LAWN TENNIS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 25, 12 January 1935, Page 12

LAWN TENNIS

WAIPAWA’S JUBILEE

3 Championships Involved

HUGHES MAY PARTICIPATE

(By

“Sideline.”

The biggest tenuis fixture of this season in Hawke’s Bay commences at Waipawa next week, the occasion being fittingy honoured by the allocation of the North Island and Hawke's Bay provincial championships.

The Waipawa tourney is one of the oldest tennis fixtures in New Zealand and in days gone by has attracted many of the leading players of the Dominion and quite a number of visiting overseas players. Entries for the fixtures close this evening and with three championships involved it is only to be expected that there will be a record number of entries. in addition the fields in all the mam events should be stronger than in previous fixture, for the leading players from the North Island will be taking part. There is a distinct possibility of G. P. Hughes, the manager of the British tennis team, now competing in Australia, taking part and should he do so then added importance will be attached to the fixture, attractive enough as it is without so well-known a figure taking part. Two interesting innovations at the tourney will be the event for professionals and that for the veterans, the qualifications for the latter event being players who took part in any tourney at Waipawa before 1915.

Noel Wilson’s Quest. When these notes appear the Waipukurau Club's annual tournament will be in progress and a number of leading Hastings plavers are taking part. Among these is Noel Wilson who, no doubt, will be very keen to win the Harding Cup, which goes with the singles championship. Wilson lias won the trophy .twice to date and in the event of a third success he annexes the trophy outright. On his form at the recent Hastings championships his chances appear very bright.

Some Courtcraft Hints. Courtcraft is a subject that the average player knows nothing about. There are realy two court positions for a single player, and they are: (1) About 3 feet behind the baseline in the centre of the court. This is the spot for a baseline game; (2) about 6 to 8 feet back from the net and almost opposite the ball. This is' the attacking net position. If you are drawn out of position by the opponent’s play, do not wait at the position from where you played the shot, but regain one of the two formations mentioned as rapidly as possible. The distance from the base line to about 10 feet from the net is “no man’s land,” and you may probably be caught by a shot at your fed, so never linger there. Never stand and watch your shot for by so doing you will be caught out of position by the return. Do your hard running while the ball is in flight, so that you will not be hurried in your stroke after it bounces. Get to the ball as quickly as possible and take your time in hitting it. Anticipate as much as possible. Notes.

Enrique Maier, who has been the lawn tennia champion of Spain since 1929, and who is competing in the Australian championships in Melbourne, is probably the best built player of lawn tennis that Australians have seen. He stands 6ft. 2in. and has huge shoulders. An English writer estimates that when G. P. Hughes has finished the present tour he will have carried his racquets a matter of 350,000 miles. Similarly Perry must have an enormous “mileage” to his credit. The moral being: “Be a tennis player and see the world.”