LAWN TENNIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15175, 14 December 1912, Page 10

LAWN TENNIS.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. In connection with the test, match, England v. New Zealand, to bo played on the Eden and Epsom courts on December 21 and 23, the booking o£ scats on tho stands has been very satisfactory. Aucklandcra have never before had such an opportunity of seeing the highest-class tennis, and unless those desirous of witnessing the matches make application for scats without delay they will bo loft amongst tho lamenting. There is a little misconception as to the composition of the New Zealand team, but the New Zealand Association has definitely informed tho Auckland Association that tho New Zealand team will be Fisher, Peacock, Ollivier, and Swanston. This is. absolutely the strongest team Now Zealand can produce, and it is ! quite certain that although the New Zealand : team may be defeated, the match will, pro- ' vide some of the finest tennis it is possible to see in any part of the world. It ia to be hoped that the younger players will mako a big effort to witness the match, for groat good must result to them by seeing how the game is played "by such leading exponents of tennis as the winners of the Davis Cup contests. Players should remember that their entries for tho handicap tourney at New Year "should be put in at once, as, with tho near approach of the holidays, it is very necessary that matters in connection with tho tournament should > be completed with as ' littfc delay as possible. The second round of inter-club matches 'was completed on Saturday last. By far the most "interesting match was that between West End and Remuera. As was expected the result was very close, and either side might have won. However, Remuera, as in the case of their match against Parnell, squeezed home by one point. It is pleasing to note the narrow margin there is between the different clubs this season, and this naturally causes far more interest than was the case when the result of a match was a foregone conclusion. In the Remuera and "West End match tho all-absorbing contest was the meeting of Keith and McCutchcon. Many enthusiasts were confident that McCutcheon would prove too much for the present Auckland champion. Til© fact that Keith had not begun practice, having had but one or two games this season, naturally made it appear that he would be defeated. However, Keith's consistency is well known, and whatever else happens he very rarely disappoints his club. McCutcheon played a fine, slashing game, and it was only Keith s fine knowledge of the tricky points of tho came that staved off defeat. McCutcheon relies to a great extent on getting to the net but he found that suoh was useless last Saturday, excepting on specially selected balls These two players should meet in the Auckland championships in January, and when both have had proper practice and got into form the contest between them should be worth going some distance to see. Keith Duthie played a splendid gamo against Upton, drawing beautifully on both sides. He proved far too good lor Upton, ■who was clean out of form, gaol ling and Oliphant easily accounted for L and S. Longuet respectively, and tho double match, McCutcheon and L. Longuet ! v Keith and Oliphant was uninteresting and disappointing, the former winning easily. Keith appeared to be suffering from the effects of his game with McCutcheon. Miss Gray was as usual in good form, and it looks as if she would recover last year s form in time for tho New Zealand cliampionsHip mooting at Hastings. , In the Parnell v. Edfci and Epsom match some of tho events were closely contested, although the match was won by Eden andEpsom fairly comfortably. Robson defeated Mowbray after a close game, and Hanna fairly • excelled himself by just defeating -Morpeth on tho post. It is remarkable how inconsistent Hanna can be. One day he is not worth a place in a second-grade team, and a few days later he will rise to the occasion and unexpectedly inflict a decisive defeat on his opponent. Ooates has established himself as Parnell's most _ consistent performer, again having two wins to his credit, in winning from A. S. 0. Brown < m the 'singles and with Mowbray defeating Robson and Burrow in the doubles. Billing does not seem to have struck form, and is not as yet playing-up to the standard of past years. He is generally reckoned to bo a very difficult man to beat in a combined, "but this year ho has not been the same player as of yore. In the ladies' matches Eden and Epsom were - unquestionably superior, and the matches wore won with something to spare. West End n. went down to Devonport I. by a big margin. Some of the matches were, however, very close, and with a little luck the result might - have been - closer, alttwsj* Dett®porii -s7fi«lsi m won in as;

' case. Thorn© played his first match for West End,' and although he did not wm his matches ho finished up on 9—B in both events. ; This player has a really good Btyle, and with due care more should be heard, or him in tho • future. For Devonport Mrs. Cooper and Miss Harvey were is usual m good form, and had little difficulty in winning their matches. According to the rules these players should of course play- in the singles and not in the combined. It might be as well for some of the clubs to remember that the players must be played strictly in order of merit. There is a. tendency to average up the team, ■ but that is contrary to tho rules, and it is little use some clubs faying their players in order of merit whilst other clubs shift their players about with a, view to generally hardening up the team, and thereby, perhaps, gam a point or two extra. Moat Clubs, •although objecting to the order of tho players in the opposing team, do not care to go the length of protesting. However, it is useless having rules if they lire not adhered to. . ' This afternoon there will be two interesting contests— End, v. Parnell an Remuera v. Auckland. In the former both clubs have been defeated by Remuera 7—6, and it is fairly certain that to-day a match will end in something the same way, and it is extremely hard to say which will win. In tho latter, on performances, Remuera should win by a fair margin, but some of the games arc very open. After to-day's\ matches there will be no more inter-club contests until February 8. In the meantime there will be a long programme to work through— test match, Now Zealand v. England, on December 21 and 23; handicap tournament on January 1, 2, and 4; championship tournament at tho end of January; and the Dunlop shield contests about the same time. _ • Referring to the Dunlop shield contests, the names of the teams were supposed to have been sent in by last Wednesday. As there seems to bo no likelihood of these matches "being commenced till well on _ m January, some clubs consider that it is impossible to select players so long before, the matches commence. There is certainly a good deal to be said in favour of this contention, as a club should bo entitled to play those players showing the best form at the time they are called upon to play.