LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15705, 6 March 1913, Page 10

LAWN TENNIS.

By,-Smash. .. Ollivier, I am informed,'ha6 decided to competo (it the Otago Easter tournament, and has invited Young to partner him in the Championship and Handicap. Doubles. Young, it is understood, iias in consequence reconsidered his decision not to play. This will _be a strong, attractive combine. Hamilton's proposed transfer, happily for Otago tenuis, has not eventuated. He will mate with J. S. Nicolson in tho Championship and Handicap Doubles, Browning having dccidccl not to play, Further pairs for the Easter tournament: Championship Doubles— M'Kcrrow 'and Osbournc, S. M'Dougall and G. I. Black; Handicaps—G. I. Blaek and S. M'Dougai!, 0. I. Black .and Miss Fea. Misses Campbell (not the champion) and Black, Misses Arthur and Fea, Miss Elliott and Mrs Sinclair, S. Nicolson and Miss Bagley, A. Nicolson and Miss Meenan, G. Nicolson and Miss Campbell, Cramond and N, Anderson (Invercargill). For the liret time during a period of perhaps M years R. S. Black will be absent from the Easter tournament, his arrangements for this Easter taking him out "of town. Mrs Black also will not be a competitor. The family will still have a vigorous representative in G. I. Black.

Mr Laurenson wishes mo to state that it was through no fault of his that tho match between his team (St. Kild.i) and Balmacowon was not completed on February 25. His absence, ho explains, was due to tlio fact that ho understood his opponent /Ward) .would not bo freo to play" that afternoon.

Ward certainly turned up prepared to keep his engagement with Laurenson, eo that evidently there was a misunderstanding somewhere. In any oaao the match could not have been finished, us Ward's partner (Miss George), unfortunately for health reasons, has been obliged to give up tennis for a time. In view of all the .circumstances, the association officials decided to award the match to St. Kilda. Thi6 was tho probablo ending, as St. Kilda had a lead of four games, and although Ward is a troublesome man to shake off, Lauren son would no doubt have added to the lead in both his singles and combined doubles.

Unpropitious -weather on Saturday last has postponed the consummation of both B and C Grado competitions yet anothor week. Players at the Anderson's Bay Courts hung on until about 4 .p.m., when the conditions were such as to preclude jJho possibility of playing a match through. The two matches will be played on Saturday next. On that occasion Moana will probably be without the services of Mis 3 Sparrow, who has made great advanoes this season, and has figured prominently in the club's- marked successes Although the vacancy will be filled by a player (Misa Wood) of possibly more than equal merit, Moana's combination will , suffer. Apart from this, however, St. Kilda's. chances are favoured. Still, the prophets may -yet be confounded, as it was a much weaker team with which Moana No. 2 early in the season snatched l a victory from St. Kilda.

Twice within a few weeks has Otago beeii' obliged to confess to a neighbouring province inability to send a team to fulfil interprovincial fixtures. First to Canterbury and then to Southland was this sorry, admission made. The impression left in Canterbury and Southland call be readilv imagined. From time to time we play Canterbury, and the Canterbury captain, after his team has accomplished an easy win, good-naturedly tells us that we aro improving! Our failuro to send a team to Christchurch will at least relieve his conscience of the perpetration of this pleasant fiction this. year. In Southland wo havo been held in greater respoct; but even there our inana must declino when we cannot ecrape together a team to 6ond to fight for our province. What can bo said for tennis in Otago when it is found impossible fossend away oven a second-class team of 6ix players of each 6cx? In any other. 6port there is sufficient enthusiasm amongst players to admit' of almost all the chosen getting away to uphold the honour of their province. In tennis this year out of about a dozen of tho men only two—and these but newly entering upon interprovincial honours —responded to the call to go to Invercarcargill. Without prying into anyone's-per-sonal reasons for declining tho honour, it may at once be said that neither business nor financial reasons can account for the defection of so many players. Lack of a Kroner enthusiasm is undoubtedly the main cause for tho rogrettiiblo postponement of these fixtures. Otago has provided tho N.Z. Council with an excellent arjpiment with which to vindicate its action in cutting Otago out of the itinerary of the British Davis Cup team. Wcro it not for the fact that this province has a large number of promising young, players full of enthusiasm, the outlook for tennis in Otago would bo somewhat "blue."

Tho Association officials are not without their share.of blame for the failure to keep these interprovincial fixtures. In the ease of tbo team for Canterbury, while the "possible" players were notified about three weeks beforehand to hold themselvs in readiness, the team was not actually selected until tho Tuesday preceding the day appointed for tho match, and members of tho' team had, therefore, only about a couplo of days' notice of definite selection. Obviously, longer notice should bo given. The names of the team for. Invorcargill wero published in the press the Monthly before the match was to takcj place, 60 that there was really no legitimate excuse on tho scoro of shortness of notice.

It is to find that the fixture with Southland is to bo kept, a fairly strong team having been secured to play tho match on Saturday. Miss K. Black (ICaituna) and G. I. Black (Roslyn)\ have found places in this team, to which they should both do credit.

The Otago Lawn Tennis Association's art unioir'has turned out better than was expected, although the receipts are considerably lees than was desired, and cortainly much less than was easily possible had players as a whole shown a little zeal for their own cause. About £40 has boon cleared over the venture.

Concerning players in tho match Canterbury v. Wellington (from a Wellington Exchange)" Perhaps the player most disconcerted 'oy the asphalt was R. N. K. Swanston, and his match against G. Ollivier, which was generally looked forward to as the game of the day, was a very disappointing affair. Those who have been doubtful as .to the merits of these two players can hardly take Saturday's match as an criterion of their abilities. Swanston was ''all at 6ea,' and never really rose to the occasion. Ollivier, however, showed some of his best form, and had Swanston displayed something of the form ho did against Dixon it would have been a battle royal. Ono is still in doubt as to who is the superior player. W. Goss put up a good fight against F. M. B. Fisher, and, in fact, in _ the first set had it all his own way. Fisher rallied, however,' in spite of several minor incidents which he complained of as putting him off his game, and in the.ond came home on condition, as Goss seemed completely done up." The possibility of New Zealand entering a separate challenge for the Davis Cup is thus disoussesd in the Field: "Mr A. F. Wilding, who left for a brief visit to Sweden this week, hopes so to arrange his business affairs that ho will not only defend his title at Wimblcdcn next year, but, if invited by his association, represent his country :'n the Davis Cup preliminary round. We do not say 1 invited by the Australasian Association,' because there is just the possibility that before tho last day for receiving challenges arrives New Zealand may decide on a friendly separation from Australia. As an independent country the Dominion may send an independent challenge. Now claiming one or two candidates for international distinction—notably Mr G. Ollivier, —the Now Zealand L.T.A. is naturally anxious to develop this talent on fruitful Soil; but whether tho alliance with t'lio Commonwealth—an alliance which won the Davis Cup in 1907, and retained it tho two following years—is to be broken before next March nothing definite is yet known. If it is severed both colonics must necessarily weaken their immediate prospects of success, for the present champion (where the winning of two singlet- is concerned) is nearly as valuable to Australia a 6 to New Zealand."

Entries for the schools tournament, tobe held on Saturday, have been received ■from Braeinar House, St. Hilda's. Girton College, Otago Girls' High School, Otago Boys' Hish School, and, the Arthur Street, School. The girls'. events will be played on tho Otago courts in Castle' street, and the boys' matches on tho Anderson's Bay courts. Play will commence at 9 a.m.