TENNIS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 76, 11 March 1933, Page 4

TENNIS

IN AND AROUND THE COURTS CLUB COMPETITIONS. PLAYERS AND THEIK DOINGS. (By “Sideline.") Quite a number of the Park Tennis Club’s competition games have been played during the week, and in most cases the competitions are in the semi-final stages. The players are keyed up to concert pitch, especially in the women’s section, and great interest is being manifested in the scmi-iinals and finals, and some very close and interesting games will be witnessed.

The majority of the players who have been eliminated from the various events arc evincing a keen interest in the remaining games, and every player left in to contest the final games has many ardent supporters. The committee have kept tho competitions going with a swing from the commencement and the results arc most gratifying.

Further games played in tho men’s singles are as follow: —R. Vesty, Jnr., beat Parkhill, 6—4, 6—l; Garnett beat Mclvor, 6—3, 6—o; J. Vesty beat C. Crichton, 6—l, 6—2, and he will meet the winner of the Garnett-Vcsty Jnr. game for the singles title. He should carry off the honours. Drummond and Lassen meet Clifft and Joll, and J. Vesty and Vesty Jnr. meet Tritt and Hill in tho semi-finals of the men’s doubles. The final of this event should be a very interesting contest.

In the combined doubles, Drummond and Mrs. Moore beat Crawford and Miss Runciman, 6i—l, 6—l; Vesty Jnr. and Miss Garnett beat Garnett and Mrs. Carrell, 6—3, B—6, and J. Vesty and Mrs. Vesty beat Vesty Jnr. and Miss Garnett in the semi-final, 6—l, 6 —4. This is one of the most interesting of the club competitions, and the remaining games are brimful of interest. Drummond and Mrs. Moore and Lassen and Miss Shewan arc yet to play off in the semi-final, and the game will be very closely fought out. The winners of this game will contest the final against J. Vesty and Mrs. Vesty for the doubles title. The final of the women’s doubles should be a most interesting game. Mrs. Moore and Miss Garnett beat Mrs Newling and Miss Stairmand, 6—4, 6—5, and will now meat Mrs. Vesty and Mrs. Carrell in the final. Hastings Club. t The Hastings Club competitions are not being got off very expeditiously. The most noteworthy game played during the week up to the time these notes were written, was that between Lowry and Averill and Elliott and Matheson In the semi-final of the men’s doubles. Lowry and Averill won after a hard and closely fought contest. They will play off against Watson and Ross for the' title, and the game will be watched with interest. American Ranking List.

The following is the American rank ing list for the 1932 season: — 1. —H. E. Vines. 2. W. L. Allison. 3. —C. 8. Butter 4. —S. B. Wood. 5. —l'. X. Shields. 6. L. R. Stoefen. 7. —G. S. Mangin. 9. —K. Gledhill. 9.—J. Van Ryn. 10.—D. N. Jones.

Then follow —G. M. Lott (No. 2 in 1931), F. Parker (the junior champion), B. M. Grant, J. G. Hall, J. Tidball, M. Alonzo (formerly Spanish champion), E. H. McCauliff, R. B. Bell, W. F. Coen, S. B. Gilpin, J. Hess, R. N. Williams, F. Mercur, E. W. Burns, E. Jacobs and R. T. Murphy.

Tho following were not ranked on account of insufficient data: J. H. Doeg (5), J. Seligson (21), C. L. Burwell (23), W. Hines, J. Lang (22) and F. Bowden (24). The doubles ranking sees both pairs of the late touring team lead:—VinesGledhill, Allison-van Ryn, Lott-Shields, Mangin-Bell, Wood-Stoefen, BryanMcDiarmid, Tidball-E. Lewis, HessFeibleman, Coon-Jacobs and Hall-Mer-cur. Because Mrs. Moody, although actually champion of the world, did not compete in the American champion ships, she is not ranked, and therefore Miss Helen Jacobs, who was No. 2 in 1931, is No. 1 for 1932, followed by Mrs. L. Harper, Miss C. Babcock, Mrs. M. Painter, Misses J. Cruickshank, V. Hilloary, A. Marble, Mrs. J. van Ryn, Misses V. Rice and M. Sachs.

The American ranking is a monumental business, hundreds of players coming under scrutiny, as there are. so many big tournaments and such immense distances to be covered. At least twelve sectional rankings aro made. It is noteworthy, however, that the Eastern Association ranked Shields ahead of Wood, and the national committee thought otherwise. Vines naturally, after winning his second American singles in succession (and also Wimbledon), holds pride of place; Allison does an immense leap upward; Sutter climbs solidly and well; whilst Wood also advances three places; Shields drops down (he did not go oversea with any American team); Stoefen is a new Californian product of immense height and brilliant service and overhead; Mangin and Gledhill progress well up the ladder; but van Ryn slips back from 4th to 9th. David Jones is in tho first ten for the first time, leaving Lott, previously No. Z, just outside. Open Championship!!. The decision of the United States to permit the Germantown Club to hold an open lawn tennis championship meeting for amateurs and professionals is the first time in the history of the game that professionals and amateurs will have been allowed to meet on a competitive basis. It is a step towards tho general acceptance of open meetings such as exist in golf. At present the professionals

do not appear strong enough to give the leading amateurs any real trouble, but it is doubtful if tho amateurs will be anxious to play in the Germantown meeting, because they- would have nothing to gain and everything to lose. All the amateurs would bo allowed to receive for winning open titles would be cups or other trophies, while the professionals would be awarded cash prizes. It is in amateur tennis that the world is interested, and even with Tilden in tho professional ranks there is not nearly tho interest in his matches that there is in those in which Vines, Cochct, or any other half dozen of the world ranking players compete. If fo instance Vines was defeated by a professional in tho Germantown meeting, his reputation would suffer, whereas if he won, his reputation would not be materially added to. For this reason some of the leading amateurs may not desire to compete in open meeting*,