A TENNIS CHAMPION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13938, 21 December 1908, Page 8

A TENNIS CHAMPION.

RETURN OF A. F. WILDING. AN. INTERESTING INTERVIEW. . : • ROYALTY AND ; THE GAME. '■. ' Bt the : B.s. Manuka yesterday, from Sydney, Mr. A. F. Wilding, the world-renowned tennis champion, returned to New Zealand, after an absence of two years. During that period he has played a great deal in England and on. the Continent. When seen by a Herald representative yesterday, Mr. Wilding said that he.was pleased to bo back in New Zealand, and especially delighted to « visit Auckland, this being his first visit to the city. ' He had done nearly all his travelling, he said, on a motor-bicycle, about 30,000 miles approximately being covered. When asked about the number of championships won, Mr. Wilding said he played ." mostly, for his own amusement." . The real reason of his. success was attributed to the grounding ho had received in New Zealand prior to going Homo, more particularly from his own father's coaching. There was unquestionably a wide margin between the standard of play in England and the Dominion. It was not so much the variety of strokes used, but 'rather the accuracy and generalship both combined were the product of successful tournament play. "The gap between the first-class players of Australasia and England," he said, "is gradually being narowed down, and the probability is that the fact of,' the Davis cup-being played in Australia will do much to assist the game in Australasia. It may be mentioned that there is a disadvantage under which Australians and New Zealanders suffor, and that is that in England and on the Continent business men have every facility for club play on Sundays.. For oxample, the two premier tennis clubs of the world—Queen's and Wimbledonin company with most others, throw open their courts for Sunday play. In all cases no groundsmen or ball-boys are permitted to be employed. Tremendous strides have been made by Continental players during the past few years, and even in suoh unexpected quarters as Bohemia and Hungary, the interest in tennis is not only keen, but the standard of Dlay is very high, especially in Prague. The Russians . also play a great deal. The interest in Continental tennis is accentuated by the fact that the tournaments are .keenly followed, and often, participated in by Royalty. Two very keen players are the Crown Prince of Germany and the King of Sweden, both of w,hom would give the best of New Zealand players a good. game. The late King of (Portugal, who was also a keen player some years ago, invited a good ~'-.-- lish team to his palace, near Lisbon, and there entertained them. "Of the Continental players Froiteheim, of Germany, is undoubtedly the best, and would, 'on his own courts, beat any '.Australasian player, with the exception of Brookes. A Frenchman, De Cugis, an Austrian, Von Wesselly, and a Belgian, De Borman, are only a little behind Froitzheim. Speaking generally, the game, is making great progress both at Home and on the Continent, and the institution of the Davis cup competition has done much to quicken a world-wide interest in tennis.' " Two good features about the • recent Davis cup contest at Melbourne were that the standard of. tennis was, in 'the opinion of competent judges, at least as high as that of any prior contest, in England or America, and the other point was the real genuine feeling of sportsmanship which, existed between ail the players concerned.; */ Asked as to his method of training, he said that for Davis cup or All-England championship matches one needed to be as fit as Tommy Burns would require to be on Boxing Day, but at other times plenty of exercise and an ordinary " moderate " life were sufficient. When one considered that in < a big match one might have \tb. be prepared for the greatest exertion for a period of two and a-half hours in a temperature of 97 in the shade, as it was in Melbourne, it could readily be understood that tennis as it is played to-day was not sntirely a game for curates. Mr. Wilding keeps himself always in good form, and does not smoke or drink. Mr. Wilding loaves by the Main Trunk through oxpres3 this evening tor Wellington, en route to the Now Zealand championships at Nelson. He then returns to his , home at Christchurcb. it being his intention to practise law in that city. - ' ' \' '• t Messrs;,: H. Parker 'and> F. "M.; B. Fisher;' M.P., arrived by the Manuka in • company > with Mr. Wilding, all three being I welcomed by * Mr. W. R. "Holmes, president of the Auckland Lawn ■ Tennis - Association, arid others interested in the game. 2 Mr. Alexander, the American player,/was prevented at the last moment from coming to New Zealand. :He had made all arrangements to visit New Zealand, .when he received word that his father was very ill, and he decided to return home at once.• ...' "• w EXHIBITION GAMES. . Exhibition games will be .played, at the 'Eden and Epsom courts at three o'clock this afternoon, singles and doubles being played. Messrs. Wilding and Grossraann . will be matched against Messrs.: Fisher',, and' Parker in the doubles. • "■-. . ;jThe party leave this evening by the Main Trunk. through express. "-•.'■'-■"•. ;