LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14439, 4 February 1909, Page 10

LAWN TENNIS.

By RacqUKT. Alfcliough Saturday ]«*t was not an ideal tennis ikiy, still i|, could liardly la! considered suiriciontly Im4 to prevent matches bcrillg plu-ved. 'ihis Li nrovetl by itie fact •'■lint t.lnce of tins grade matches were completed, while the remainder abandoned the match to Ixwl weather. it oortainly was a. little showery throughout the afternoon, but aftor a sweep with a broom the court soon dried up.

The Match Committee of tlie association have a liard problem to deoide in postponim# matches or otherwise. A decision is usually arrved at as r.o.ar 1 o'clock on Saturday as possible, and aXtea - that, should the weather again chauge, the captains of the competing teams mutually agree to do one tiling or the other. At the same time, while the foams have this latitude., it is only right that wliere it is at all pesit bio the match fthotdd be played, as postponements are not desirable "nt any time.

The Sawyers' Day, after a very interesting and pleasant contest, just managed to squeeze home by 3 games from Anderson's Bay, but as the latter were conceding 15 games, the difference wa6 incroaMd to IE games. Some of tile Sawyers' Bay toaui showod good average form, particularly in tho lalies' department. A. Davidson won all his events comfortably. Cameron, of Anderson's Bay, playing fourth, accounted for ail his games also. On tho whole, these two teams were vory evenly matched. lioslvji's jaatch at Jlosgiel was very much of a walk-over. Jlasjjid were only successful 'in two of the events—viz., Miss Kenton iu tho Ladies' Single against Miss Baa-on, and Miss Rcrtlon and Mw Kenton in tho Ladies' Double against Mattes Baron and Boot. All the other games w«e won by itoslyn decisively. Mies Kenton, Mosgiol's litbt lady, is a . player of some _>xpcnence, aitd invariably makes a good showing wherever or whoever she plays. Sho hats a' punishing drive, which she uses with consistency, She should rank probably in the first eight ladies in Qtago. Mosgiel are vory w.iak in men this year. The Koslyn Chib should have a big chance of having their '.mine inscribed on the B Grade banner t. ,'h year. They have a nice average team, and have so far given a gcod account of themselves.

Some of (lie postponed matches are being finished during the prctcnt week, while tho others will play off on Saturday lioxt. The matches will be started from where they left off on Saturday.

A very important resolution was carried by an overwhelming majority recently at tho annual meeting of the Lawn Tennis, Association in Ixjndon. Jt. wa.s io lie effect that associations he requfwied to seriously consider the advisability of twloptat the c-erjiest possible opportunity the principle of hokters of oiiallengo cups playing through the event instead of waiting to bo challenged by the winner of t.ii'e event. This has been a much disousssr) qureticin in the Old OcriHitry for some years, and has strong advocates for awl agiMi:st it; but the weight of opinion is largely with the spirit of"the above resolution. When it is looked at fiom an unbiasted standpoint, it Mwrns on (.he faeo of it manifestly unfair that the winner of a.; "all-wmers'" event (who naturally would have to play strenuous tennis for probably a week) would bo required to meet a. man who liaa been indulging in gentle practice during the said woek, and is M fresh as the proverbial daiwy. The contest would not appear to lie on "air terms.

If a player is worthy of holding a cup, he shoiul be good enou/rh to play right through th? event.

This practice of the. chalkier ehaJlenir. lug the holder has obtained for some lime ill some of our local clubs, but wilt r.ow. it is hoped, be abolished.

A racquet should 1» out in a press tJic moment you have fiui.-.iicd playing. Do not leave your racquet in the'.sun or in a draught.

Play with new balk whenever you can. Old or used balls lose their weight. Remember on a hot day that the bound of a good lrall is greater t.han usual-die ball being more lively than on a cold day. Unnecessary flourishes of the racquet tire the user, and do i»t help the stroke. The following, from a New Plymouth paper, shows that Parker must have iteen in exceptionally fine form in the final of the Tarauaki Doubles. He was partnered by Harold Brown and opposed by A. F. Wilding and F. M. 15. Fisher:—Wilding and Fisher were expected to take two sels "of the three straight out, but Parker's display completely upset expectations. He and his partner went out to hit, and hit they did, from start to finish. The heavy balls suited flic Sydney man, and his exhibition of overhead smashing and cunningly placed low volleys, combined with extraordinary accuracy, not only turned the scale in favour of his side against his formidable opponents, but placed him on the day distinctly ahead of Wilding as a doubles player. Brown also played a- fine game, driving accurately and volleying with such force as to repeatedly beat his clever opponents. Under Parker's generalship .Brown played a magnificent game in supporting his more brilliant senior partner. Wilding and Fisher both found more difiiculty in getting to the net than their more active opponents, and Wilding's fast drives were somewhat discounted by the heavy ground. Neither could approach Parker in the matter of winning shots, nor in the clever playing of short volleys. Fisher was perhaps somewhat handicapped by having to play on the left lwml site of the court instead of in his usual place on the right. Parker's briliancy was greeted with rounds of applause. Ilis outplaying of Wilding (joint holder with Brookes of the world's championship) and Fisher (who is probably New Zealand's strongest doubles player) marks the performance as littJo short of wonderful. Parker and Brown really had the uppor hand throughout, being on no lower than eight occasions on the ]>oint of winning the match.