afternoon.

“O’Hara Wood seized on these lapses with masterly instinct. He increased his pressure all round, brought off shots that he had never made before, and actually came twice within a point of squaring the set at five-all. Richards servecl a pair of double faults in the tenth game, but he showed his mettle by “acing” Wood immediately afterwards.

i “The boy fully justified the trust placed, in him by the selection committee. Whether he did better than •Johnston would have done is another matter. Richards had beaten Johnston the previous Saturday in the East v West match at Forest Hills, but the latter did not understand that his place in the singles team depended on the issue of his rather informal contest. Otherwise he might have made the figures more favourable to himself.

“I imagine the authorities were anxious to give Richards the experience of a Davis Cup single in a tie where his defeat in one of the two matches for which he was cast would hot (or should not) affect the final issue. After all, Richards was the Olympic champion’ and had been the only player to threaten Tilden seriously (if not perilously) in the stadium. The supercession of Johntson naturallv caused comment. Most surprises do. Myself, in view of all the circumstances, I think it was quite reasonable. Yet. except to get beaten by Tilden in the final of _ the national championship—a “crime” which he had perpetrated annually for five years—Johnston had shown much better form this year in America than last. But then so had Richards. He, however, had not taken sixteen consecutive games form Patterson in a maimer that suggested that the raid might he repeated. Sentiment and tactics were probably on tbe

side of Johnston. It was policy that brought in Richards. TILDEN AND PATTERSON.

“A glass eye is not much use at a keyhole. Patterson was well-nigh helpless against Tilden after the latter had opened his long artillery. The Australian’s service was rendered nugatory in the second and third sets because his volleying arm was not allowed to support it. The extra, speed on Tilden’s returns trapped Patterson before he could reach an aggressive position . He was forever defending his feet.

“The difference between the match at W imbledon in 1920' and this one was material, just as the triumph was more conclusive. At Wimbledon Tilden concentrated on the sliced return at Patterson’s backhand. Here he used slice and plain drive at will, and hit at either wing. The result (an error by Patterson) was generally the same. I do not mean that Patterson did not make shots that beat Tilden outright. Both on service and round stroke chop he Avon and quite deserved his clean aces. But he did not possess the equipment nor the fluency of footwork to menace the champion seriously. He Avas beaten as soon as Tilden got agoing. The same rather cruel A r erdict must be passed. on O’Hara Wood against Richards, sa\m that the footAvorlc ,of Wood always seemed to be superior to the footwork of Patterson, and one felt all ‘the time that Richards could not afford to make many mistakes or Wood (as Avas shown in the fifth set) Would be fighting a Avinning game.

NO FRENCH TEAM COMING

BOROTRA IS BROKEN-HEARTED

SO THE FRENCH YOUTH SAYS

(Referee.) “Impossible to come. Brokenhearted.—Borotra. ’ ’

“Tour must be abandoned. Borotra and Lacoste unavailable.”—-Dr. J. M. Flavelle. •

Wherever the . Frenchmen .in sport are concerned there is an element of uiveertaihty. They talk off. tripping oyer the seas to Australia. They Would like to do so. They dangle with the prospects and create hopes in the minds of Australians. But,, so far, they have been elustoe as the Scarlet Pimpernel. The only Frenchmen Ave see put here in sport are those young gentlemen of the padded mit AA T ho seek their franc in big bundles. It is their profession. But the French in the sense comparative are young in sport. And perhaps our Rugby Union fathers, Avho have more than once built up visions of a battle between tlje national French fifteen and New South Wales ih Sydney, Avill realise their desires some. day. Possibly, too, we shall see some great French men and women in lawn tennis. But we will believe it when Ave are there to applaud their ehthy to the arena. AN ALTERNATIVE. Once again the French lawn • tennis team has become h myth. Our lawn tennis sponsors in Australia ought to endeavour to get some of the: stars form the Californian side of tlib United states to come oyer. It Avould be a nice holiday for the Kinseys, and perhaps Bill Jofionston, and if they added Miss Helen Wills to tlie patty it would be still more attractive. Here you Avould have ah aggregation—as they say in Yankee land—that AA'ould give our champions something to think about and sot the iinagination of the crowds aglow in much the same way as Gilligan, Hobbs, Hendren and Co. are setting that of the cricketing fans. Besides, a trip across from San Francisco takes oftly nineteen days, aiid if We had to return it later it Avould take less time than a European trip, cost less, and probably prove as remunerative.

STAGE TENNIS

DEMONSTRATION OF DIFFICULT SHOTS;

Tlie practice of giving summaries of popular open-air events in the theatre is growing. The exceptional depth of the Coliseum stage made it possible recently to play a tennis match on a properly measured court with the net placed at right angles to the AA’ings, states an English correspondent. The balls were prevented from flying among the audience by a tall net that Avas hauled up between the orchestra and footlights, and the only thing out of the wav that happened Avas that oecasionally balls trickled doAvn among the violins.

There was an amusing scene paintof the Wimbledon crowd round the pla,y--t>lS ’ a faithful reproduction of the Royal Box, complete with the King and yueen. The experiment struck one as quite successful, _ hut as there are very few stages big enough for a match under proper conditions theatre tennis is not likely to become very common. The players are first-class professionals, and when they have mastered the peculiarities of bounce on the wooden court they should be able to give a thoroughly good display. 4 Before the matches the players gave a demonstration of some typical strokes, which supplied much elementary iriformation That the tyro at Wimbledon uould often be the better for knowing, there was some very pretty play in the doubles match, and the balls shot and g anced about with an astonishing speed. After some specially neat faced crowd in the scenerv to burst into hearty applause. An'advantage of stage tennis oyer tennis on the grass lighting makes it possible to follow every stroke.