LAWN TENNIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18332, 23 February 1923, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. X} WAIKATO VERSUS AUCKLAND I The interprovincial match, Waikato t», bus Auckland, ' played last' Saturda^fdid^lfS i prove so interesting. as it might: had ' Laure;ason, : ; Sims and Gray been awt' to represent their provincial district. MrJ?*i@i • Aucklanders^were: too strong, and lost ' one set in the 'day _ play, iha visit *»» however, an enjoyable one for both t««l?ls and what the Waikato players lack ..foiKtMi is fully compensated in good Bport«»ai^^lpS! , In their captain, McCrackon, and Mri/lfo , ' Craoken, they have thorough sports, wu ' study and ' understand every move iairMSi] tennis world. ,;•■.;■ ■■.:-■ " _■■: _ ■:'~ : ~&*J&j£mm The date for entries for Ihe R.j.h.«y C |,S|B| pionship has been extended to to-morro» ■' Entries close with Mr. P. W. Holden.iWtt^H . worth. ' This championship will be played 5w Warkworth on February 28,. March. l.frtiffism 8. and as the means of travelling are both ■'-■ easy and economical, it affords an exceUatSSsS : opportunity for local players to try^^fSl , elusions with.;. some of our ; country friand* S Secondary schools championship # will coal ■ mence on, March 8, entries dosing £«»j{||§ Tuesday. .■ . -, . . - . , t"• i That a tennis tr.atrh n» ,!'•» lost, nuli.it/. ]\M beei. won was proved last Saturuwv , when, at the Stanley Street Courts,:*tk,« final of the Auckland men's championshiß ; doubles was played between Bartleet u& ;: Robson versus Griffiths and Bnnsden. '! Tw contest brought forth the best display 0 r doubles play that we have had in thin'. ' , event for years past. ■: Unfortunately. :.,■■ (|£HBj weather spoiled the attendance, but thftjiS , who witnessed the contest were well *».':. warded for their; trouble. The court »»». rather heavy, and at times the foothold ■»'«! little ' insecure. Notwithstanding this, ithjll? play reached championship clasa, and the- m display of volleying especially, was ; r a ti% . times brilliant. ■,■ , . ' In the first two sets, which were won®* by the losers,- 6—l, .6—3. the play of their |1 opponents was mediocre, and the . match' . looked an easy thing for. the holders, whoM i though not playing consistently well,.were:;ll • outclassing their opponents. In the thirdll ? set the play of all four contestants -iiiasfil f proved, especially that of Griffiths njMt » ' B#insden. who, in the opening games '*$%$■ - i this set, were pegging along on even tenu«B . with their rivals. At three all they-fomj^;-themselves, and ran out the winners -'MWS i I 6—3, still two seta to one in m favour • #",£ » i Bartleet and Robson. In the rourth set m I desperate struggle ensued, Griffiths %t&M '•• Brinsden were playing the better double game, and the pairs were level again; tisffl three all. From that on the ultimate win. a ners of the championship held the supreme ! acy by one game until seven all was called,-: when, -by; excellent tennis, they notched the'; • vantage games and levelled the sets at two all. r "* J \i The onlookers at this stage realised ;thi£fil! what appeared, in tho earlier stages, a foregone conclusion, was now* an open question, , and on the play in the fourth set Griffith*, 1 and Brinsden found many supporter*.;:. ' When, however, their opponents tooki-ftrll 8 first three games in the fifth set, despite MB 1 the stubborn fight of their opponents, and';.; " Rood play on all - sides, there were not many ', i who would have predicted that the present v i-champions cculd take the next six. game*.*':l i'i But. playing as though their lives depended 11 f i on it, and making consistently good strokes while their opponents became erratic/-:.M4f»; _ fieemed to slacken, they ■ accomplished this»% f task, winning the last four games with th»:"\/ , loss, of only four strokes. - ~ ,-r .jfi' • ■ ■ - ■.:•'■■■•■.•■'".': -•' '■• ■"\isgs I , - Respective Merits of Players.- ;'•'>: \ The winners are ft very determined 1 pauy' r i and fought like bulldogs when their chanceej seemed hopeless. Their combination, on"» •; '■ } the whole, was better than that of theirii.r " I opponents, although there were occasion! V " i when they were hopelessly mixed. Biins--9 den has taken to olub tennis only within the last few years, and is what can be Willed; ta "find." He only\ needs a little more re« . cognition of his own capabilities, and th*?* experience of a few New Zealand champion-, . r! "ship meetings to bo a serious competitor bf « an inter-State team. A study of the theory' . ' of lie game to be gained by reading booh ■ ../on tennis, by such men as Tilden, Blackmore, and others, would also benefit him,^p|i| Griffiths is a heady and consistent .pliy«t>iS and it is a wonder his reputation is; not,-, higher in the minds of selectors, seeing --Mlm J consistent performances in New Zealand andK;- { local championships for years past.y&i?^^® Robson played a forceful game, but *«;> ~ more - hampered ; than any of , the four, \bn^ - account of the insecure foothold affecting' his service smashing.* ' Still, his work wa* brilliant at . times. ■ Bartleet, ■ v whose t| forte is driving, is an incomparably better smelts mm than a double player. Tho nature. of his I J ' game, makes it difficult for his »*»«!&« obtain good combination; He is undonW:*^ , ;,edly below his form this year, due to lack 1 i ; of practice in the: earlier part of the season. i, i The ladies* seeded championship '? tonrnaa } ment will ,be played %at Stanley ;Btr^ti« e courts to-morrOw, on the three courts which ■ were allotted to the .first grade inter- . club matches, the. second round of which ■ T has been abandoned. : ; The following ladies will compete—Mesdames Richter, Buttle, T TTogben; Misses Macfarlane : (2). -Pi^ton^| MacCormick. Kerr-Taylor. y Pagni, Knight,C Ramsay, Worrall. Lowry. Witherow ? Vinson. Play will start at 1 p.m. A.tjwafJ[s 1 ', for this event has been presented by Messrs. • I Walker and Hall. - :^fflli 1 Men's Ranking List. ■'" -'•■•■•'.'■■..'-'• :>'■ y /,' •;■"■'■'■.- •'. -- > -' - ":<.■ Wt*iSSB&BBI '».; One of the most interesting competitions " I yet staged : in Auckland, ana about' which,. - j"'! there is a?lot of discussion, will be com' 9 menoed to-morrow week, March 8, when ,tni|| V try out" for the men's ranking hst^wyl:. m begin. This ' will assume 'a novel form ffl .; t that 24 players have been graded. The vlMm on the top half will start on Saturday r w«« i , at Stanley Street courts, and those on *&&& bottom half the week later. * The draw *Mm be bracketed, l so that in the first round num-. . ber one plays :number> two, nuinber<thrtj|& plays number * four, , and so on. '■'' In ' ? W|j| second round, the loser in the first" braolt«s.ji| ' playß the winner of the second bracket, and M so on down the line, until each man^raeettM his Waierloo, and ! so : becomes graded:'? lto\; 1 following is the list of playors ranked -ii mm • order of play:—Top halt: E. L. < Bartleet, ; v Robson, Griffiths, Page,. Webster, Briusden, Morrison, Ohlson. . A. C. Johns. France. i Bartleet..:-Bottom'; half; Fotheringham,'iT»tSl . lis, Taylor, Home, - Williams. Clark,'i;WaVS kins, V. Johns, A. S. C" Brown, Mojr.lViffi > F. • Ewen, Gardner, •J. T. Harrison. , Jimer-A gency: A. CampbelL l •'. 1 Shou? ' a player: bo unable to ; play''MSß the con Petition, ho will be ranked a bw»|i below his position, as above, and will need j H to challenge the player next "above hu»-, should he wish' to improve his : positiatt>3j»; ; There has been much discussion and matt'f,', opinions : i aired; as * to. the ability of ''.''i:° 1 ?S player to ; beat . another. .< and ".; : intei t while settling many arguments, do ; not wjrfl ways bring the desired contestants togetneij.^ I It is hoped that this method will have tg»S proper effect", and give every'; player an j*Sg|| ' port unity to find his resting • place. ;■•;. *$!£&& ' matche3.will be the best of three advantage' - ,■'- •" ■■■' ■'' »- 'fii That the decision of 'the New "'Zeal»w|p Lawn Tennis Association. to curtail a«S|§jj visiting team for New South Wales to }Wf|| was unpopular was soon made manuM*^ by the protest from the Auckland, Can-.* terbury and Wellington Associations. gs|| meeting-of the management committee was immediately. called, and it ie to the credit ' . of its ; members thai, out of . respect to the g views- of the three main I associations, they, reversed . their ; decision ' and extended ;| J" B^ team to six, which now includes Ollmwifl Sims, Franca, Peacock, Wallace,, and Rob* m son. It is a good representative team th« ' will benefit groatly by association withtno.-a [ bisst players in New . South Wales, and WSs|| interrupted practice. Sims, France, and,; . Robson -especially, .being ; young immature ;. players, -should certainly return much U"*, / i . proved '.. men. • ■ ; || %. r . New South Wales Ladies' Team.'^|| Great interest is being taken in the me *K ing of our recent visitors from New Scuta .- Wales with the representative team i«ff?» Victoria. ,The Sydney Referee contains, the following account:-. ' ' vr' :i^M / It' was; interesting to> see; how; the;^eyr;g| South Wales team, which was almost the { . same as that which went to New .; Zealand (Mrs. Ute taking Miss Gray's ; pbww'M ; would get on against ; the Victorian team. It seems probabLS that if Mrs.. Lister had m been *in the Victorian team it would ; . cave won, as she would have replaced Mrs. MP-. Arthur, ' who failed to win a rubber. , The finest contest was that_ between Mi« , Boyd and' Miss I Lance, the best pieyew ' in their States. y'- Miss i Bcjd commenced slowly, as usual, but then, in spite of Mi» Lance's undoubted' improvement, as * JJJM* suit of her trip to New Zealand. Miss. Boya ;. proved too severe'in the last set. winning at 3—6;; &— 6—l. A surprise B^!^ ■ defeat— 4—6. 2—6— of Mrs. Uta 'by ' Mi» Mountain, whose certainty broke down Mrs. ; ' Ufa's (tame. Miss Mercer , did well to «S?J» feat Miss Lloyd in a olose matoh at 6—»», m 1 4—6, 9—7. Mrs. . Lascelles easily beat i*fWm McArthur. 6—4, r 6—2. Mrs. Utz and Mrs. Lascelles boat Mrs. MoArthur and:: '■»V*lj| . Mercer, 6—2. 61. M ~, ,' .'A Miss i Lance beat Miss Mountain i fc «*!s£f-W 6—l, 6—l but Miss Boyd turned the taWW .- by .defeating w. Mrs. ■<;Ut 6—4, &-2. Smffl ' driving was too severe for the httlevpsa^g . ney lady. Mrs. Lascelles beat Miss Meroer» .■ m 6—3. 6—l; and then Miss Lloyd easily ™MM , Mrs. MoArthur, 6-1, 6-0. In the d°«£'£|| 1 New South Wales had to win tWo?»ubbjr«#| to secure Its win, and Misses Lance rffiSSam Lloyd quickly took one of these by de«?pM • : Mrs. MoArthur and Miss Mercer, 6—0.- VESSBffI . and then decided ; the issue ', by 8 %%«C4i Misses Boyd and Mountain, 6—l, 6—4. **rj , Lance'a volleying was too >; clever, whUe,;JH^M ■ Lloyd ; also. intercepted well. In the ;^j*g||| rubber of the match - Mesdames -Uts *ffl Lascelles mat lost to Misses "BoydiP-faJs® Mountain/at .B—lo.' 4—B. The ; ' scores a were:. New j South Wales, 7 jJW?<S?^^ffl ■ 16 sets : 136 garnet; ..Victoria. 6 rubber*. /»y sets, 88 games. . ; ,J*'i|p^H ;:}:' : : j ; INTER-CLUB MATCHES. 'f- The only; match to ;be played on". Saturday in; the ■ intorclub competition.- under the *E«;K: , pices of theiAuckland' Lawn Tennis 'fi*?rfiPss . tion. will be Mount Albert v. St. HelieW-.g . , • "the : C Grade. This *. will ;be :■ played *\iffli ' I . Stanley Street courta. ; - The following mmml teams:-—'■'■';;•:'-'■■ , ';'' : -'-- v ' / •'•'■'-'• ; .'''':' -'■ '•"';'-'v^ ?^ii«SSl I'-" Mount Albert v..' St. 'Belien^ffflgi^ Albert: - Messrß. N. McLean. R. Potter. :-..- 1 .Seachen. Bailev. R. McLean, and :! ; Caughey; Misses Mahn;*.Wakeriey.S>B«|l|S| •; imd j Mrs. Gaucher. St.s.Heliers: MeWTOßSiiffl .Oiamond. D. Wrathall. A; 1 Lowe.;W#s!i^M !3. Cooper and'J.EHiffe; Misses N. Be* % J Ellifle. M. Hill and M. Taylor. ;\ ,:;^|S||