SPORTING.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XVIII, Issue 1860, 11 September 1923, Page 6

SPORTING.

TENNIS,

COMING TENNIS CHAMPION.

A young player who has been attracting attention in tennis circles in England recently is H. K. Lester, aged 18, champion of the schoolboys of Great Britain. He is typically a modern player in that he plays the up-to-date game, and as he has many years in which to develop his game, he should be capable of great things in the future. , _„. In the recent championships at Wimbledon, Lester made a fine showing against W. M. Johnston, ex-champion of the United States of Amerioa; it was the outstanding match of the day s With forearm drives as hard as those of Johnston, but made with a little more effort, a good back-hand, a splendid service—fast, but not too fast—and a very fair knowledge of court-craft, Lester should go very far. He extended Johnston in the second set, while even in the first Johnston had to play well to win. Lester went on to the court with the moral advantage of knowing that he had nothing to lose and all to gain in meeting a player of the standard of Johnston. So he decided to emulate Johnston's pace. Fortunately this hard-hitting capacity is natural to Lester. His powerful drives never appeared loose or uncontrolled. Moreover, he varied the pace as well as his shots. His one fault is that he is too much inclined to use the cut shot, which is hard to understand, considering what a good forearm drive he has. But the changing from one stroke to another shows initiative and enterprise, which are all for the good of his game. Johnston made some glorious shots, those on his backhand being equal to those on his forearm. He also varied his pace. When he needed a game he had the ability to bring off the necessary winners. Lester's play in the second set was deserving of the set. He was within a point of being 2—o. He led 3—2 and 4—3, winning the seventh game to 0. The ninth game also went to the boy, mainly through volleying with discretion. Johnston made the score five games all by four, shots that went so fast that it was hard to follow the flight of the ball. He went ahead at 6—5, and won the set at 7—5, after Lester had been six times within a point of winning that game.

England, it would seem, is a great place for the youth of the land, in tennis fashion, at any rate. The story came through the other day of the 13-years-old Nancy Lyle who won numerous junior prizes and, teamed with Miss By an at Le Touquet, won the handicap ladies' doubles without the loss of a set. They have gone better now and found an 11-year-old girl star, like Betty Nuthall, who won the final of the second-class women's handicap at Boehampton, giving away points in this match to an opponent who was twice as big as herself.

Bemember the name—it's Marynowski. He's a Polish boy, now in America, whom William Tilden, the world's champion player, considers will become a champion tennis star. ATHLETICS. A smart performance in the heel-and-toe business, claimed as an Australian record: H. G. Wilson, at Adelaide, managed to walk 25 miles on the roads in 3hr 57min 57sec, the previous best being 4hr lmin lsec. It was in a race organised by the Metropolitan Athletic dub. Had not A. Bose, of Wellington, been troubled with varicose veins, he might have won the fourth bi-annual five miles cross-country championship of Australia at Randwick. As it was, he had to take second place, W. H. Bailey, N.S.W., winning the title in 27min 27sec. There was little between Bailey and Bose when the two turned into the straight, but Bailey then began to clap on extra pace and won by 50 yards from the big Maorilander, with J. H. Nalder third. Rose was unable to make a finishing effort, actually slowing down, his legs going back on him. Concerning Nalder, the Christchurch lad, in one account of the race this comment is made:—"Another surprise was in the position of J. H. Nalder at the finish. True, he is the holder of the New Zealand C.C.C. title, but it appeared to be a general opinion among the cognoscenti that he was not properly attuned for the strenuous fray.

The Cyclists' Grand Prix at Paris was Avon by the Swiss, Kaussmann. Moeskops (Holland), the world's champion, was second; Mogretti (Italy) third; and Degraeve (Belgium) fourth. W. J. Bailey, the English champion, was beaten in the semi-final.

If Arne Borg, the Swedish swimming champion, would train and swim seriously, there is no record above 200 metres that he would not take. That is the opinion of men who saw him at the Gothenburg Games ,at which he made two new records, putting up 21min 35£sec for 1500 metres, and showing 14min 14 2-ssec for 1000 metres. Borg takes his swimming very lackadaisically. He has always done so, appearing to prefer sauntering along the course after getting a lead, with the object of showing contempt of his opponents, rather than forcing his own development. It is a self-im-posed penalty, accruing from almost universal hero-worship bestowed in Stockholm and other places in Sweden. The passion is practically ungovernable—ostentatious on both sides, and apparently characteristic in all sports in Sweden. BOXING. Pandemonium broke loose at the Melbourne Stadium at the conclusion of the fight between the American George Eagel and Harry Collins, Newcastle welter-weight. Harry Collins went down in round seven of the battle with a low punch. With a look of agony on his face that clearly was not simulated, he made a "feeble gesture with his gloved hand, appealing for a~ foul. The referee took no notice. He rose and was bowled over from a whirlwind rush by the American, and counted out. Examined in his room, there were an injury to his groin and a heavily dented shield. Before that he had been leading on points. There is a sequel to the fight. There had been

Sydney money over in rolls that made breast-pockets bulge, taken to back Collins. Strange to say these Sydneyites backed Collins as though he were fighting a six-rounds prelim, boxer, and not the American who belted him in double-quick time in Sydney some months ago. And the Melbourne Stadium manager has now refused to pay Collins or Eagel until an inquiry is held. The reasons given for this are: First, the confident backing for Collins; and second, a whisper that a foul might decide the issue. Eagel certainly fouled Collins, though the referee did not allow it. But Eagel tried too hard for a k.o. in the opening two rounds to be a non-trier.

The Dempsey-Firpo fight will take place at the Polo Grounds, New York, on September 14.

Now we know what they really said after the little pugilistic interlude at Shelby, America:— Tom Gibbons: I think that 1 earned a return match with the champion. The Shelby bout gave me an insight into his style. I learned a, lot that will stand me in good stead if I am matched again with Dempsey. Next time I'll fight him differently, and 1 believe I can beat him. It is true that in the latter stages of the contest I held on a little, but Jack is a big, strong fellow, and I tired somewhat under his rough handling as much as from his blows to my body. But I wasn't dazed at any stage of the fight. At all times my mind was clear and I knew just what I wanted to do. Jack Dempsey: Quite naturally lam disappointed over the outcome of the fight. I fully expected to stop Gibbons by a knock-out, but failed? to do so, although I gave the best I had. Tom is a great boxer, the best' I ever faced, and deserves a world of credit for his fine stand. When speaking about my fight, don't forget Tom's work, for it was worthy of a first-rate challenger. I cannot express my admiration for him. As for me, I needed the bout, and it will undoubtedly help me out of my next engagement. I showed that I could travel the route and be strong at the finish. Although Tom hit me often, he didn't hurt me. CRICKET. The beginning of the summer term brings the cricket captain up to the university gates as soon as the gates are opened, as on him, and practically on him alone, lies the responsibility of getting an eleven to Lords to v. In the gieat match. The captain is faced with several problems, writes Frank Mitchell, captain of the Cambridge eleven in 1896. In the first place he has to deal with the old "Blues." Sentiment always gives them the best of trials, but one may have to be hard-hearted—l myself had—and dispense with some comrades of the year before. Then come the first-graders, whose form is generally well known. Some of them have, since the season before, gained their spurs and their confidence in county cricket; their experience there gives them the best of chances for a good trial. The Freshmen are always a matter of curiosity. Nowadays, thanks to the press, schoolboys' cricket is fairly well known to the 'Varsity authorities, and some captains have been known to have done a little touring during their secretaryship, visiting schools with Quidnunc, Harlequin, Authentic, or Crusader teams, so that the Freshmen are by no means the unknown quantity once known as "X." The authorities now have a look at any man recommended by his college captain. Such a player is often invited to the nets so that his form may be watched. In 1895 we found a very good and successful bowler from an outside college in this way. The programme of matches has changed, and, writing as a "has-been," I cannot say that it is for the better. There are some matches of the "teaparty" order now that might well be omitted. As many county teams as possible should be played. It has become the fashion to have

professional coaches. It may be good, but what is wanted is good professional bowling and match practice. Players of the University Eleven class should not need much coaching; it is experience they need. Generally the first seven or eight players are outstanding, but the captain may be sorely tempted to choose the remaining three or four from the eight or ten candidates. It is often the man who happens to get tried late, and who has a bit of luck, who gets to Lord's.

Formerly "Blues" were not given until just before the big match, but things are now changed. In my year, as captain, I gave one very early in the season, but it was not a difficult thing to do.