TENNIS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 March 1925, Page 10

TENNIS

Great benefits are derived, especially by the country clubs, from the interclub matches which for some time past have been' a marked feature of the tennis world of South Taranaki. The last of such matches was that played on the Park courts on Wednesday between that club’s Wednesday team and a team from Mangatoki. The country players have an opportunity of meeting more experienced players from the towns and so’ of gaining opportunities of improving their own game. In the Mangatoki team a tribute must be paid to the play of the first men’s pair, Messrs Inhes, a student of Canterbury College, and Lambie, of the Hastings road. They possess a good variety of strokes, and naturally have no opportunity of bringing these into play except when meeting players of equal or better standard. At Mangatoki the club have only two courts, and this means an additional disadvantage because they have not much opportunity for practice, either with their own club mates or better players. To-day, if the weather holds good, the postponed match Manaia v. Park will take place on the Park courts. The Park will be represented by its strongest team, and Manaia are also expecting to have the help of Mrs Poynter. a member of a well-known .family of tennis players. Great interest is being taken, and a keen contest is expected. The handicap tournament at the Hatfera Club is being continued at their courts. Many_ close contests are eventuating, and interest is well maintained. The tournament will give an added inducerryent to practise, and this will all be for the good of the club and the game. Helen Willis is doing a very fine thing in tennis around San Francisco. Notwithstanding the fact that her studies are taking much of her time and tberficht, and that she Is a natural victim of ton much tennis l after her long and remarkable season. Miss Willis is generously playing many exhibitions (writes W. T. Tilden). She is spreading the propaganda of the game with that sweet generosity so typical of her, often, I know, at great personal inconvenience. Pat-ball tennis bv a player whose severity of stroke was formerly a bywbrd marked one match in the recent interprovincial contest in Christchurch. The culprit—or the victim, perhaps—wms the former New Zealand champion. Miss Speirs. She allowed herself to drift into the same style of game as her opponent, and she was beaten, ,of course. Later on in the doubles Miss Sneirs was sliowina for a time some of the skill, vim and speed that carried her to the too in 1923. But it was temporary. Tilden and Johnston, as well as Suzanne Lenglen, suffering from the strain of match play, have on occasion found it desirable, to retire from the courts for three months or more. Miss Speirs would probably find it advantageous to follow suit. Let her put the racquet a wav next week; sav and forget tennis for the winter; then she would return to Unit-

ed next October, not in her best form right away, but with zip, energy and enthusiasm enough to place her very quickly where she ought to be:—in the championship class.

THE DAVIS CUP

AUSTRALIAN TEAM FOR 1925

Although the challenges for this year’s Davis Cup do not require to be lodged with the American Association until March 15, the Australian Association is losing no time in. getting everything in proper order, so that if a team is to go to America steps will be taken to see that it is a. thoroughly i-epresentative one. The practice oi sending the third and fourth players with the view of their getting experience for future contests is a very costly one,, and will probably not be continued, as from the experience of the last two years, when Schlesinger and Mclnnes went in 1923 and Schlesinger and .Kalins in 1924 there has been no improvement whatever, ifi their play commensurate with the cost of obtaining it. During the Australasian championship meeting, tlie sending of a truly repiesentative team was discussed, and,, although G. L. Patterson had decided not to go this year, he stated that if J. 0. Anderson could afford the necessary time away from his business lie would be prepared to do tlie same thing. The Australasian Association Council held an important meeting, during the week, and evidently solved the matter of players’ expenses without infringing their amateur status, ns J. C. Anderson stated last week that he was almost certain that, provided nothing unforseen occurred in the meantime, he would be prepared to have another shot at winning the'Chip back again. This means that Australia’s two best singles players would lie available in the same year. G. M. Hone is free to go, now that ho has taken his degree, and would probably. lie selected. He would, however, be chosen in a different light from what Schlesinger, Mein lies and Kalnis were. Tie has already shown signs of developing into a Davis Cup player: lie has the physique, reach and style of a possible champion to an extent that none, of those mentioned are ever likely to reach, so 'bis inclusion would lie perfeetlv justifiable. Provided that both *J. B. Hawkes and P. O’Hara Wood are available, the position of | fourth —or rather third —to Anderson aigl Patterson will probably lie between them, and, from rerun ks. dropped' by a selector in Sydney, one would be inclined to favour the chances of J. B. Hawkes. Although Hawkes was defeated on his last tour in both the challenge round singles, lie won seven games against Tilden and three from Johnson (the latter score appears to be the limit of the 1 Australians, all except J. 0. Anderson against Johnson), he has shown marked improvement, particularly in his doubles game since that trip, and it is quite possible that Patterson and Hawkes would be a much stronger doubles pair than Patterson and O’Hara Wood. Hawkes’s strength Ties in the fact that lie goes to meet the ball, which always brings in more effective results than waiting for the

ball to hit the racquet. Should a. team be selected from Anderson, Patterson, Hawkes, O’Hara Wood, with Hone as a reserve —should either Hawkes or O'Hara Wood, or both be unavailable — it would undoubtedly be the strongest possible. team available. Certainly Anderson. Patterson and O’Hara Wood were together .in 1922, but illness for the greater part of tlie tour prevented Anderson from doing himself justice. The claim's of K. Spencer, of Barra ha-,' New South Wales, have been discussed in Sydney. Outside the fact that he nag too unwell to show his best form in the recent championships, he does not impress one as having suffici-ent-punch behind his hits to get into a Davis. Clip l team; he is a good volleyer and always keeps a. good' position on the court, but I think he would find the pace too hard to keep up with. The selectors, Messrs N. E. Brookes, J. O. Anderson and T. H. Hicks, will announce the names of the team chosen to the Australasian Association within the next few days, and the Association will then decide l as to 1 whether the selection will justify their sending a challenge to America. The challenge, however, is a. mere formality to enable the draw to be made in good time, and it does no£ necessarily follow that a team will be sent because a (Challenge has preceded it.

(By “J.M.” in Beferee.) Contrary to expectations, the council of the- Lawn TeimiC Association of Australasia deferred: its definite l decision last week as to whether a challenge would be sent, to America for the 1925 Davi’s Cup matches. It is known that all tlie leading players, with the exception. of G. L. Patterson, and R. Ei. Schlesinger, have expressed their willingness to represent Australia, and apparently it is a question now whether Patterson, will be available or not. j Those seriously in the line of the selectors’ eyes’are J. 0. Anderson, G. L. Patterson. J. B. Hawkes, P. O’Hara Wood, G. M. Hone, and F. Kahns. If Patterson be available, the selectors’ choice would most, probably be tlie first four players. Hone, of South Australia, is a hot candidate, but- lie is not yet in the'same class as. any of these, four in. the singles or doubles; he has great possibilities, possesses speed, stamina,. and a very nasty service for his opponent, but he is far from, a finished plaver. There is*talk in some Quarters that Hone would bo a. bettor choice them Pat O’Hara Wood. But, judged by recent form in tlie Australasian championships, and _ his "eneral-ilnp with Patterson in previous Davis Cup matches, O’Hara Wood is the outstanding plaver in Australia, and. indeed, one of the. soundest in the world. There is no better combinartinn in Australia, to-day than the two Victorians, and it would be a grave error to disrupt such, a match-winning pair. Patterson and Anderson do not pair well. They are tempera mentally unfitted for each other, and both are in need of the steadying influence that O’Hara. Wood can most assuredly .give. Tlie former pair can give fireworks —at times. But fireworks soon bum out. Ai.eajn. with J", R. Hawkes in''the team. Australia would have another great

doubles player, and he could pair with Anderson. Th© best team in. Australia is Ander'son, Patterson, O’Hara Wood and 'Hawkes. If these four players can make the. trip, Australia will not quarrel with the ■selectors. EUROPEAN TRIP IS DESIRABLE. The proposal, to send the team via Europe is excellent for two reasons. First, it- would) result in plenty of firstclass, practice with good teams in Europe; and secondly, the gate would be much more satisfactory, and hence the financial aspect would be more solid. Last year, as the result of poor attendance in the preliminary games,; Australia suffered a. loss of nearly £ISOO. This fact must make the eyes of the council blink in search .of another avenue of approach to the world’s championship. Further, a visit to Spain and F'rance might possibly result in a reciprocal visit from those countries a. little later on. And, with an, American team here next year, as will be the case, what- a, great impetus it would give the game here to have a foreign invasion ! Terinis would assuredly boom as it has never done before; and those withered old coffers of the Australasian* Council would again sing with the clack of the coin. SUZANNE EXCUSES. TENNIS BAD MANNERS. “NOT A CURATE’S TEA.” Mile. Suzanne. Lehgleii recently confirmed—arid palliated—the accusations recently made against the professional tennis players and had manners' on the courts. She laughed repeatedly when informed of the English Lawn Tennis Association’s protest. It was certainly a matter of amusement to her. ‘‘How terribly true it is that modern tennis is riot a, curate’s tea party, but a very exhausting battle,” .she said, “It happens often that players are bad tempered on the court owing to the demeanour of the crowd of spectators, who want players to be at their best, forgetting that a. player is a human being, subject to human needs and impressionable surroundings. Sometimes one is tired; even persons playing badly are quite as anxious to win as the crowd is anxious to see them win. “The spectators exclamations —the j ‘Ah! ohs’ after a'fine rally have an effect on the players. So far as had manners are concerned, charitable account should be given to the excitement of the moment. Of course, there is no excuse for a man’s bad language, and rudeness to- a woman, or vice versa.”

“Mile. Lenglen added (wr;tes a London Sunday Express correspondent): “I am not in favour of any action being taken against .players who, in circumstances I have just mentioned, give way to impolite expressions, provided, of course that their conduct is not vile nor seriously had. Players are free to act as they like. Even if you have a partner who is playing as badly as the last rabbit in the world, there is nothing you can say to him.”