LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15302, 16 November 1911, Page 10

LAWN TENNIS.

Br Smash. I The Arthur Street Tennis Club, tho formation of which was commonced a month ago, has now a (nil, membership of 25 Indies and 25 gentlemen, all of whom' aro inost enthusiastic. It has been found i that tho mombcrship is too largo for tho | two courts, and tho club proposes to form a thiixl court op tho lower playground. Tho official opening takes placo on iNovembor 18. "Smash" acknowledges with thanks an invitation to be prcsont. i 'l'ho Iloslyn Club's competitions, comprising Ladies' Handicap Singles, Combined Handicap Doubles, Men's Championship! Singles, Men's Handicap Singles, and Men's Handicap Dougles, aro now open for entries. Tho three courts aro now pi»>tectod with a 12ft wiro jencc, "whie.% runs tho entire length of tho south sidu of tho grounds. This means a groat eaving of timo in looking amongst tho trees for balls. Tho improvement will bo appreciated by visiting teams as well aa by tha members. "Tennis in Otago is improving -such was the opinion expressed by Mr W. Goss, captain of tho Canterbury team, in tho course of a chat at the closo of tho interprovincial match at Anderson's Bay courts on Saturday. And tho possession of thoso courts, ho added, would further improve tho play by bringing the best players from tho various clubs into closer touch. Ollivier excepted, ho considered the teams (airly evenly balanced. Canterbury's team, however, was not the best the provinco could produce. Of ladies tlioy had brought practically their full strength, except that Miss Nellie Hay had been unablo to come, her Bister filling tho breach. But there wero four or fivo men who, if available, vtould have been selected, amongst thorn being Jennings (who is considered second to Ollivier), Quill (who is away in tho llono Country), Ilarman, and Laurio (tho lastiiamod having injured his kneo). Asked for a critical expression of opinion from tho viewpoint of a veteran player concerning tlie stylo o( play :n Utago, Mr Goss smilinglv demurred. Taken over all, with occasional worthy exceptions, Otago plnyers did not how their best form. Much dependence won placed upon tho ladies, but they scarcely roso to tho level of tho complimont./ And in many canes tho men Played cannily, without freedom, as though overwhelmed with doforenco for opponents whom thoy regarded as superior foemen. In tho Men's Singles every contest, savo that in which Ilnmillon bent Shcnpnrd 6—5, 6-2, ran to threo sets, which snows that although Canterbury finally won most of these contest*. Otago men wero ablo to put tip persistent sturdy opposition. White, contrary to exiicctatiou, stood up splendidly to Ollirkir. ['laying well above 'form, ho took tho first set, and led 4—2 in . tho second Wore Ollivier roso to the occasion, taking the remaining games in that sot and winning tho next, o-2. Hamilton was tho only, Otago man who did not loso a set in his Singles. Moody, after losing his first set against Bonnington by a game, opened out with his free and vigorous tactics, and allowed his adversary only three games out of tho two following sets. Ewcn opened too carefully against Sarulce, and lost tho first set, 3-6. Revising his methods and playing naturally, he took tho next two sets, 6—3, 6—5. Bray lost his Singles through want of confidence. After scooping tho first sot, 6—l, he refussd to hit uut at anything in the air, and paid the penality, succumbing in tho two remaining sets, J—6, 4—6 when by playing with Ices restraint ho stood n good chnnco to win. Amongst the ladies Miss Campbell and Miss Mnrku each added a sot to Olago's iota), and Miss Hislop was beaten by only one game by Miss Miles. Miss Campbell led Mire Goodman—a 'past Kaituna player, now greatly improved—by 7—2; but th" Canterbury lady, who was returning, if somewhat, weakly. Miss Campbell's cror-n court drives to the back hand, sccurcd there more games before tho Otago cram pion added the two games nccresary to establish a win. Willi tho' exception of Hamilton and Bray, who wero only ono gnmo behind in oaeh of tho two sots against Shojipard and I'enn, Otago made a sorry show in the •Men's Doubles. Whito and Brown never qot a chanco to mnko headway ngainst Ollivier and Goss. Tho last-named has never boon seen to better advantage here. He scored with some beautiful lino shots, .and . his overhead woTk was capital. ! It wua not tho best arrangement to pin v Miss Campbell and Miss Lester together I in tho I.adies' Double*. Kaituna Club j lias recognised this, and does not place tliein together in matches. Tho Otago pair ; secured a victory over Mrs Berry and Miss ! Goodman by 9-7, but it required u big j effort. There wero many unusually long I rallies. Tho Canterbury pair had evidently planned to worry Miss Lester and keep | Miss Campbell out of the way as much as j possible, and tho latter had "to go up t/i tho net to Eocuro a shnro of tho play. | The combined doubles betweon Ollivier ) and Miss Miles and Whito and Xliws Campboll Imd reached o very interatinif stagf when it was interrupted by rain. The visitors took tho (in* set 6—3." but the local pair mndo a vory efTcctivo reply, winnin? i the second pet bv 6-1. The final set wa« ! played off on Mondnv niorninir at Otnßn courts. Olliviw and Miss Miles had reached 4—l when tho Otago pair struck form taking tho next four games, and with the next game at 40—iovo in their fovour seemed to hold tho match in the hollow of tho hand, but the visitors by a splondid effort retrieved their |tosition and snatched tho honours nt what had rcoincd voritably the eleventh hour. , Tho most attractivo plover amongst Canterbury ladies was Miss tiny. Sho an I ideal stvle, Roes for everything, and hits : vigorously. She seems equally compilable in backhand or forehand play, and puts a j lot of top f.pin on the lull, ! Tho recently top-dressed courts proved to lx> in an unsatisfactory condition for the match. Tho surface was still soft, and the balls failed to riso. This handicapped both teams, In Canterbury they play mostly on grass in the summer and on asphalt in the ■winter; consequently so mo of tho members

of tho team had not played on asphall for several weeks. But tho circumalanca which troubled tho visiting players most ml tlio change from tho Ayros balls used in Canterbury to tho Slazcngor in use in Otn«o. Tho nno-timo Otago Qhampion, Borrows, told mo that for a while at tho commencement ho was puuled ovor tho uncertainty of his strokes until he esammed tho balls and disovejod thoy wcro Slasenuer's. It took quito a number of pomes before bo got accustomed to tho Ixdb. In liis opinion tho Slatcnger ir not (o compact, and does not leave th* racquet »o crisply as tho Ayros ball. Ollmor and Jonnings propose to play together in tho Now Zealand championships. It i« satisfactory to have assurance at last that tho American team to compote nt Christchurch for tho Davis Cup ha* not only been selected, but is already on tho water. W. A. Lamed, tho artist, Deals Wright, the facile, and SI. E. M'Loughlin, tho racket-smasher (says an exchange), havo Ijooii chosen as America's triumvirate to go in quest of tho Davis Cup to New Zealand. It is easy to appreciate with what delight tho Christchurch public will welcome America's famous champion. There is something very fascinating in tho manner in which Lamed, with splendid persistency, has worked his way to tho forefront of the world's great players. t Ho had to wait many yean for his initial tjrumph in tha U.S.A. championship, and now, when most players of his years would bo toppling down tho la<idcr of famo, ho is supreme in his own country, and has com© forward to crow swords" with tho redoubtable Norman Ilrookes, afler beating tho English experts who recently went down fighting in iNcw York. Tho Davis Oup Committed can now go ahead with some confidence in the work of making complete arrangements. There will bo only one court, and it will be surrounded by a pavilion accommodating 4000 peoplo, so that all who pav thcirentrv money will bo able to give, thott undivided attention to one gamo, and may seo the whole of the play.