THE WORLD OF SPORT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7868, 2 August 1911, Page 5

THE WORLD OF SPORT

INTERE STIX G A X GLO- COLOXIAIL GATHERINGS. XT3W" ZEALAND SUCCESSES. WILDING'S GREAT FEAT. REBUT OF RONALD OPIE, OF CHRISTCHURCH. FROM OXJU SPECIAL COBRESPOKDENT. LONDON, Juno 23. Tho first of the Australasian contingent for tho Empire sports to Rive a taste of bis quality -vvas Ronald Opie, who, on Saturday last, won the invitation 100yds. at the Crowe Alexandra sports, one of the biggest athletic gatherings of the year in the north, of England. Tho sprint produced very fine racing. In addition to Opie the contestants included R. Murphy, the Irish champion, W. A. Stewart, the Tasmanian, who is now domiciled in London, X. D'Arcy, tho Polytechnic crack, and Paterson Brown, of Victoria, Australia.

Tho first heat brought out Opie, D’Arcy, Murphy, and throe others, but tho race lay between the named trio. They ran in a dead straight lino from pistol fire, and it was only on the post that Opio boat D’Arcy by a few inches, with Murphy a bar© foot behind the winner. Cpio was timed to do 10 l-ssec. Tho Tasmanian, Stewart, had a much easier task to win the socond heat irom Rico, of Reading, and did so by a good half yard in 10 2-ssec., Paterson Brown being ploso up third. In the final Stewart was quickest into his stride and led Opie and D'Arcy a clear half yard <at the half-distance. Thirty yards further on ho looked a sure winner, but Opio came with a rare rash at tho finish, and snatched victory on tho post by tho barest possible margin, IXArcy being third so close up that to all but the j iidgos the race appeared to have ended in a triple dead-heat. Opio’s time was again 10 1-5 seconds, and he should stand a great chance in tho Etiglish championship to-morrow, providing tho log that has been troubling him during his training hero docs not play him false. In addition to Opie,- Wheatley and Lynch and Guy Haskins were among the entries for various events in tho sports, but did not compete. Another Australasian who distinguished himself on -Saturday was the New Zealand swimmer, M. Champion, who won the principal event at the nineteenth annual Thames swimming meeting, at Surbiton—the half mile scratch race. Idcludod in "the field'* Giles, of tho City Police, the holder, and the Australian, H. S. Findlay, and it was between this trio that the race lay after 'the first few yards, and Champion was always winning. -Swimming well within himself tho -Now Zealander gradually forged ahead and won very easily by 30 yards from Findlay, Giles being a {moderate third.

WILDING’S REMARKABLE TRIUMPH.

! A' notable feature of the Beckenham Lawn Tennis Tournament, which closed •last Friday, was the return to his best form of Antony Wilding, i It is true he had a comparatively easy task in defeating his opponents in - the qualifying rounds of the gentlemen's Singles, but until ho mot A. B. Beamish in the soini-ilnals he was not extended 'in the least. Beamish gave him a hard and exciting game, and took two sets [off tho New Zealander, but eventually Wilding triumphed by three sets to two, and 29 games to 27 (6-1, 4-(!, 5-7, 7-5, 7-5) —a narrow margin truly, but Beamish clayed, probably, the best game of his tennis career. In tho final Wilding had to meet his ancient rival Ritichio, who had beaten U. P. Dixon decisively iu the semi-finals by three sets to one, and 20 games to 1-4, and was in first-rate trim. Everyone expected a very close figbt between the pair, but Wilding proved in irresistible volleying and cutting form, and put up i,i game all round that can only be described as bewildering in its brillancy. jPoor Ritchie never had a look in, and probably there has never been a final victory in .the singles of an. important tournament so sweeping as that obtained jby Wilding—6-0, 6-0, 6-3! For a .player of Ritchie’s ability to lobtain only three games in. three sets (speaks volumes for the form of his ,conqueror, but when one states that Wilding Von the first fourteen games off the reel, lit sounds almost incredible. Moreover, Ritchie was playing just as well as his (opponent would let him. The value of net-play was never more fully demonstrated than in this particular match. Wilding finished off nearly iovery rally by an insidious volley. For ■two sets and a half the champion made ■practically no mistake. His drives nover Jaickod vigour, and were placed with the precision of a machine, while his j udg'ment was seldom at fault, and he nearly always chose exactly the right moment ,to come in and finish off the rally. Ritchie tried hard the whole time, but could make no impression on tho aggressive tactics of his opponent, who, if ho can maintain this form, should have no (difficulty in retaining the All-Eingland I Championship.

A VICTORY ARID MANY DEFEATS. Other Australians to put in an appearance at 'Beckenham wero Messrs 21. W. Heath, A. W. Dunlop. Dr. F. F. Muecko. E. C. (Pockley, R. Marsh, and S. -N. Doust, all, barring tho last-named, being entered in the singles. Dr. Muecko ojid Heath were the first t> disappear. Wilding knocking the former out in tho first round—6-1, 6-3, whilst Roper Barrett disposed of Heath at 6-3, 6-4. Dunlop won from Timm’s (6-1, 6-0), and Marsh and Pockley had “walks over.’* Tho second round saw Dunlop beaten by Ritchie—46, 6-1, 7-5, after an exciting game. The Australian gained the first two games, hut it was afterwards two, four, and five all, Ritchie finally winning the set and match by 7-5. Pockley was easily defeated by A. E. Beamish, 6-3, 6-1. Marsh also disappeared in the second stage. In tho gentlemen's doubles Doust and Poclaley wero easily defeated, in the second round by Barrett and Ritchie, 6-0, 6-2, and Dunlop and Heath fell before Dixon and Prebblo at 6-1. 6-3, whilst i.n the handicap doubles Doust and Muecko (owe 15) were put out in the first series by Sutton and Perry (15-4). Several of the Australian contingent were playing in the singles handicap, but all failed to reach the final stages. Mrs Lambert Chambers and Doust ran through the mixed doubles and were' eventually victorious, winding up with a hollow victory over C. A. Thomas and Miss Coles by two sets to Jove, and 12 games to 3-6-1, 6-2. Dunlop and Mrs Nutcombo Quick got through two rounds of the competition, but wero then put out (6-4, 6-3), by Thomas and Miss Coles.

SYDNEY SVmntER'S SUCCESS. The first of the English Swimming Championships—the 100 yards—decided at the Cossington street hath, Leicester, last Monday evening, resulted in t victory of the Now South Wales crack. Harold Hardwick. The race did not produce the excitement expected, for of the eleven entries only six competed, the absentees including the West Australian, E. O. Findlay, the Irish champion, G. S. Dockrell, tho 1908 winner,

If. Meyboorn, and the Netherlands representative, J. Wuyto. The first heat saw the Welsh crack, P. Radmilovic, wm by a narrow margin from J. Hatfield, a most promising youth hailing from Middlesbrough, with the Brussels representative, P. Doprez, barely a yard behind, and Carlisle, of Nottingham, a poor fourth. Tho winner's time -was 03 3-ssec.

For tho second heat Hardwick and J. If. Derbyshire were tho only competitors and ns tho first two in each heat qualified for the final the "race" between these experts was farcical—really an exhibition of slow swimming, for they took 73 1-5 -seconds to compass the distance, Hardwick winning by a touch.

The final produced a really good race, though before tho first length was completed it was clear that Hardwick and Derbyshire had the issue between them. For the? first two lengths they kept bead and head, the Australian in each -case turning tho smallest fraction of a socond in advance of Derbyshire. Hatfield and Radroilovio hung on gamely, and were barely a yard behind until tho final turn, when Hatfield began to flag. Coining down tho .last lap Hardwick put in a tremendous spurt, and drawing .away from Derbyshire won handsomely by < a couple of yards in 58 3-ssec. Derbyshire finished 1 1-ssec. later, with Radmilovie a yard behind third, and Hatfield some four feet behind last.

Hard wick's time was 3 seconds slower than the record of 55 2-5 seconds put up by the American C. M. Daniels in the (S'arno race in 3907, and just equals that firo swimmer's performance when he won in 19C6. The Sydney swimmer’s victory is tho third that has fallen to Australia since Derbyshire won, for the fourth time in succession in 1901, the Antipodean winners being: 1902—F. C. V. Dane, 60 seconds. 1 1910—F. Beaurepaire. 59 4-5 seconds. 1911 —H. Hardwick, 58 3-5 seconds. No Englishman has won the race since 1901, when Derbyshire proved successful in 60 4-5 seconds, tho remaining races having been won by: 1905—Koltau do Hahnay (Hungary), 59 seconds. ISOG—C. M. Daniels (America), 58 1-5 seconds. 1907—C. At. Daniels (America), 55 3-5 seconds. ' GRAY' THE CONQUEROR, On Saturday night last, in tho theatre of tho National -Sporting Club, George Gray achieved the greatest triumph of his career in the Old Country, whan he won his match with Melbourne Inman of 16,000 up (level) for £IOO, by a margin of 8,769 points. By hLs remarkable victory Gray has proved beyond question that as a scoring force he stands alone. His actual play has boon a revelation of the perfection to which his special stroke may be brought. His bridge and cue delivery are beyond improvement, moreover he has come ,on enormously as regards tho -ease and celerity with which ho works up position. By defeating Inman, Gray has conquered a player who is undoubtedly the finest exponent of safety play iu England. A born strategist and a‘tactician is Inman, and yet this wonderful Australian youth has won by jnore than half the ,gamc. Tho idea of "stopping Gray” has been killed. Nothing throughout the match has been finer than Gray's daring and successful attempts to nullify Inman's safety loaves. During the first week Gray’s red ball prowess became an obsession with the Londoner, and it was a most unenterprising Inman that was seen. , , Inman battled pluckily and doggedly. At times he showed almost attractive play, especially at the spot end game, and this, despite the fact that he never felt at homo with the balls, which he described as being very much lighter to tho touch than those he is accustomed to. To use his own words: "It was like playing with peas, after being used to ordinary ivory balls. IhTwas probably exaggeration, but Inman certainly played very gingerly in his manipulation of the balls, and, in cricketing parlance, ho was * feeling tor the balk' all the time. The Londoner sat out two complete sessions .during the match, and in two other sessions had only one innings. He had two breaks of over 1000 registered against him and over a dozen exceeding the 500 mark. His own highest contribution stopped short of tho third hundred. , „ , The only consolation in defeat Inman has is that ho can lay tho flattering unction to his soul that on the opening day he outplayed Gray, scoring 1333 to the Australian's 695. and also led it at tho and of tho third sesslon—a tiling no other player against Gray can boast of. Inman's safety tactics paid him well so long as he could keep the lead, but a break of 774 on Tuesday put Gray well ahead, and from that point the Australian went out for things, and his ventures proved for the most part profitable. One could never fairly accuse Inman of lack of nerve, but it is quite certain that Gray's habit of scoring from his safety leaves had its effect on the Londoner's play.

The Australian cyclist E. W. Schneider was among the competitors in the N.C.H., championship held at Fallowfield, Manchester, last Saturday, but beyond winning a heat in the quarter mile and securing third place in the final (there were only three competitors!) to Vic. Johnson and H. T. Johnson, tho Australian did not make much of a show.

In the mile Schneider was easily beaten in bis heat by H. T. Johnson, who was again second to Victor Johnson in tho final, and in the five miles (also won by Victor Johnson) the Australian was unplaced.