LAWN TENNIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 13948, 2 January 1909, Page 3

LAWN TENNIS.

AUCKLAND TOURNAMENT. CHAMPIONSHIP AND HANDICAP EVENTS. The annual championship and handicap tournament, conducted by tho Auckland Lawn Tennis Association, was commenced at, tho Eden and Epsom Club's grounds yesterday morning;. Tho courts were in perfect order, and carno in for much admiration from the several Southern competitors, present. The management of the tournament was carried out by Messrs. A. Brown, J. H. Stewart, H. R. Cooke, E. Hickson, and N. P. Wyatt. Beautiful weather prevailed until three p.m., when light rain fell for the remainder of the- afternoon. This chango in the weather put rather a damper on the proceedings. Now that nearly all the preliminery rounds have been played, some very interesting contests may be expected to-day. Dr. Keith and Upton will probably meet this afternoon in the second round of the singles championship. This should easily be the most interesting single of the tournament. Play will be continued at 9.30 this morning. Tho following are the complete results of tho matches played yesterday: — MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES. FIRST BOUND. P. M. Hanria beat J. 11. Stewart, 7—5, 3—6, 6——6, 64. One of tho closest matches of the day. Condition told in the last stage. F. S. Shirriffs beat H. "W. Cooke, 6—o, 6-r-l, 6—l. The winner was in best form, his forehand driving being particularly good. Dr. H. Keith met H. E. G. Smith, and secured two sets, 6—o, 60. Owing to the failing light it was decided to finish the match this morning. S. Upton (present champion) beat H. G. Thomson, 6—l, 6—o, 6—l. The West End player was in good all-round form, and promises to make a bold bid to win this event. J. Hunter (Wellington) beat L. E. Mair, 6—4, 5—7, I—6, 6—l, 6—3. After taking the first set without much effort, tho visitor went to pieces in the second and third sets, but in the two concluding ones he made few errors, and-annexed them easily. Mair scored mostly with hard forehand drives on to Hunter's backhand. E. Hickson beat C. Heather, 2—6, 7—5, 7—5, —2. The result of this game came as a slight surprise. A set all was called. Heather placed well, but his strokes lacked pace. Hickson lobbed beautifully, and put plenty of forco into his work. Tho West End player and Hunter meet in the next round, and an interesting struggle should result. MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES. Upton and W. A. Brown beat A. A. Martin and H. R. Cooke, 6—2, 6—o, 6—3. The winners were not fully extended. The veteran, Cooke, played up remarkably well. H. W. Cooke and A. F. Billing beat H. McCoy, and A. Goldie, 6—2, 6—3, 6—3. This game was played in the drizzling rain. The winners were in good form. Tho losers seemed to be all at sea with the heavy balls and slippery turf. COMBINED CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES. Mowbray and Mrs. Freeman beat H. Henderson and Mrs. Cooper, 6—4, o—6, 64. A very long and even contest. Tho lady players were brilliant. LADIES' HANDICAP DOUBLES. FIRST ROUND. Misses Winter© and McGeo (receive 1-6 15) beat Mrs. Allen and Miss Woodroffe (owo 15 1-6), 5—6, 6—5, 6—l. This match was played in a bad light, and the unfavourable circumstances were altogether against the back-markers in the last set. Misses Cooper and P. Gorrie (owe 15 1-6) beat Misses Eraser and Baslcy (receive 2-6 15), 6—2, 6—2. Mrs. Freeman and Miss Cooke (owe 3-6 15) beat Misses A. and L. Gray (owe 15 3-6), 5—6, 6—3, 7—5. This match was closely fought up to the last stroke. Tho winners sent all the play to Miss L. Gray; her sister, one of the New Zealand doubles champions, was often a spectator. / Misses Walker and Kenny (receive 2-6 15) beat Misses Hcskcth and Butler, 6—o, 6—o. The winners have a good handicap, and should just about get right through. MEN'S HANDICAP SINGLES. FIRST GRADE. FIRST BOUND. R. P. Hunt (owes 15 2-6) beat L. Mair (owes 15 2-6), 6—4, 2—6, 6—2. T. R. Grigson (owes 15 4-6) beat. G. H. Baker (owes 15), 6—l, 6—2. Grigson's off the ground strokes were well placed, Baker having no chance against them. A. Richardson (scratch) beat A. F. Billing (owes 15 4-6), 6—l, 6—2. 11. G. Thomson (owes 2-6 15) beat Dr. H. Keith, who retired after tho second set. Thomson played actively and steadily, de- j serving to score. A. Goldie (owes 2-6 15) beat S. A. Longuot (owes 15), 6—2, 6— Goldie was too quick and accurate for his opponent. L. J. Taylor (owes 15) beat J. Hudson (owes 15 5-6), 6—o, 6—3. The Onehunga man's play was altogether too accurate for the Aucklandcr, who was very much off his jame. A. S. C. Brown (owes 15 4-5) beat G. L raylor (owes 5-6 15), 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. Taylor's play was accurate, but. not sufficiently good for Brown, whose overhead smash is exceptionally severe. Brown should go near the final. SECOND ROUND. Nicholson, New Plymouth (owes 30 4-6) beat J. P. Grossman (owes 30 5-6), 3—6, 3—5, 6—3. The handicap reduced, so that both played off level. The winner started jff badly, and Grossman appeared a likely dinner. The New Plymouth man, however, stuck to his task gamely, and gradually wore -he ex-champion down. SECOND GRADE. FIRST BOUND. W. F. Whyte (owes 15) beat F. Moginie 'scratch), 6—2, 6—o. The winner possesses a rood forehand chop drive, and will take a lot of beating in this event. G. L. Shaw (scratch) beat S. E. Clark owes 4-6 15), 4—6, 6—2, 6-4. The loser vas a bit too erratic. J. Garrett (owes 30) beat H. F. Law (owes t-6 15), 4—6, 6—4. This was a protracted druggie, and after tho second serve Law ound tho pace too much, and retired. A. Hannah (owes 2-6 15) beat A. T. Garlick owes 15), 6—5, 56, —2. The Onehunga )layer showed improved form. F. E. Barnard (owes 2-6 15) beat N. Ash;on (owes 4-6 15), 6-3, 2—6, 7—5. LADIES' HANDICAP SINGLES. Miss I. Cooke (owes 4-6 15) beat Miss McLaughlin (receives 3-6 .15). COMBINED HANDICAP DOUBLES. Henderson and Mrs. Cooper (owe 30 2-6) >eat R. Taylor and Miss Taylor (owe 3-6 15), i._2, 6—l. Thomson and Miss I. Walker (owe 3-6 15) jeat Hoskcth and Miss Hcsketh (receive 1-6 .5), 6—5, 6—l. ,

~ ! (■','■". , "■'.■■ ' >■• ■""' ' Upton and Miss G. Gorrie (owe 40) beat Bell - (Hawera) and Miss Bramwell (owe 15 4-6), 6-5, 3-6, 6-4. Warner and Miss Basley (owe 3-6 15) beat Richardson and Miss McLoughlin (receive , 1-6 15), 6-3, 6-2. W. F. Whyte and Mrs. Allen (owe 3-6 15) beat G. Baker and Miss Utting (owo 15 1-6), , 6—4, 6—4. ■ ■ . S. A. Longuet and Miss Crowther (scratch) beat Garrett and Miss Hunt, 6—2, 6—l. The llev. Parry and Miss Cairns (receive 3-6 15) beat Billing and Miss J. Walker (owe 30 4-6), 6—5, 6—3. Mair and Miss Mair (owe 5-6 15) beat Black and Miss Woodroffe (owe 30 5-6), 6—4, 6-3. Dr. Keith and Mrs. Keith (owe 30) beat Stewart and Miss Stewart (scrach), —3, 6-4. W. A. Brown and Miss E. Udy (owe 30) beat, Clark and Miss Kerr-Taylor (receive 3-6 15), 4—6, 6—3, 6—4. Hunt and Miss Cooper (owe 15 4-6) boat Finlay and Miss Fear (receive 3-6 15), 62, 3-6, 6-3. H. W. Cooke and Miss Bloomfield (scratch) beat Shirriffs and Miss Harvey (owe 30 3-6), 6-5, 6-2. Hunter and Miss Cooke (owe 30 3-6) beat L. A. Longuet and Miss Hudson (receive 1-6 15), 6—2, 6—2. Goldie and Miss Williams (owe 30 2-6) beat Martin and Miss Prater (receive 1-6 15), 6—2, 6-4. MEN'S HANDICAP DOUBLES. FIRST ROUND. Shirriffs and Smith (owe 15 4-6) beat H. R. Cooke and Martin (owe 3-6 15), 6—5, 65. Morpeth arid Hickson (owe 15 46) beat Whyte and Milne (scratch), I—6. 6— 4, 7—5. Taylor and Taylor (owe 15 4-6) beat Ashton and Finlay (receive 4-6 15), 6—2, 6—2. Gregson and Coates (owe 30 3-6) beat Barnard and Moginie (receive 2-6 15), 6— 5—6, B—6. Warner and Snelling (owe 2-6 15) beat Garrett and Clarke (scratch), 61, 6—3. Law and Garlick (receive 2-6 15) brat Hcsketh and Nolan (scratch), 6—l, 6—l. NELSON CHAMPIONSHIPS. SOME INTERESTING PLAY. [by TELEGRAPH.SPECIAL correspondent.] Nelson, Friday. The Nelson lawr. tennis tournament was continued to-day. The match betwe m Parker and Peacock in the championship singles was exciting. Parker was again of bis game. He went in for fine side-lin > playing as usual, but there was little for ;e in most of his shots. Parker seems to bo in far poorer condition than for many sea ion's. For the first set he kept Peacock running, though he finished several of the rallies with a shot out of court. Peacock did some fine attacking work also, and easily won the first set. Parker as easily won the second and third, but Peacock took tho fourth. Still Parker seemed confident of winning. He began putting a little more sting into his strokes, and continued to run Peacock as much as be could, but Peacock played a safe game. The latter was within a point of reaching five games to three in the final set when he broke down over a smash. Parker took tho game and made the score even. Peacock got the lead again, and then won two strokes with splendid volleys; then he missed an easy smash, and at length lost the game. He had hard luck. Still he gained the lead again at 65. Parker took the next two games, but Peacock made another effort, and beat his man badly on a couple of strokes, but again he lost accuracy, and Parker finished tho match by dropping a ball just over the net. Parker has never been so nearly beaten by a New Zealander, with the exception cf Wilding, since he first won tho championship. Parker and Fisher will meet in the final. Peacock went on immediately afterwards to play with Fisher in the doubles championship against Brown and Salmond. In the first set Peacock and Fisher played accurately, and ran away with the set, but in the next set they appeared- to take a rest, and their opponents won the set. However, Peacock and Fisher had not much difficulty in taking the next two sets, and' if they keep their form they should defeat Parker and Quid in tho final. ' , Misses Nunnelley and Powdrell have come through to the final of the ladies' championship with ease. Their second meeting will be interesting. Dr. Bamford was beaten in the singles championship by that steady player, Leggatt, of Nelson. The score was 6—3, 64, 86. In the championship doubles Dr. Bamford and Whyte Parsons were beaten by Bennington and Weir, 6—2, 6—l, 6—3. Bamford and Parsons have reached the third round of the handicap doubles.