TENNIS NOTES FROM HOME

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7300, 2 December 1910, Page 6

TENNIS NOTES FROM HOME

THE LONDON : CHAMPIONSHIPS. WILDING WINS. AFTER NARROW ESCAPES. FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. LONDON, October 21, Anthony Wilding’s stock of tennis cups received an important addition this week/ when the New won the gentlemen's singles covered courts championship of , 'London, and - with Mr J .G. Ritchie for his partner, 'annexed also -the gentlemen’s doubles.- * - Wilding’s victory in the singles was looked upon as ' a 'certainty by . almost everybody, but in the course of the tournament he gave ; his supporters , a couple of frights, and narrowly escaped defeat. Twice his opponents seemed to have his measure, but Wilding’s resource and generalship are allied .to a match, playing tomporament of ; the finest quality which enables him to give of his best when things look blackest against him j Time was when tennis critics openly suggested that Wilding could only pro duce his best form when :ho was win-: ning, 'but his performances at Wimbledon, when he won. . the all-England championship, 'and at Queen’s Club in .the covered courts toumey # form a very Complete . refutation of - that theory. v lf Wdoing over did lack "heart” he is certainly not wanting , therein” to-day-‘ There aro, in fact, few men among tho loading players who can bo counted upon to rise to the occasion like Wilding invariably does. To use an> expressive billiard -phrase, the New/ Ts; * f a ripping player in the-pit.” • Wilding had a narrow escape from, de* feat in the very first round of the singles on Monday, in which he mel. Kenneth Powell. The latter did not in the least, fancy his : chances against, the New Zealander, lor he was feeling very stiff and sore as a result of playing Kughy; football on the previous Satui ; day on hard ground. Finding Wilding was; rather oft his game,- 1 however, he , gained; confidence, and his play developed so much strength that he captured the first two sets, ‘and led.3—X .in• ;lthe third. Ju«l* at ‘ this point, however. Wilding began to come along mucli :n the same way as ho did at Wimbledon against Beals Wright,; who' also led; him two sots, but was eventually defeated By killing well and showing a nice pass. Wilding.drew level, two sets all. In the final ho looked to be: winning ' easily, reaching 4—, Then; Powell . made ; a magnificent recovery; ho contested every stroke, and made it 4 all. However, Wilding .was not in the least disturbed, and his fine temperament, allied to. excellent j udgmeiit,. stamina., and rejfcmrce, enabled him. to pull off the match by three sets to two and 27 games to 25, the scores being 7 —ft, 2—-6, G—3, 6—3, 6— i, in his favour. f ,

On the morrow Wilding bad a really easy vin in F. Good, whom ho beat in three * straight sets, only allowing 1 his opponent to capture two games out of the 20 played. On Wednesday ho appeared to havo a, much tougher proposition bn hand in tho person of his old friend, and. oft played doubles partner, 31r .J. G. Ritchie. Ritchie was in good > practice, and it, was thought' likely;that he could thoroughly extend the champion. It turned out exactly the reverse. Ritchie was handsomely beaten .in straight sets. Wilding played exceptionally well; Ritchie only found, his game in the last set. Tho champion showed excellent tennis. He came up on tho right shots,- drove steadily and strongly, and made few mistakes. Ritchie tried to play his opponent from the back of the court, and failed, besides which he served no fewer than nine double faults. Ritchie won the first game off Wilding's service, but this 'was destined to he his only-success. He made several fino passes, but Wilding ran out at 6 —l. Tho second set took the same course, Ritchio made ai: big effort to capture . the opening game, deuce being called six times. Wilding triumphed repeatedly. . In the third set Wilding reached 3-—l. Then Ritchio recovered somewhat. Going up more, he. snatched the fourth game off Wilding's service, and then took r his own service game. ‘"Three all," eVoked a cordial cheer for Ritchie, but Wilding proceeded to lead again at 5—3, and. finally outpointed hi» opponent by 6— i, thus winning by the handsome margin of 3 sets to love and 38 games to On Thursday Wilding had. another soft thing on hand, his opponent* TV S. Warburg, being altogether outmatched. Wilding took things very easily/. : ';and this enabled bis rival to make a moderately good show, but in the .end the champion triumphed in three - straight sets, the scores reading 6—2, 6—l, 6—3. in his favour. ; .

On the same day Wilding and Ritchie opened the doubles account with a victory over Aj. XI. Lowe and P. M. .Barson. The latter couple wore right, out of it to begin with, but partially recovered in the third set, - when, aided by some weakness on the part of Ritchie, they wenETto i— 2,- ■ The champions pulled np. and made it 5 all. Off Davson’s service, Wilding made some good 'shots, and the champions led at G—s; . Wilding then finished off the match with his service, every return of it being faulty. WILDING HARD PRESSED. On priday in the semi-finals of the singles Wilding gave his friends another scare. Ho had to meet P. M. Davson, who was so nervous that everybody imagined. WTldipg would have practically a walk over. And playing well within himself the New Zealander smothered his opponent in the first two sets, wind-

ing them at C—2, 6—o respectively. Ho stood 2—l in flio third set,: when, quite suddenly Davson made a real effort to stem the tide" of defeat,. : Forsaking his futile base-linetactics,, ! lie went up on his service, and volleying, placing and driving well, won three games, in succession. ' Heartened by the; cheers that greeted his' splendid- recovery.;:,: Davson a never lost: his: hold on the game, and finally won the set by 6 to 3. ' There was great excitement in the next sot, for ,Davson began to press ■ Wilding very severely. With bis agility, effective service and! volleying powers he gave Wilding an: immense amount of trouble, and once got within two strokes of tho set. This was in the fourteenth game, when he led 7—6 and 30 —love. Wilding, : reasserted himself, and then " was within y a stroke of winning the sixteenth, 1 game.: Davson won ■ this, but was- outplayed and beaten in the twenty-fourth game, tho match going ;to Wilding, tho score In, whoso favour was 6 —2, 6—o, 3—6, 13 —IX. , On the, same day Wilding and .Ritchie entered the third round ot the doubles, by beating llouchcr and Warman in straight sets at 6—2, 6—l, 6—2. On Saturday "Wilding had nqfc a a, great: deal of difficulty in winning the ■ final against; A. H. Lowe, : who was “ for . tho best part of the time in purely defensive mood. Occasionally Lowe’s peculiar service bothered, the .Now Zealander, but tho Hnglishman scarcely over attempted to drive homo, any advantage which ho might have secured. by going up to the net, and "Wilding's hard and well-placed driving secured him the first two sots at 6—2, 6—l. In tho third Lowe made more uso of aggressive: tactics, but. Wilding . continued-,, to hold the upper ,: hand,,, and won tho sot and championship at C—3.

Later Wilding and bis partner entered the’ fourth; round of thogentlemen's doubles by ( virtue of defeating Gwynne Evans and R. S. Barnes by three sots to one, the scores in their favour being 6—2. C—4, 4 —6, 7—5. It was a fine match, but the vanquished made a much better; show than they would have done had Ritchie’# play bcc-n up to his standard, • STILL UNBEATEN. On Honday Wilding: and Ritchio met the Germruu pair Raho and Kleinschxofch in the final of tho doubles. Queenb Chib _ wasi crowded •to see this match. Wilding and Ritohie, who* won the All England doubles at ’Wimbledon lost year, have never .been beaten, in. partnership, and hopes ran high that the Gormanr would "make them go all the way. a ' ®nl those hopes.. were doomed to bo pointed. Instead of a close mafoh Wilth mg and Ritchio -won as they pleased. The occasion seemed to unnerve Rano, who was completely, off his game. Wild*, inp was serenely confident'throughout, and Ritchie giving’him'adequate support ■ the coupletriumphed.-, , iii the easieet fashion in less than half an hour. In the first set Wilding .led off by win* ning on his service, while Rohe, who,, twice served ’: double - faults^. lost his. The third game went to the Germans off; Ritchie’s service. Klelnschroth managed bo take his service game; making it two , all. . Then. Raho became very erratic, whilst Ritchio and Wilding settled down to an excellent display, and ran out G—2. In the second set Ivleinschroth made several brilliant shots/ but becoming disheartened by bis partner's repeated fail l ? ures the pair urifted: from bad to wors© • and Ritchie and Wilding succeeded at C—o. Ai the commencement of the third . set Rahe 'and/ IGoinsehroth’>jnade something of a fight, but subsequently J fell away, and the issue was' speedily settled, the match and the championship going to Wilding and his partner by three set* to love and 18 games to 4. ~ -