LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16259, 17 December 1914, Page 8

LAWN TENNIS.

By Smash. The A and B Grade matches wore continue d under almost pericct weather conditions on tiauirday attornoon, tne only fault being a slight excess ot wind at times, and tno final round betoro the holidays was —for the lirfct time in several years—completed m accordance with the programme drawn up by tlie association. Many of our bust players, however, will have, in the approaching championship tournament, a strong incentive to koep in form, and they will doubtless not neglect to do so, lor already this important event is being looked forward to with a degree of intertfit that augers well for its success. Those who, for \arious reasons, do not feel equal to the task of competing will doubtless see lit to support, the tournament m other ways, as lh-:> standard of play promises to fullil the spectator's requirements, whilo young players should be able to prolit in no small degree. Apart from this, the honour of having the tournament held locally does not fall to Otago with overwhelming frequency, and for this reason, among many other.s, the championship meeting should be warmly supported. I have noticed with regret that there is a tendency in sonic quarters to throw cold water on the idea of holding a tournament, the reason given being that the war has made the event inopportune; but I do not concur with this view at all, nor do I find any concurrence on the part of many of our prominent local players. Lawn tennia enthusiasts, both in the way of personal service and financial aid, have done their full share towards helping the Empire, and there is surely no valid reason why the sport should be allowed to languish among those who arc compelled, for one reason and another, <.o remain tit homo. The surprise of Saturday's games was undoubtedly the easy d of eat of Balmacewen by Kaituna, as it was generally considered that these two teams were much more evenly matched than was disclosed by the result. In most quarters a clopo contest, with a small margin of games and sets either way. was looked forward to. and it was not expected—-even by the 'winning club —that Knit'.ina would wen re so decisive a victory. The result of this match, it seems certain, will bo to place Kaituna in a position that will lie difficult to as.sa.il successfully, as the only challenge con now come from Monna. and it will probably not be serious. The Moana ladies can, of course. be counted on to hold their own, but the men can hardly be expected to overcome the opposition in a sufficient number of singlej

and doubles u> give- tin- younger <;lui> the victury. lu audition t<. the rvaull* i>l riiiturUav's* btsu» unexpectedly dix.-i.sivc, the, "ume iv.is i nil of .->ix, |iiis<s, not, tno least Ta-iiiu liray'* wound "I '<- s - Brown. ■Lin; bdimiKJi:'WWj m-iii 1* pruUitily ikying m> ,vcit as ever la> il.d, bud lie appeal* lu nave lost son u> of hi.-, i tinner cunJiil'-'iiCL-, ami ugiuiwt a. pJayur like J'.ijy a i«ui« 01 asswiranco in ones hhots is ol jjjeal assistance in both siiigki. wid doubles, lirovwi started oil well, Imi ,u u later sUge in: suumul n< be tiouOk'.d uiui "•nerves," and his shots lo.st much ot tli'-ir loi'co and amuaoj. 'It tli.s recontly-ijevbiourtl laiut can b>: overcome. - and L am »ure tliut it ciin— Brown will again bi-L-oniL- ab dangerous an opponent as mi has pioved iiiiiibclt' hi ttie pa.->t. Uray and Wilkie, in botn single* and doubles, are playing remarkably well —a fact, that is sptvuu.y pk-uauig m view of tin: chunipionsn.p tournament, at which they should be lieurd of in ttic doubles. Wiikie now poteteses a wry lino service, and plays steadily all round, wh.le Jiniy's iliiiicult ganiu has also continued to develop. in tho doubles S. N. Brown and Cramond did weil to defeat J. S. Nieolson and Oxford in a fairly even contest Each of the Kaituna players, however, won their singles somewhat <jasily, Nicolson boating M'lierrow for the third or fourth time consecutively, and Oxford accounting for Crauiond 9—4. Nieolson is playing very well this season, and Oxford, whose overhead 'work is very good, Beoirifi to be improving. The Kaituna ladies, though without the services of M.ss Fletcher, who recently transferred to Balmaoewen, proved a slight superiority over their opponents., and, though the difference was at all times exceedingly slight, it wua not altogether unexpected. One of the bost games of the day was undoubtedly that between Miss White and Miss Cramond. Tho former played extremely well, and as both ladies hit out -with groat freedom and certainty, the exhibition was a very fine one. Miss" Marks was also in good form in her match with Miss Fletcher, and defeated her former clubtnato 6—4 after a good game. I understand that Kaituna is also about to lose, the services of Miss Marks, as fchie lady will be married at Christmas, and will thereafter live in Wellington. Mise Marks, who has just won the Ladies' Handicap Singles in. the club will be much missed on her departure. The Ladies' Doubles also provided excellent conteste,especially that between Misees Black and Murray and Miss Turner and Mrs Welstead, in which the net play of Miss Black was very good, and Miss Murray was very steady. The Combined Doubies were very closeiy contested, and s-oiuo very fine play was witnessed in these matches. Balmaoewen's second set was won by M'Kerrow and Miss Fletcher. who defeated 'Nicoisou and Miss Murray g 7 Koslyn and St. Kilda played the only other A Grade match of the day, and it resulted in a win for tho latter by nine sots to five. Taken all round, the two teams were fairly evenly matched, but St. Kilda's men held something of an advantage. M'Dougall and Black played well in their doubles match with Hart and Tregear, wh.ch they won 9—6; but I did not expect M'Dougall to defeat Hart so easily as tho score seems to indicate in his single. Black succumbed to Tregear 9 —4, the St. Kilda player being altogether too steady and too accurate for his opponent. J. Hart defeated his former clubmato Lousley 9—B after a fairly strenuous encounter, and Robertson easily bait Paterson. Both the Ladiee' Singles were won somewhat easily by St. Kilaa, but the doubles, which, were very closely contested, were evenly divided. In the B Grade division- Moana No. 1, North-East Valley, and Kaituna No. 2 are still undefeated, and each team put another win to its credit on Saturday. Cosy Dell No. 1 suffered its tirst defeat —and that a very decisive one—at the hands of the first Moana team, though a glance at the scores shows many keen contests. Noth-East Valley beat the Moana No. 2 team somewhat easily, and Kaituna No. 2 were two sets up in their match with Anderson Bay. Hauraro and Roslyn played a very enjoyable match on the former club's courts, and the home team won by a good margin. Kaituna No. 1 proved much too strong for Balmacewen, and though Cosy Dell No. 2 and Caversham were well matched, the former won by a couple of sets, or some 10 games. In conclusion, I must thank club captains and secretaries for the regular manner in which they have supplied the- results of matches in the past The following tables show the positions of the A and B Grade competitions air the end of the first half of the eaoson: —

A GRADE. Played. Won. Lost Kaituna 3 3 0 Balmacowen 4 3 1 Moana 4 3 1 St. Kilda 4 22 Anderson Bay 3 1 2 ■ Roslyn 3 0 3 University 3 0 3 * B GRADE. Moana No. 1 4 4 0 North-East Valley ... 4 4 0 Kaituna No. 2 3 3 0 Kaitdna No. 1 4 3 1 Kaikorai 3 2 1

Cosy Dell No. 1 3 Hauraro 4 Roslyn 3 Moana No. 2 ... i 3 Anderson Bay 4. Cosy Dell No. 2 4 Oaversham 3 Balmaoewen 3 St. KJlda 3 i 2 2 1 1 1 '1 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3