Tennis Volleys.

Free Lance, Volume XIV, Issue 693, 11 October 1913, Page 22

Tennis Volleys.

By Baoqnet.

A START on the new season was made by'several of the Tennis _ Clubs last Saturday, under the "best of conditions. The Wellington, Brougham Hill, Newtown, and Lyallßay courts were ail opened with the usual ceremony, and afterwards the courts were well occupied. . The burning question in tennis circles just at present is one of grounds. The" position aa regards the lease .of a portion T® Town Bolt near Pirie-stroet is much the same, as it was last week, except that the opinion seems to be growing that the City Council's conditions of lease are impracticable. The Tennis Association's committed have a second scheme in view, and is at the moment setting in earnest deliberation on the

respective schemes with a wet towel round its collective head. The second; scheme is to acquire the Day's Bay courts, and if the! Association can purchase these at a reasonable figure . it can jbe more easily financed than the Town Belt, scheme. The latter seems too expensive, and in the end the Association will only have the ground on lease. - Until the grounds question is finally settled, the annual inter-club competitions run by the Association are held up, and- _ the different clubs are anxiously awaiting the outcome so as to be able to make their arrangements for the season". If Day's Bay is acquired, well, the compettions can be started as soon' as desired almost, but if the -Town Belt scheme is agreed upon—well, where are we for this season? / Mr. 3T.. S. Wilding, -of Christchurch, younger brother of Anthony Wilding, the world's champion tennis player, has just returned home after spending a tennis season in the Old Country. BCe returned viai Canada, and reports that the Canadians are very anxious to be invited to-send'a team to visit New Zealand. He states that the Canadian team which played at the laßt Davis Cup contest— Schwengers, Foulks, Mays, &n& Powell —would be a very good match for our best team. Wilding also mentioned .that his brother had no intention of retiring from tennis. ' - * * * * - By defeating Strachan and Biffin in the final for the United States daubles championship at Newport. Maurice McLoughlin and T. C. Bnndy retain their wtles as lawn tenuis doubles champions. The scores were 6—4, 7—5, 6—l. America has discovered a neifr champion in W. M. Johnston, a seventeen- . year-old boy from California, who lately won the New York -State lawn tennis championship as well as the open singles at the Longwood tournament. In these two events ne lost only five sets, and at ' .Longwood he beat Clothier, Beals Wriehfc 'and Touchard. '