TENNIS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 31 January 1925, Page 10

TENNIS

The progressive tournament held by the BO*™ Club, in eoniuh<*en ™th croquet players, was most successtu and resulted in a fair Yhe raised towards the expenses o coming croquet tournament. , weather of late has brought out players to practice and the courts - P dtf the match with I** «re*k, SsSsrxr ssrspfi % filst lady, being liable to play, and ■this ntade their team weaker all the way down. Mrs. Poynter has been in Master-ton, and playing in the M airarapa totlfnament had a most interesting time. A return match ui • ■ho played Later at Manaia and great v interest wit he taken in the result. “One of the greatest double players the world has ever known.” n, these words Tiklen, in his latest book the Common Sense of Lawn Tennis, sums np P O’Hara Wood. One can hardly pick ’a flaw in. his tennis technique (he savs). There is about O'Hara Wood s. •’ strokes a. finesse, a polish that- defies criticism. He has no weakness, and Vet, by the same standard he has no out.standing -strength. If one must pack a flaw in Wood’s game it is Lack ol apeerl and tire absence of the final punch. This fs tire reason that. lie has never attained the heights, in singles that he has in let where can one point to n prettier execution of stroke, than, in the chives, volleys, and overhead of Pat O’Hara Wood? Tn my judgment only Norman Brookes is the equal of O'Hara Wood. There has never been, and I seriously question if there ever will ne. » another master of doubles like Brookes. O’Hara Wood is his only ri cal Paired wi fh TV”. M. .Tohtisfon, T have plav.ed P.rookes, and O’Hara Wood three’ time*?, ami they have defeated n.s twice—the only matches Johnston and 1 have lost as a team. O’Hara. Wood has a brilliant analytic brain, a. mind that is always studying. -He hides much of this under a merry, amusing, cheery exterior, but behind his careless, clever banter, O’Hara Wood i,s» working out ni»s pronlem. T know of no man in teniii® who. combines sportsmanship of the tvpe. humour of the cleverest, vein, charm of manner, and real mental brilliance with Icon is of" n finer si vie more success,fully than O’Hara Wood.”

prominent players. LEAVINg” DOMINION. In the terms of the scheme for interchange of teachers between the Old Country and the Overseas Dominions, Mr W’ J. Melody, of Wellington, it prominent tennis player and enthusiast, who has been attached to a Wellington school for some years, is leaving’shortly for England to take up an appointment there. He has been the mainspring of tbe movement initiated some year or two ago to foster tennis among the pupils of the schools of the ' province, a movement which has spread to other districts and has resulted in the drawing into the school competitions many hundreds of young people, from whom will come the champions of the future. His work was so keenly appreciated that when he resigned last year he was urgently requested to continue for another year. He has been a very popular player, and has been a regular competitor at provincial and Dominion championships. Mrs Melody, present New Zealand lady champion, has also been a zealous worker, and has done a lot to forward the interests of the game. Both Mr and Mrs Melody will he ■much missed, and their departure will he a serious loss to the game throughout New Zealand. In England, it is understood, there ’is a very strong ladies’ team, perhaps superior to that of any other country, and her. being in England will give her unrivalled opportunities to further improve her play. All tennis players will watch -her future career with close interest.

\._ GAME PROGRESSING. AMONG THE MAORIS. In many parts of the North. Island the game has spread very much to the Maoris. In Wanganui there are now i over 200 young people who play regularly, and' all showing a decided keenness for the game, it is well known that in whatever the Maoris take up in the way of sport or pastime they put their whole heart and soul, and therefore it is not surprising that these young Wanganui players evince a thorough goingjenioyment of the game. Last year they held a tournament in Wanganui, which drew to the courts not only players, but also relations and '. friends of the contestants, and the greatest enthusiasm was shown by all. The management was excellent, and would have done credit to that of any fixture run by a European committee. Other places in which the game is growing in popularity include Hawke’s Bay, and .no - Jess than seven clubs there are affiliated to their association. The executive of the Maori Association are hopeful of creating in the future one governing body for the Dominion.

SOME HISTORY. Lawn tennis was not introduced until about 50 years ago, when a Major Wingfield, a retired Army officer, is said to have, invented it. But the game played in the later ’seventies was only in principle the same as the game we know to-day. The shape of the court was different, the net higher, the racquets smaller, and the balls less resilient. Major Wingfield founded his game on a mixture of the older tennis and badminton. Tennis, played in an enclosed court, was a favourite game in England in the fourteenth century. Badminton (which took its name from the seat of the Dukes of Beaufort) has had a considerable revival within recent years, mainly as an indoor winter game. The popularity of lawn tennis has increased bv leaps and bounds. Nearly all the changes have been towards greater swiftness. Originally the net was sft high at the sides Arid; 4ft.'in the middle. It has been lowered to lift 6in at the sides and 3ft in the middle.

The service line has been brought nearer the net by sft. Racquets are. more tightly strung and halls are more lively. Yet as far back as 1886 we read that one of the brothers Renshaw. who ‘‘made” lawn tennis in England playing with the higher net under the old conditions, won a love set against a first-class opponent in six minutes. The international character of this game must be stressed. In 50 years it has spread to such an extent that nowadays anyone can take a tennis racquet and be certain of a game in any civilised community. AUSTRALIA’S CUP CHANCES. The cabled decision of W. T. Til den to retire from big tennis and devote himself to newspaper work, will come as a surprise to many people (writes

M.-Henry Marsh in the Sydney Sun). That he has felt that many criticisms and decisions respecting “writing for tennis as affecting his amateur status” is and he sought a way out to vindicate his position rather than retire while such was questioned. Having been reinstated by the finding of the committee he evidently has decided to carry out his previous intention.

The loss to the American Davis Cup team will he great. Evidently Tilden considers the Americans strong enough to withstand the challenge of any other nation, or f doubt if lie would drop out, and should by chance his l-etire-meant mean a loss of the Davis Cup it is almost certain lie will consent to help regain it. Tilden since 1920 has stood as the greatest barrier to all our hopes, and il the very best Australian side can be persuaded to go across this year we should have more than a sporting chance for it.

Every effort should be made by the Australian Lawn Tennis Association, and if necessary supplemented by individual effort, to get the best team away, with .1. O. Anderson as the essential pivot of the whole team.

if Hone can give time to develop his tennis we should make it possible for him to do so, and send two doubles players as well, one of whom in my opinion should be Bob Spencer. Unless Hone can he improved no one else can hope to defeat America in the singles save d. 0. Anderson, bnf the young South Australian offers just the very material to work on.

For the sake of Australian sport and the prestige of our nation. I trust no effort will be too great to make to ensure that our absolutely best, team gets away, and that means of developing those going to. the fullest extent be provided. TTI.DEN TO RETIRE. 9 NEW YORK, Jan. 13. Leading sporting papers announce that \V. T. Tilden, the world’s tennis champion, is firm in his determination to retire, and will not defend the championship this year. After the annual, meeting of the U.S. Tennis Association next month Tilden will announce his agreement with the new amateur rule, hut that he must .retire, so as to. observe its definition of what constitutes an amateur. He will not protest against the wide under which a player-writer. cannot', be a reporter for a tournament in which lie is a contender.

Tilden simply takes the stand that newspaper work means more to him than tennis.