THE WAIPAWA TOURNAMENT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1664, 20 January 1904, Page 18

THE WAIPAWA TOURNAMENT.

This meeting, which followed! close on the heels of the New Zealand Championship. was largely attended by the players who took part in Napier, as well a® by local talent. Unfortunately, however, for the sucoess of the meeting, Jupiter Pluviuß took charge of the proceed mgs, and veiw little play was possible on the initial day, and none on the second. Waipawa is not the most lively place In the world, but. the players made their own fun, and arranged a dance, and an Indoor tournament was held m the theatre, thanks to the enterprise of Mr Jull, on whose willing shoulders most of the work of the meeting foil. The third and last day breaking fine, a very early start was, made, and many players had to get through at least one match before being allowed to have breakfast. The Courts were very slippery in the early part of the day, and those competitors who had been unwise enough to attend a meeting without ffeteel points” were rightly punished bv slipping about on the courts. 1 notice that “Huka” in his report of this meeting in the- “Evening Post’ states that “spikes” were used, and should, have been prohibited by the committee. Personally I did not notice any 'competitors wearing spikes, but perhaps “Huka” confuses “spikes” with steel points,” which are recognised by all large tournament committees and expressly allowed on. their courts m the e T ent of rain making them unfit for play in ordinary shoes. If this is tfie case tthe "committee at Waipawa evidently* knew, thdir business, and it was a player’s own. foolishness if he neglected to provide himself with this legitimate portion of a tournament outfit. “Spikes of course are prohibited on any court, and no competitor should be allowed to use them, and if any did, “Huka” is quite flight in his remarks. -The play was, of course, hardly up to standard on the dead courts, which especially favoured players with “cut” shots like Gore, Broad and Cooke. The best match of the meeting was between H. Gore and Tudor Baker, the former Just winning. Baker played a marvellously fine game, his driving being very severe and accurate, and at times Gore was quite unable to cope with it, e&Sially as he was hampered by ralin fallon his glasses. Gore unfortunately l to leave for Wellington before the conclusion of the meeting, and so did Slioman, and tliils robbed the tournament of much of its interest. Parker

won the singles and with. Adams the (doubles. After many vicissitudes Adaans «nd A;- A. Kennedy emerged as victors in the handlicap doubles, while Broad and Miss Berkeley won the combined, (Broad giving ample evidence of his skill and trickiness in this branoh of the game. The Misses Ward, of Wellington, easily won the ladies’ doubles, being treated too leniently by the liandicappers, but at the same time they fully deserved their sucoess, which was the re-

sult of sound play, while the dead courts seemed very much to their liking. Miss Fannin was a player who J came very much to the front at -this ~ meeting. She won the ladies’ singles and almost won the combined event. She ia remarkably steady, and lias a strong forehand drive, while her backhand is by no means to he despised. If she •were more active she would become a very fine player.

The prizes were distributed) by Mi's ’ Todd 'in the cold and fading twilight, 7- and though from a tennis point of view the meeting may not have been all that was to.bo desired, yet it was very enjoyable, and I have reason to believe that manly of those present this year will travel to Waipawa when the meeting is held there next year.