LAWN TENNIS

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11650, 15 October 1923, Page 11

LAWN TENNIS

SERIOUS PLAY COMMENCES BRILLIANT WEATHER SEES HUN- , DREDS ON COURTS. MANY CVjBS OPEN. Saturday's brilliant weather saw hundreds of tennis players and their friends in flannels and wielding a racqnet once more. Play has been possible for some weeks past, but Saturday’s blue skies, an assurance that summer had come at last, witnessed many make their first serious effort at the game during the present season. Some df WfelVington'e best were witnessed in action, and the general impression gained on the play witnessed at the week-end. was that form is high. Several clubs will soon commence their handicap events; at Brougham Hill to-day will be the final day of entry, and then a measure may be made of the toll which winter has taken of some prominent players. Four clubs, Wellington, Newtown. Johnsonville, and Brooklyn officially commenced the season on Saturday, while at at Brougham Hill and Kelburn many players were to he seen, and Victoria College were preparing their courts after the customary top-dressing. WELLINGTON CLUB A BIG MUSTER.. The Wellington Lawn Tennis Club's courts at Palmer street saw a large number of visitors and members assemble for the official opening. All the play was suspended at 3 o’clock, while Mr F. GTady, president of the club, welcomed the visitors in the course of a brief speech, and wished them an enjoyable day. Mr Grady took the opportunity to thank the members of the club for once more electing him president. He had been connected with the club for a good number of years, he said, and oould remember the time when there were but three clubs in Wellington. Times and faebions changed. In those days the shape of a good tennis racquet had been approaching the present dimension of a lacrosse stick; and he had no doubt that in a few years more some now youthful member of the club would be oreating merriment as he told of the fact that in his younger days players had used racquets with wooden frames And gut strings. Mr Grady then declared the courts open, and eerred the first ball of the season on the centre court amidst applause. Afternoon tea was served, and play comfnenced once more. NEWTOWN CLUB MEMBERS’ WORKING BEE. Newtown Club had a working bee on Saturday. The official opening was performed by the vice-president, Mr Arthur George, in the absence of Sir John Luke, president of the club. Mr George, j after congratulating the club on the sue-‘ cess in the inter-club matches last seai son, when it won the Men's Cup and i Racquet, extended his best wishes for I the coming 6«ason, and presented the trophies to the winners of the dub I championship events of the past year. The courts, which were undergoing | top-dro6sing, were then swept by the I members, and the marking-out of them i commenced. One court was ready for play, Mid on this members and their friends took tun while the preparation. of the others proceeded. The courts and their surroundings looked very well, I and the surface of the three principal j courts should soon be as good as it was laet season.

AT JOHNSONVILLE COURTS VERY CROWDED. At Johnsonville the two courts of the Johnsonville Lawn Tennis »Club were taxed to the utmost to accommodate some thirty members and over twenty visitors who were in attendance. The opening oeremony was performed by Mr A. Moore, president of the club. In his speech Mir Moore stated that the club had decided to withdraw from the inter-club competitions, should they be continuing. He wished »U present a pleasant afternoon, and added his felicitations for a successful season for the club itself. Afternoon tea was served by a committee of ladies, and all present spent an enjoyable afternoon. BROUGHAM HILL MUCH KEENNESS EVIDENT. Brougham Hill courts, which were opened last Saturday, saw a large muster of members, over eighty players being present. Keenness was manifest, and the competition for the Laws Trophy has already begun. ’VARBITY CLUB COURTS TOP-DRESSED. Members of the Victoria University College Club were busily engaged in marking out the courts in preparation, for the official opening on Labour Day next. All four courts have been topdressed, which should remedy the surface defects which were visible last year.