LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15396, 7 March 1912, Page 10

LAWN TENNIS.

Rv Riusit. Yet nnotli'.'r postponement on account of the weather. For long enough wo huvo Won told that Otaco requires grass courts to promote improved phty. It bojjinii to seom that tin* urgent necessity, if we are to have play at all. is tin: cc.vered court. .May it net Ik; well for the Ola go Association t« prunee for the worst by tentatively negotiating; for the use of the Harbour Beard fiiiwls on the wharf for the puri>oso nj getting off its Kaster tournament. It has been decided that the whole of tlio B and C tirade nintrhrs arranged for Saturday last will bo played on Saturday nest. A "great deal hinges upon the results of this round. Tlw prophets ufotire us that if Kaituna (II Grade) mil defeat Otugo on Satnrdiiy I) Grade banner contrition is nil over bur the sltouling. In this connection, however, the fact that Kaituna lias still to meet St. Kilda rectus to demand notice, nnd Italyn, although weak in ladies, does not despair of vanquishing Kaituna. In no srudo is there move keenness over the premiership competition than in the 15 Grade. 'Jlius tlio mc-Uug of Moana and Cave.rsham No. 1 on .Saturday to derido supremacy 'n the second section of the (.' tirade com|>etitioii is boing eagerly antiripatod. 'l'ho luck of the ground is with Cavorshnm, on whose courts the match is to bo played i but tlio present holders of the banner are stubborn foemen, and .1 worthy battle is imminent. Hosiyn Club lias lost the valuable services of A. L). C-aklcr, who has been transiencd to Wellington at short notice, 11« left IJuncdin this wock for his new uphore. (.'alder liud reached the oemi-linal in the it'islyn Club championship tournament. The Out'" Association's Easier tournament is beginning to engage t)t<- attention tif Uxul players, and to shape their plans. The brief Vpcll of good weather life favoured the prosecution of the repairing work in connection with the Anderson's liny Courts, ami the men in the work have made good progress in the time ut their disposal. Had the wivtthur not broken down so grievously it was intended that on Satmday some players should make use of the partially repaired courts to assist to play them into condition before liie linwhing louche* were added. Given reasonablo weather the courts should all be in satisfactory repair in ample time for Ivaster. l'airt arn already being arranged in \jew of the tournament. Hamilton (Kaituna) will play with Tucker llnvercargill in the championships, and with his clubmate Wilkic in the handicap, S. M'Dougatl and .Moore, who played together at lnvereargill at Christinas, will continue the partnership at Kastor. At the meeting of the (Jtago Association's Executive Committer this week it was derided t« record in the minutes appreciation of the capable manner in which Mr T. Begg had carried out the arrangements in connection with the mutch titagu v. Southland. 'Ihe schools' tournament has been enthusiastically entered into by the schools ir.terested. a generous entry-list being contributed by the Boys' High School, Bracinai House, and St. Hilda's Collegiate School. Tnr usual entrv i s expected from the Ciils' High School. .Mr T. Degg is arranging for the handicapping. The opening games on Satuiday morning next will probably be pluycd at Utatio and Kaituna Courts, subsequent play being on the Ander.-on's Bay ComU if ready. The llawke's Bay Aiwicintinn litis stronglv condemned the proposal to conline the .Vw Zealand championship meetings to the four principal centres. In the course of a letter to tho Otago I'OWii Tennis Association the secretary writes- " Many districts outside the four centres are keen upon the game, *nd. referring particularly to our own pro-

vinco, I can say that wo have on affiliated membership of nearly 1000. and the thrco First Grade eltibs have greens second to y none in the. Dominion. Hastings, for inn stance, can put on 12 courts for a tournag ment, Danntvirkn has seven, ami Napier '• six- till in tip-top crdor, with triple facili--0 ties for running a tournament. . . . e Without raising any controversy as to tho il standard of the different cluhs. I should' i- like to draw your attention to the posio lion of affairs at Christcimrob, when the g Now Zealand championships and tho Daviit L- Oup were played. In this 'ccntro' tho it courts provided for Iho championships wero o four in number, and of the vilest descripg tion, while one court (acknowledged io a b; a fairly good one) was kept for tle^ n Davis (.'up. Had these matches been playt 1 o in Imwkes Bay wo say without boasting d Ihnt the conveniences for the players and c tile courts available would have been in a ovory way superior . . , All tho good l- players are not born or made in tho big 0 citics. . . n In connection with the foregoing, one s of Otr.go's delegates lo tho X.Z.LT.A. foreIt shadows (ho rejection of tho pro|xJsnl when o it is again brought forward. n Kaituna tourr.ojucnts aro progressing c s'owly. In the Men's Championship Singlra n «»milton has defeated Mirams, and Nicolis son has beaten M'Dougall. In the Men's Handicap i/oubles Ilamilton and Wilkio i- .lavo reachwl the semi-final, Iwating SoantleC uur.v and Norrie and Browning and Nicolr' fj?" .. a ' ,Br 'utter pair had defeated " n n r , Whi,c horii (on tho samo e mark). 9-7 Ifamilto,. and Wilkio wero J \ie,!Ll° 9-7 Bml bCat BroWninfr ll,ld I. In tho Kaj'tunn Club tournament Hamilr, ton and Miss Campbell o\mi 50 to ani, other pair who reocivcd 15. tho baskn markers thus having to win five strokes •s before tfraw.m- level Nono the less, tho » Rr " cli!i Mw«l"ig this stujicnuoiis handicap p ran out victors, 9—2.