BADMINTON COMMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22205, 4 September 1935, Page 18

BADMINTON COMMENTS

DOMINION TITLES HIGH STANDARD EXPECTED PLAY COMMENCES TO-DAY BY BIDELINB The New Zealand badminton championships will be commenced in No. 9 shed on Central Wharf this evening. Splendid entries have been • received and good contests of a high standard should result with the eventual winners well concealed. The present title-holders are: —Men's championship singles: H. Fow; ladies' championship singles. Miss A. Ellett; men's championship doubles, H. Fow and It. Fear; ladies' championship doubles, Miss A. Fllett and Mrs. Wren; combined championship doubles, It. Hill and Airs. Wien. in the Auckland championships just concluded in Hamilton H. Fow showed good form and secured the title, but he will have stronger opposition at the present meeting and will need to be at his best to hold off the attack of M. T. Wilson or G. Martin, who are likelv to meet in the quarter-final with the winner disputing Fow's entry to the final On the other side of the draw J. Neale, who played particularly well to reach the finals in the three major events at Hamilton, should come through. His most difficult matches are likely to be against I. Ellett or itoid, the latter being a Wellington representative with a wellearned reputation for sound badminton. The ladies' singles are almost certain to be between Miss A. Ellett, the title-holder, who has an easy draw to the final, and Misses J. Ramsay, who won at Hamilton, and Mrs. Wren or Miss Wade. The last-named has shown much-improved form in her recent matches and may create a surprise. Miss ltamsay, after her recent success, will perhaps find most support.

In the men's doubles R. Hull and J. Neale, al'ter their fine play in the Auckland championships, will be most favoured to win the title. Other strong pairs who may upset the seeding arrangements are G. Martin and I. Ellett, M. T. Wilson and A. Weir and Reid and Ridyard, of Wellington. The progress of D. G. Macfarlane and G. H. Philson, a veteran combination of considerable skill, will be watched with interest. Macfarlane won the Auckland title partnered by E. Tonks the first year the Auckland championships were played. CHAMPION GOLFER

YOUNG AUSTRALIAN PLAYER J. Ferrier, the 20-year-old amateur champion of Australia, had his first experience of golf at a very early age, but it was not until he was 14 that lie was permitted to enter into donipetition. His first success came in 1929 when he won the Public Service Open and his score of 73 was two strokes off a course record. The following year he beat E. L. Apperly in the final of the Manly, Sydney, club championship and in 1931 this pair met again for the New South Wales amateur title. Ferrier winning on the last green. He was runner-up in . the Australia open and amateur championships, Ivo Whitton beating him by one stroke in the open, while a young Victorian rival, H. L. Williams, defeated him at the last hole in the amateur event. During the next two years he broke course records on a number of links and was again runner-up in the Australian Open.

Early lasfc year he won the Queensland open and amateur titles and the New South Wales amateur. Toward the end of the year he met with a succession of defeats in match play. No doubt this was due to his efforts to correct the fault of pushing the ball out. During the visit of the American professionals, Ferrier made a close study of their methods and any advice he sought was readily given with the result that to-day he is playing better golf than at any stage of his career. WRESTLING NOTES APPEARANCE OF INDIAN The wrestling match on Monday evening was not so spectacular as some held earlier in the season. Jaget Singh is obviously a difficult man to handle, and Blomfield did well under the circumstances to draw with his redoubtable opponent. Blomfield in suffering from a vory painful carbuncle on his wrist with considerable swelling of the hand and forearm. This must have befen a severe handicap and caused 'him considerable pain at tipies. Singh did not display any ereat variety of holds, but he is a powerful man, who is hard to hold and is content to wait until he considers it time to attempt his deathlock. The speed with which ho applied this on Blomfield was astounding. The hold is a doublebarred toehold with the pressure maintained with the leg instead of the hands. The Indian's lee is used as a Crowbar. There is no doubt about its effectiveness and Blomfield was wise in submitting in time to save the use of his log. As it was his knee was badly swollen after the bout. The match for next Monday has not been arranged, but the association is endeavouring to obtain a visit from Ole Andresen.