TENNIS IN ENGLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19807, 30 November 1927, Page 14

TENNIS IN ENGLAND.

STANDAFJD OF LADIES' PLAY. ATTENTION TO COACHING. MISS MACFARLANE RETURNS. Miss Marjorie Macfarlane, the Auckland tennis player, who has on four occasions held the provincial singles title, returned by the IJlimaroa yesterday after a two' years' visit to England. While in England Miss Macfarlane met with considerable, success and played twice in the allEngland championships at Wimbledon. Tier most notable performances were two victories gained over Miss P. Saunders, an English representative, player. "English ladies' tennis is of a high standard, not only the championship standard, but the general average," Miss Macfarlane said. "This is probably due to co,-idling. English girls take their game very seriously, and nearly, all are coached just as New Zealand lady golfers are. Tf an English player recognised she was playing a stroke wrongly she would not hesitate to change even if it meant many weeks of work and concentration. Take, as an instance, Miss Joan Fry, who has completely remodelled her backhand. "The standard of the men, ori the other hand, is low compared with other countries, and much below that of the French and (he Americans. Crole-Rees, Earnest, Kingsley and Iliggs are among the best English players. Austin appears to be handicapped by Ins physique, although great things arc hoped of him in the future. As a genera! rule the men players Sack severity compared with overseas players. E. D. Andrews, the New Zealand champion, should do very well once ho strikes his true form, arid becomes accustomed to the different playing conditions." Cochet and Tilden. Miss Macfarlane saw the final of the V\ imbledon championships between Cochet and Tilden, and stated it seemed incredible the latter should have been defeated. For two sets Tilden was absolute master of the court, and then his touch seemed to go entirely, and everything he hit went out or into the net. The organisation and plavirig conditions of Wimbledon were wonderful, but at the outside tournaments they were no better than in New Zealand. Matches were often played in the rain, and two or three racquets were absolutely necessary. Sometimes a tournament would start on grass and then, owing to adverse weather conditions, it would be moved on to hard courts, which made matters very difficult for the players. For this reason hard courts were coining into favour in England. Miss Botty Nuthall.

Miss Betty Nuthall was a very strong player, and was improving all the time. She was destined to be a real champion in the near future, although she had probably been somewhat over-boomed after her defeat of Mrs. Mallory. However, her subsequent performances in America had proved her great ability beyond any doubt. Miss Macfarlane was greatly taken with Borotra, Lacostc. and Cochet. She had never seen the equal of Borotra's marvellous agility and footwork. Lacoste's mechanical accuracy in keeping the ball in play was wonderful and heartbreaking to his opponents. Great Number of Tournaments. There were a tremendous number of tournaments in England, am. it was quite possible for a player to go on almost right through the season from one to another. There was actually a rule in England forbidding a player from taking part in more than one tournament at the same time. Many of these tournaments were of a low standard, but there were also tournaments where (he number of entries was limited and the standard was exceptionally high. Miss Macfarlane instanced one in London which was kept down to 32 out ries. Miss Macfarlane was reticent about her own form and her prospects in the forthcoming New Zealand championships in OhrisMiureh. However, she considered she had improved her game and said the play in England against so many different opponents and under varying conditions could have had no other than a .strengthening effect.