LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14381, 26 November 1908, Page 10

LAWN TENNIS.

By Racquet. Reference was made last week to the action of the Kaituna Club in refusing to meet .the liauraro Club in a reasonable Request. This turns out to have been quite a mistake, and the Kaituna j Club are entitled, to an apology, which is given herewith. ' It appears that the . Uoublc was caused through one of the | members of the Huuraro Club not -being, over-anxious to play in the match, and the j reason was, unfortunately, put upon the Kaituna players. The- Misses Stevenson have • returned from the Old Country and will bo again available for tho Port club', j ■ The tennis that is beiiip played in Melbourne at i present must. be worth a pilgrimage to sec. All tho best players south of, the lino, together with America's two cracks, are taking part in the contests. In tho Mars Buckley Cup tournament Victoria won all alqng tho lino in both Singles 'and Doubles. Brookes seems just now lo be playing better than evei\ His defeat of Parker and Rice -in 'Straight sets without the loss of a single game in' either case is a" woftdorful achievement, as these two players would be - considered first-graders in any Part of the world. Parker was, unfortunately, not quite fit. Still Brookcs's win is, nevertheless, surprisingly good. Many people have' considered that Parker on his day would beat Brookes, and as this pair appeared to have evaded mealing each other, it has always been a matter of giicss- ' work. However, the matter has been placod beyond doubt in the rccent lourna- ■ ment. AYilding has also struck splendid form recently. He and Brookes in the I'oubles are inj-inciblc. Their defeat of ' Wright l and Alexander lAmerica) in tho final of the Victorian Championship, although anticipated, was not- expected to be so decisive. ' Their combination seems to I have greatly improved since tliev played together in-Kngland. It now "lcoks" as though the result of the Davit Civi com-

I petition was a foregone conclusion —that. is, I that, tho Cup will remain with the holders. |It would lie interesting -to'sen Wilding and Brookos meeting agftin. ]3rookes is not taking part in the Victorian Champion- | ship, therefore Alexander and Wilding will fight out the finish, Tito last time Brookes and Wilding mot the former had to play five hard sots to win, and it is quite on tho cards that Wilding,,with a little luck on his side, might reverse tho order of things. The' Hauraro 15 wow overweighted in their match against St. Kilda, ' The handicap was too generous, and should be. nearer 30 than 15. The St. Kilda players won most of.their games. Hart and Simpson are both great acquisitions to .the .St. Kilda Club. Simpson is the first player, He has a nice free style, which should be'imitated by the younger player.} of the club. The Misses White ar« in good form this season. Tho N.K Valley B, although conceding a big handicap against Mosgicl, managed to win by a narrow margin. The'handicapping of lloslyn and Ivaituna B was,a bit wide. Instead of receiving 15 i-toslyji could have owed 15, and still won. Certainly, Kaituna.must have played below form, Still lioslyn, on tho other hand,' were greatly underestimated. Two new clubs were engaged in the C Grade contest—viz., the Hanover and Kawyer'e Bay. The former faired very badly , against Reslyn, but it is quite a new chip; with raw material to draw from, and it could, not bo 'expected that its players could nialce a big. showing yet. Sawyer's Bay, *the other new club, did' much.'better against St; Kilda, only losing by eight .games,' with a handicap of 25. Bush: and Miss Glahville (Ba\| 6how good promise as players. The interclub 'matches will have a marked effect on the general plav of all these junior .clubs, North-East Valley . C made a narrow win against Bal; nlacewon.. . It was a good.match, that between Otago B. and'Anderson's Bay, played last Saturday. Otago oonceded some 15 games, and managttl •to squeeze home by six games. In ..the' first Men's', Singlo Meek (Bay), a muoh-improved player, won against Jones rather easily. He is a vigorous' and active player, ami gets up almost impossible balls. Jones failed to play up to form.' He was quite nonplussed. l; , He held Meek too cheap af.'the commencement, then found it impossible to catch up. Miss White (Bay) played a ipl6ndid game on Saturday. Her drive is much more consistent than formerly, and she has a knack of returning nearly everything 1 that comes over. , Miss Salmon (Otago), although playing gctod tennis,.ui her Sifvgle, was very much olf in the combined ©vent. This player will not steady down, but bangs at everything that comes along, irrespective of the 6core. This is a fatal mistake that hundreds of tennis .players make. : Miss Sim also played a very -nice, game, although she is greatly handicapped by. having a very poor .backhand, Praotico iin against the yolloying board should .remedy The Anderson's Bay tram on the whole'are a nice even team, tho'iourtli lady perhaps only being bolow the'B/standard, This club sadly iniases the' jervioos' of N. White, who has left ■ the''district. Andersonls Bay was, the'only club that beat the Otago Club last y«fi", by doing so secured the association's .banner for the year.'