ANGLO-COLONIAL TENNIS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5665, 12 August 1905, Page 14

ANGLO-COLONIAL TENNIS

THE LONDON CHAMPIONSHIPS. BROOKES AND DUNLOP IN THE RUNNING. (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, June 23. On Monday last the London Championships were commenced at Queen’s Club, West Kensington. All the Australasian team figured in the entries, as also did the American cracks, W. A. Lamed, H. Ward, B. C. Wright, and W. J. Clothier, and another Australian in S. N. Donat. In the Gentlemen’s Singles (London Championship) Donat and Dunlop drew byes, and the former then scratched, hut H. A. Parker was called on in the first round to meet B. W. Frost, whom he easily vanquished by three sets to love and 18 games to 3, the scores against the loser being 6—2, 6—o, 6—X. Later in the day, however, Parker, m the Singles Handicap, was just as easily beaten by his compatriot, A. F. Wilding, both being at scratch. Wilding won the first set in hollow fashion by six games to love, and in the second Parker only claimed one game out of the seven played. He, however, seemed not to be exerting himself, and in all probability only entered the handicap for the sake of getting further practice if ho had the misfortune to be knocked out in the first round of the Championship. If that was the case Parker might have tried a little harder against Wilding for the second round of the Singles Championship proved fatal to his chance of major honours. He had to meet the American. H. Ward, who in spite of having had an idle week on board ship, proved to be in very fine form, and boat the New Zealander three sets running at 6—2, 6—3, 6—2.

Norman Brookes, who was drawn against C. E. Hunter, was not called upon to play on the first day in the Singles, but in partnership with Miss A. M. Morton, the holder of the Lady Championship of London, he appeared in the Ladies’ and Gentlemen's Level Doubles. The pair were by GWynne Evans and Miss East lake Smith, and proved much too good for their rivals, who only captured a single gam** in each of the two sets played. On the morrow Brookes easily put paid to Hunter's account; winning by three sets to love (6—2, 6—3, 6—o), and then faced J. M. Flavellc, one of our loading players, whom bo beat in a surprising fashion. FlaveOe could do nothing right, and Brookes, by really brilliant all-round play, smothered his opponent by three sets to love, and 18 games to nothing, not a single point being scored against the Australian. Dunlop had the good fortune to draw another bye, so two of the four Australians were left in the third round. AUSTRALIAN SUCCESSES.

Meanwhile, Dunlop in partnership with Miss E. W. Thompson, had beaten Mrs C. E. Hunter and H. W. Frost, 6—2, 6—l, in the first round of the Mixed Doubles, and Parker and Miss Morton had survived the second round, their victims being S. G. Walker and Miss Johnson, who, though struggling gamely, were beaten G—3, G —3, by the Antipodean and his clever partner. Wilding had also advanced a stage in the Singles Handicap by beating C. Wyllie, (15 —4) after a particularly hard match. Beaten in the first set at 6—3, Wilding only succeeded by gaining the second at S—6, and in the next had to put in all he know to win at 6—4. He thus qualified for the third round but only by a narrow margin—two sets to one and 17 games to 16. On Wednesday further successes attended the Ausralasians, for in the third round of the Open Singles, Dunlop, playing in the form wo hope to ©ec him reproduce or improve upon in the Championships a.id the Davis Oup contest, gave the American, W. J. Clothier, a verv warm time of it. M inning the first set at 6— i, the Australasian failed signally to keep pace with his adver-

J sary in the second, and was beaten by j six games to throe. There, however, Clot bier's success ended, for playing a | great game all round, Dunlop won the | next two sets at o—l0 —1 each, hardly | giving the Yankee a chance. Throe ! sots to one, and 21 games to 12, fairly I represented the, superiority of th'o Aus’ Itralian on the day, bat Clothier will do ■much bettor when lie is fitter. Ho was i manifestly "limp as a rag” before Dun* ; lop had done with him on 'Wednesday. (.Next Xorman Biookes gave a further taste of his quality by administering! ! a very iuuahcme beating io«0. V. ; Forbes, by three sets to love and 13 I games to 3, the Homo player scarcely .getting a look in during the first and third sets. Ho played bettor in the so ; corn!, but only secured a couple of games i and, iu the language of the sporting j world, was made to look "a dud” ty his I Australian opponent. | 'The Australasian successes on the day j did not end here, for in the Devel Mixed : Doubles Brookes and Miss Morion made good their entry into the third round , by aoniinistering a o—3, 7—5, beating ■ to 11. Bollard and Miss Stawell-Drown, and 11. A. Barker and Mrs Grcvillo j entered the fourth after boating A. D. i Brebblo and Miss D. Bootbby two sets Ito love. They captured the first in easy fashion at o—o, but were hard put, to it to take the next. 1) games all being called. Then, however, Barker and partner, staying better than the opposition, secured the next two games, and the set at 11—9.

WISLLING TON ’ S R MBRESKNTATIVE.

Later, Parker and Miss StawelK Brown (one 15—2) won another boat iu the Mixed Doubles Handicap, and Dunlop (2 —b) passed into the second round of the Gentlemen's Singles Handicap by boating L. Ksoomb (2—6) easily at C—o, G—3. Vnlortunatcly in soma respects Dunlop and Brookes wore drawn 1 against each other in the fourth round lof the Gentlemen’s Singles. They doI cidod their match yesterday, and in ao ■ cordance with the general anticipation, i Brookes put paid to Dunlop’s account, | but in a very much easier fashion than I the latter's form the previous day suggested would he the case. Dunlop, indeed, played in quite mediocre fashion i at times, and only won live out of the throe-and-twenty games comprised in tho three sets played. Brookes gaining the match by throo sets to love, G—3, C —o, 6—2. Meanwhile, tho Americans, Wright and Ward, had triumphed in their matches, and A. W. Gore was the only Englishman to reach tho semi-final round. Ho will meet Ward to-day, and Brookes will take on Wright. In tho Level Mixed Doubles yesterday Dunlop and Miss Thompson had a hollow victory in tho second round over Hough and Miss Patterson, beating them by G—2. 6—o, and later they put out S. H. Adams and Miss Moyer in equally easy fashion at G—o, 6—l, thus qualifying for the fourth round. Brookes and M iss Mori on also qualified for that stage by easily defeating Can* noni and Miss Davis (6—o, 6—2). In tho Gentlemen's Doubles, Brookes and Dunlop successfully negotiated tho third round after a rather one-sided game against Adams and Brobble, who were beaten by three sots to love (6 —X, 6—3, 6—2). In the semi-fmals to bo decided this evening, tho Australasians will bo pitted against tho American pair, Ward and Wright, Lamed and Clothier being drawn against Flavella and Ritchie.

Of the remaining members of the Australasian team Parker and his partner in the Mixed Doubles Handicap, survived trie third round after a hard tussle with McNair and Mrs Macauloy (2 —6), whom they beat by two sets to one, the scores being 9—7. I—6, 6—3, tie winner’, thus only claiming the same number of games as the losers, viz.. 16. Wilding, however, disappeared from the Singles Handicap, the third round bringing him defeat at the hands of E. E. Hunter (15), who, after Wilding had won the first set at 6—3, outplayed the scratch man and boat him twico running at 6—2.

So far, however, the Australasians have done uncommonly well at Queen’s Club, and Norman Brookes, in particular, has fully justified the very high opinion hoid of him by his countrymen. GENTLEMEN’S SINGLES. The Australian, A. W. Dunlop, after being knocked out by F. H. Risley, of Gloucester, in the Gentlemen’s Open Singles at Manchester, last Friday, made a very bold bid for major honours in the Gentlemen’s Doubles (Northern Championship) in which he was partnered by the Manchester crack (X E. Casdagli), In the final round they had to meet S. H. Smith and Risley, tbo holders, and most people anticipated that this pair would have a comparatively easy task in retaining their title. The contrary proved the case, for Dunlop and his mercurial partner, though erratic at times, played up grandly. In it may truly be said that the Au» tralian and his helper “rose to tho occasion” and made their rivals “go all the way.” The match was the best contested see?? in Manchester for many a day, and it was mainly the superior stamina of the Gloucester pair that enabled them to keep their honours. Dunlop and his partner created quite a surprise by the -way they outplayed Smith and partner in the first set and won at 6—3, but at the next time of asking the holders paid the beating back with a little interest running to set at 6—2. The?? Dunlop and Casdagli came again, and after a brilliant display gained the third at 4. They fought equally well in the next for a time, but falling off towards the end were beaten at 6—4. So the result do- , pended on the fifth set. It was soon apparent that neither Dunlop or his partner had much steel left in them,, and with Risley and Smith playing ah most as strongly as at the start, the Australian and his helper were outmatched at nearly every point, and were beaten by *>ix games to two, thus losing the match by 3 sots to 2 and 2c> games to 20. Though beaten in the major events. Dunlop contrived to get in among the prizes, for owing 15, he won the Singles Handicap, his opponent in the final be" ling Melland, a fairly good local player, on the I—6 mark, whom the Australian put out by two sets to love (6—4, ! 6—4) after a very interesting game. ■WILDING BEATEN. Contrary to expectations Jupiter Pluvius allowed the East Surrey Championships to be decided on Saturday afternoon, and In accordance with the general expectation, A. F. Wilding was somewhat easily beaten in the final round of the Gentlemen’s Singles by the ex-champion A. W, Gore. The New Zealander by no means gave one of hia best displays, and with Gore at the top of his form there wa* “only one in it,’* Wilding losing three sets off the reel at 6—3. 6—o, and 6—l.

Wilding had some satisfaction in the Mixed Doubles, for he and Miss Sta-well-Brown, the Hast Surrey Lady Champion put out H. A. Parker and Miss Farrington in the 6emi-finnls« and won the ChampioTU-hip by beating Prebblo and Miss D. Boothby in the final. They had a much harder tussle with Parker and his partner than with the finalists.

'/or wherea-s they boot the latter couple by two sets to loro (G—2. 6—2) they had a hard fight in the semi-final. Wilding and Miss Brown claimed the fust sei nftor a prolonged struggle at 9—7, Parker and partner winning the next at '6—4, and the Wilding pair gaining the rubber at C—4, thus winning the match by two sets to one and 19 games to 17. 'Parker managed to survive into the final round of the Gentlemen’s Singles Handicap. Owing 15—2 he should hare met E. S. Walters (receives 15—4), hut the light became so bad that they tgreed to divide the prize.