LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14702, 9 December 1909, Page 10

LAWN TENNIS.

By Racquet. The lust, day s play in tlie A and B Grade matches for tins year wasplayed on Saturday. On some of the courts tho wind made play almost impossible, although on the Otago ajid Kaituim Courts it was scarcely noticeable.. Tlw match that caused the most interest was that between Otago and Kaituna. • Once more tho hill club won against their doubty opponents by the narrowest of margins-four games. Lait year it was only three. Some excellent play was witnessed during the afternoon, tyuite tho best exhibition of Singles was given by Braithwaite against Bundle. Ho nover played better. His driving was hard, well timed, ami of good length. He didn't allow Bundle to oome up, and if ho attempted to ho was quickly passed.

Braithwaite and Bray made a poor exhibition in their Doubles, only securing two gamss. It was delightful to see Ewen in this set". He drove and' smashed with deadly regularity, and gave tho other sitte no chance.

Bray is not a good player in company, although on Saturday ho* was quite brilliant in his combined with Miss Marks. Of course this is an entirely different gamo from a men's doußle. In a combined game a man plays a solo to a certain extont, but in a men's double each must do his share and keep his own side of tho court. This is where Bray fails. Wilkio (of cricket fame) is a left-hander and a very promising player. He has a long Teach and v. keen eye. Ho volleys and drives forehand very well, but uses his right hand to take hack-hand- shots, which is quite wrong. He should certainly cultivate a backhand. A player hasn't time to change hands in hard tennis. Wilkie has only played some two or throe years, and if ho would put more energy into the game and appear more interested he would certainly improve fast. Nicolson was not at home at all on Saturday. He couldn't do anything right. Jones was a good asset to his club, winning all his games with something substantial to spare.

us usual, played safo, accurate tennis, and it was a pity he was not better supported in the Combinod game. It was expected that he would win this event, and had ha done so iilie result of the match would have been reversed. His partner, who was given the majority of the work to do, found l it too (much for her.

The Otago ladies did much better than was expected of tliem against such worthy antagonists. Miss Royso's day was never more attractive. She played brightly and with groat confidence. It was noticeable that at last she is beginning to lob in combined play, andi at the right moment, Although she does not revel in it, preferring the side line or cross-court drive. In her Singlo Miss Royse's patience could scarcely bo expected to hold out, against a player like Miss Lester, consequently she went down. One thing can bo safely said, that a"ny game with Miss Royse in it can never lie considered slow or tedious.

Miss Marks has never played better than during the present season. Her form against Canterbury was an indication of this, and Saturday's play proved that it has come to stsy.

Miss Campbell, as usual, did everything that was expected of her.

It will 1» indeed interesting to see the return match in the second rouDd between these two clubs. White will bo playing on that occasion, while probably Sinclair and Tomlinson will bo helping Kaituna.

It has lieoji an unwritten rule that when a match is to be played that the players on either side should be on thn court at 2.30 p.m. at the latest, ready to play when called on. A sad breach of this understanding took placc on Saturday, when a Kaituna .p'ayer actually arrived a Kitle Wore 5 p.m. To say the least of it. this is discourteous to all inking part in the match. But where lies fhe penalty? There is none. It seems quite sufficient that a player arrives in time to finish the necessary scte that afternoon. What would happen, however, if three or four playere committed a simitar indiscretion in the same match. Wouldn't it cause ce-nnlele disorganisation! The only way o'lt of the difficulty is for the association to

dictate tho order in which the various events have to be played. Then, if a plaver is absent, tho gamo goes to the opposing side according to tho present rules. It is not fair that the onus should be placed oil the opposing side to givo way in these matters. The association should have a rule that would clearly guide the teams in their actions. Take the player referred to above. The opposing players have been on the court waiting from 2.30 p.m. Supposing they wished to get away at 5.30 p.m., what would happen to the games they were unable to play? That's where the rub' comes in.

The University could onlv win one .sot against Balmaecwen—viz., the first Men's Singles, in which Dr Marshall won from I\. S. Brown, £ —6. Balmaecwen were too good all round, and end«l up with an almost 2 to 1 victory. With tho exception of the Single above referred to and the first Double, there was very little worth chronicling in the whole match.

Mosgiel did much better against Kaituna B than any previous mutch this year. Both till! Miss Kentons won their Singles decisively, while many of tho other events were well' fought out.

Tho University B lost heavily on Saturday against St. Kilda. The men on both sides were fairly evenly matched, and some good finishes wore the result, but the Indies' events and the Combined Doubles were conspicuously in favour of St. ICilda. White, abust year's school player, is doing ssrvicc for the University this season, and is managing to register a considerable number of wins.

The N.E. Valloy B had a most excih'np finish with Ralmacewon, gaining tho honours with only five panics to spare. M'Kcrrow pliiyed first man in the hill dub. Ho wits beaten on tho ladder recently by both lioyd a.nd Stewart, and consequently had to step down. Hp is to bo commended for his sportsmanlike spirit in playing in the lower irrade. Many A Grade ulaycrs, when beaten for their place in the team, don't play at all, considering it "infra dig." Couston, anot her Balmaccivcn man, is playing in the graoo matches this year after a .«peil from tennis of some years. He use to be quite a goad combination player in the day 6 when tho ex-High School Club played in Bowling street. lie has lost milch of his cunning, but still can be relied oil to givo a fair account of himself.

N.E. Valley should have won both their Men's Doubles after the way they played against Otago last week.

Tho Otago B bad things pretty well all their own way against Anderson's Day. In tho C Gradu matches St. Kilda overIjowered Sawyer's Bay, the latter only 'winning two sets the whole afternoon. It might bo mentioned here as a word of advico to young and inexperienced players that practice at lenn'S is of little uso unless von know what you are practising. To get to know what to practice at is to take every available opportunity of watching gowl play. Now, comparatively few B and C Gnido tennis players wcro presont at tho Otago-Canterbury match. They thus missed a .golden opportunity of seeing tennis as it. should! lie played. They see tho different methods of attack defence, and also can follow to a wrtain extent how the strokes are made. They can rotain this in their minds until they get on to their own courts, when they can try and imitate them. They will certainly make greater headway in this manner than by practising six days a week lettering about with a racquet and a ball in their own primitive way. N.E. Valley C also had a big win against Anderson's Bay.

It is lo be hoped that these clubs who liavo had tho misfortune to lose by largo margins do not get «iscouraged, but instead try to improve in. their play before the noxt match. After all, it is only a game, and the question of winning' should not bo the only consideration.

It appears unlikely that the proposed team of Now South Wales young ladies to visit Now Zealand will moko the trip. The New South Waka Association is unablo to despatch the team. This is. a keen disappointment to everyone conoerncd, and New Zealand will feel the disappointment greatly, as they havo quite expected the return visit to be made in time for the Auckland tourney, which begins on Coxing Day.