LAWN TENNIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20807, 25 February 1931, Page 16

LAWN TENNIS.

BY SIDELINE.

STANDARD IN GRADE A.

TWO OUTSTANDING CLUBS.

COMPETITIONS AT' ONEHUNGA

The easy victory of Eden and Epsom over Parnell serves to show how great is the gulf between the best and the next best club in tho eliminating rounds of the A grade competition of tho Auckland Lawn Tennis Association. Nor can it bo said that there is any likelihood of an evening-up of skill as between tho different clubs. At tho present time Eden and Epsom and Remuera are outstanding, and before tho contest started it could be said with certainty that theso two clubs would fight out the challenge round. This is not good from an interclub point of viow, but it is difficult to see a remedy, if indeed there is one. Advocates of the larger teams considered they had one, but results seem to show that the discrepancy in skill is further accentuated. Results have proved that there are only really two A grade club teams in Auckland at present, however good a few individuals may be in tho other competing teams.

With a continuation of the fine weather a largo number of matches have been played off by the Onehunga Club during the past few weeks. As the season progresses a steady improvement in the standard of play is noticeable. Onehunga is particularly indebted to Mr. F. J. Ohlson, an old member and a real tennis enthusiast, for this improvement. With his keenness and long experience both in New Zealand and abroad he is well qualified for the task that he has set himself. Besides an almost daily appearance at Onehunga, Mr. Ohlson finds time to visit a large number of the primary and secondary schools of Auckland.

In the third round of tho club's championship E. A. Robb's victory over A. C. Cole was particularly meritorious. His driving and ground shots were particularly accurate and if his volleying improved to the same extent he would be hard to beat. M. Robb beat W. S. Herbert by a comfortable margin. Herbert has good shots, but will have to settle down to appreciate the finer points of the game before ho has a chance in the championship of the club.

In the semi-final M. Robb beat his brother, E. A. Robb, after a very close match. His accurate backline play eventually won supremacy over his brother's similar but less accurate game. J. T. Harrison's victory over C. K. Harrison was decisive.

Championship Doubles,

The victory of C. K. Harrison and 11. McDonald in the championship doubles is especially worthy of mention. This pair are improving greatly and developing a combination that will be hard to beat. In defeating E. A. Robb and W. Grattan they went through semi-final when they won comfortably from such experienced players as M. Robb and A. C. Colo. Johnson and Bockett, the other pair in the semi-final, should give the Harrison brothers a good game. Miss McCrea, who has several times been close to success in the ladies' singles, is the favourite for this event. She is at the present time playing very well and her decisive victory over the promising junior, Miss La Roche, augurs well for the final result. Misses Worral and Campbell are likely to be her most serious opponents.

In the ladies' championship doubles Misses McCrea and Campbell are, on present form, the strongest pair, but the winners of the match between Misses Moir and La Roche and Misses Parr and Grove are likely to give the pair a good match. The finals of the ladies/' junior championship singles between .Misses Chambers, a probable member, of this year' 3 University tournament team, and Miss La Roche, last year's winner, should provide good tennis. Miss Chambers is fast improving, while Miss La Roche is probably at present on top form. Bockett and Miss Parr are likely to prove serious contestants against Harrison and Miss' McCrea, last year's winners of the championship combined doubles. Bockett's dashing driving and good overhead work, combined with Miss Parr's driving and accurate placements, are likely to keep the last year's champions fully occupied wlren the final is played off.

Wilding Shield

By carrying Miss Marjorie Macfarlane to a close three-set contest in the Remuera championships, the deciding set >of which went to 7—5, Miss Ruth Taylor put up the best performance of her career. Never before has she been seen to such advantage. Miss Macfarlane had to bring forth every effort to stave off defeat, which might well have been her lot if Miss Taylor had hit as courageously at 5-all as she had in the three previous games.

The Wilding Shield, for which Canterbury played Wellington recently is New Zealand's most important inter-pro-vincial trophy and : s in memory of Urn greatest player New Zealand has produced, the late A. F. Wilding. The first contest for the trophy took place in 1922, when Auckland, represented by Bartleet, Robson, Griffiths and Clark, was defeated by ten matches to two by Canterbury, represented by Ollivier, Greenwood, Aitken and Goss. Canterbury then successfully defended the trophy against Wellington.

There was no contest in 1922-23, but in 1923-24 Auckland made another attempt, Bartleet, Robson, Griffiths and Clark being beaten by Ollivier, Sims, Seav and Aitken by nino matches to three.

In 1924-25 Auckland's persistence was rewarded, Bartleet, Fotheringliam, Bobson and Griffiths defeating Ollivier, Seay, Glanville and Sheppard by seven matches to five. Auckland's triumph* was shortlived, as in 1925-26 Canterbury recovered the trophy by the narrow margin of six matches, 15 sets. 140 games, to six matches, 14 sets, 133 games.

Auckland Challenge.

Wellington entered tho contest in 1925-26 and defeated Canterbury by 15 sets to 13. each side having won six matches. 1 n 1927-28 Wellington successfully defended against Auckland, but Canterbury later regained possession by defeating Wellington by seven matches to five. Wellington returned to the attack in 1928-29 and regained the shield by ten matches to two. Last season Wellington successfully defended against Canterbury and was again successful in the recent contest, winning by seven matches to five.

T'joro is every prospect that a strong Auckland team will try its luck this season and a challenge is likely to bo issued within the next few weeks. With Stedman, Sturt and Bartleet to lead the Auckland attack, prospects of success would be particularly bright.