TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13456, 5 June 1907, Page 4

TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS.

y ,-., .. ———— -m -~ ■•-. - „ TRIPLE SUCCESS FOR A. F. WILDINC e .- [FROM , OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] • " v London, April 26. . When j the mail left this day week th t covered court tennis championships wer 1 still in- progress at Queen's ; Club, and th , resrlt of Friday's; play was to decide th , destination of the mixed doubles, arid t ' bring the gentlemen's singles ; and double , to their final staged * Saturday saw th , close of the tournament, the outcome o ' which was that Mr. A/ F. Wilding ha< i succeeded in annexing all three champion , ships. Cn Friday, in the semi-final round of tin gentlemen's singles championship (holde ' H. Doherty, resigned); A. F. Wilding de feated D. P. Rhodes by three sets to lov< (6—-3/6—3, 6—3). After tho - imerican': brilliant victory over Gore, great expecta tions had been formed of his ability to giv( the New Zealarider at : least a good game but Wilding was •at his absolute best, ant ha showed excellent: judgment ,in forcing Rhodes to the back of the courthis weak est point. Rhodes made some beautifri "drops'over when it was his owi service,/ but Wilding generally outplayed him, especially with an occasional screw service. It is noteworthy that whereas Wilding won six times against' the service, Rhodes was only able to do; so once/and that was in the final, set. • ./Writing of this particular, contest, : .' Mr. L. 0. S. Poidevin remarks: —" It was riot unreasonable to- suppose that Rhodes, the conqueror of ,Gore; in the previous round, would make Wilding ; go all the way, and perhaps beat him. As a', matter of fact, he could get no more than three games in each : set against the New Zealander, and that was full value for his play. This result, and the play: leading up to it, formed an excellent illustration, of the fact that"tactics which succeed against one man may prove absolutely unavailing against / another." /By defeating Crawley in three straight sets, Caridia qualified to* meet Wilding in the final," which /was;; played on Saturday, and the result of : : this contest was to leave Wilding the victor,/for he disposed of | Caridia by three sets to love. 6—2, 6—3, 6*— ; ' One critic says:-—"-There was a lot of interest owing to the fine form shown by both ; men in the previous rounds, but in a sense the match was disappointing, Caridia; making many mistakes at the netWilding served first and lost the game, but equalised by winning against Caridia's service. Wilding also took the third, fourth (against the service), and fifth,' and having lost the, sixth, secured the seventh and eighth, and the set:. In .the next '■ set Caridia was quite outplayed, for the old Cantab ; took the first five games off the reel, and though his rival won ; the ; sixth, seventh] 7 and eighth, Wilding took the ninth. In the third Caridia only won the third and fifth games. All through the loser only won once against the service, while Wilding, whose judgment in strength and placing was excellent, throughout, did so on seven occasions." /.-/ : ' "■:-'■■ /; v In the final round of the mixed double's

championships (holders, A. F. Wilding and Mrs.; Chambers, nee Miss D. K. Douglass, resigned), Mr. Wilding arid Miss Eastlake Smith met arid defeated Mr. J. B. Ward and Miss Coles by two sets to love, 6—l 6—2. This proved to be a very one-sided contest, for Wilding and / Miss Eastlake Smith were in brilliant form, and were aK ways winning easily. In the first set after Miss Coles, mainly by. a remarkably powerful overhand service, had won the opening game, the others took the next six in succession, and with them the rubber, while on continuing Wilding and his partner won three more games, making the "... sequence nine; Miss Coles and Mr. Ward secured the fourth and sixth games in that set. and so won only three in the rubber. Wilding forced the pace the whole time, and wa«

admirably supported! by Miss /Eastlake Smith/ This is the second time that Wilding has won this championship; Miss Eastlake Smith, too, has been a winner twice, but this is their ..-initial success as a pair,■: . ; Friday afternoon saw the semi-final round of the gentlemen's doubles completed, so that in the final round A. F. Wilding and M. J. G. Ritchie were destined to meet A. W. Gore, and G. A. Caridia. . The holders up to that time were the brothers Doherty, who/however, resigned. The result of the final . was that the ; New Zealander and his partner disposed of 'Caridia and Gore by three sets to love, 6—4, 6—-3. 6—3. Wilding won the first game, but lost the, next two, and then reached 3—2. : Gore made it three all, but he and; his partner "only won one other game in the set. Gore arid Caridia secured : the •-. first two games ? next time,: only to have their efforts neutralised at two all and three all. Then Wilding ; and Ritchie won the next 7 three games off the reel; the latter pair were always leading in the third ; set; getting two love (3—l and 4-— before winning at 6—3. / The ( opinion is expressed that, as a match, the . final of the doubles was more disappointing - than the final of the' singles.