A. F. WILDING

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7446, 22 May 1911, Page 8

A. F. WILDING

, . LAWN TENNIS IN A GALEFROM OUR SPECIAL CORFF.RPONBENTLONDON, April 7. Mr A. F. Wilding's victory in the final for the lawn tennis championship of Cannes, chronicled last week, was achieved in a. gale. Though sheltered by orango and eucalyptus trees, the Beau Site courts were swept by wind which had the force of a hurricane. One beautiful palm wns, in fact, uprooted during the night. The galo was not only inimical to good tennis, but it circulated clouds of dust, causing the plight of spectators to be almost as as that of the players. The New Zealander was not called upon to meet M. Decugis in the final of the sinrics after all,- for the Frenchman fell to F. W. Rah© in the semi-final, the match vlelding thirty-ono games. This was Rahe’a first victory over the French champion. His display in the final was disappointing. The wind,- doubtless, militated against his particular brand of forcing drive, and he, was unlucky to hit the, tape with many of his volleys; but Wilding’s play was altogether too free every error nnd too fnll of resource to give his opponent much chance. Tho champion lost but cnrnw in three sets, scoring, by the way, his sixth «'OPRe /, utive win in open B’’p~lea on tho Rcvtera. We e srß and Ritchie likewise refined their unbeaten record in donb l es. The»r opponents in the final. TWosvtb kfavrogordato and Babe, bad done well to put out Decugis and tho younger ICleins'schrotb., but they were not adequately balanced— Mavrogordato. was too soft off the ground, his par+ne, too erratic on the volley—to do more than give th© champions a , good game. .