LAWN TENNIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18736, 14 December 1922, Page 10

LAWN TENNIS

By Smash. ■ The weatiher on Saturday remained fine during the greater part of the afternoon, arid as a result the various men’s matches were practically completed—at any rate a decision was reached in all cases. Next Saturday the A and B Grade matches which were postponed from November will be "played as follows: —A Grade —Moan a No. 2 v. Kaituna, at Kaituna; Roslyn v. Moana -No. 1, at Moana; Cosy Dell v. St. Kilda, at St. Kilda. B Grade —St. Andrew’s No. 1 .v. Taieri, at St. Andrew’s; Roslyn No. 1 V. Anderson’s Bay, at the Bay ; Kaituna v. Cosy Dell, at the Bay; St. Kilda No. 1 v. Moana, at the Bay; Green Island v. Wakari, at Green Island; Roslyn v. Balmpcewen, at Roslyn; St. Kilda No. 2 v. Caversham, at Caversham: St. Clair v. St. Andrew’s No. 2, at St. . Clair. These will be the last matches for the year. . The match between Kaituna and Bal■macowen was won fairly comfortably by ■the former team after a number of close and interesting games. In the men’s 'doubles, which were responsive for some high-grade tennis, ‘the score in each case was fa —4, 6 —3 in favour of Kaitiunn, urns .‘showing that the various pairs were fairly ■well matched. Clark ana Wilkie showed .rather better combination than S. N. Brown ■and Peake in a match that produced some splendid rallies and some very fine volley'iiig, notably on the part of Brown and Clark; but in the other game there was rather more lobbing, although some clean, crisp .driving was shown by R. S. Brown and some very attractive overhead work by Cleghorn. In the singles N. Brown created a surprise by defeating Wilkie 9 —7, his backhand driving and his not work being .the chief factors in his success. One of •the best games of the day was the singles 'match between Clark and R. S. Brown, ‘■which was rather more closely contested than the scores would indicate. Both men were driving cleanly and hitting out hard, hut Clark was volleying rather more accurately than Brown, who, when in a winning position, would frequently lose a point apparently by carelessness. Clark is playing very fine tennis at the present time, an'd rnust be classed as one ot the best doubles and singles players in Dunedin to-day. Cleghorn had a rather easy win over MTCer;riow, and Angel and Peake played a very ■.•‘steady, evenly-contested game, in which .(youth and condition were really the deciding factor, Peake’s placing keeping his opponent constantly on the move. Peake is a very accurate player with a fine understanding of the game, and by the adoption of rather more aggressive tactics than he prefers to employ at present he lyauld probably become a good deal more dangerous. Roslyn had a fairly easy win over the.St. Kilda team, which was weakened to some •extent by the absence of Tregear. In the ■.doubles M’Dougall and Black began well •(against Bray and Carlyle, and they ran out .easy winners with the loss of only three : games. In the singles Gale hit out rather ■ inore freely than on the occasion of his first encounter with Bray, but he was soon overhauled, and went down 3 —9. M'Dougall, who again appears to have struck form, was serving and driving well ■ against Carlyle, but, although the latter won only two games, the contest was much .' closer than the scores would indicate. The surprise of the match between Moana : and Cosy Dell was the defeat of Duthio' '■ by Wilkinson, and the narrojv victory of Duthie and Guy over Wilkinson and PulTon in the doubles. Cosy Dell undoubtedly has some promising players, and several of •them, notably the two I have mentioned, are rapidly improving. Dear “Smash,” —Recently you were advising the juniors as to the proper method of conducting their interclub matches. This week you might profitably address the seniors on the same topic. A Grade players should sot an example to the juniors, yet :wo find one A Grade fixture on Saturday (last was not commenced until after 2.20 •p.m. About half the players comprising tire Teams wore either past or present members 'of the Otago Lawn Tennis Association. The large majority of club members are not ;match players, and have to be content to (share one court while matches are in progress. Consideration for these should be a .sufficient reason for match players to en'deavour to observe the custom of com■inencing the men’s events in interclub . 'matches not later than 1.30 p.m. The late •start in the match in question involved .finishing in the rain, with the result that four racquets will probably have to be reEtrnng. The punishment was one to fit the crime had it fallen upon the proper people, j— I am, eto., B Grade. • The foregoing letter probably represents a cap which will fit more players than those faking part in the match to which it specifically refers. ; The news that Miss Curtis, of Wellington, champion of New Zealand, is indisposed, and has been ordered three months’ Jrost by her medical adviser, will be received with regret by nil tennis enthusiasts. Another meeting between the representatives from the Australian States and the dominion champion was eagerly looked forward to. The Hastings championship meeting will be considerably affected by the absence of Miss Curtis. Tennis players " will join in wishing the Wellington player , a speedy return to health. Miss Curtis has not only held the New Zealand championship for the past two years, but in May last she won the Now South Wales championship—virtually the championship < .of Australasia—by defeating Miss Boyd and 5M;s Molesworth in 'the semi-final and final Respectively. It is obvious from the hot unexpected result of the match between the New Zealanders at Home and an English team that jhe dominion cannot rely on the prowess fof these young players to gain distinction |n the field of Davis Cup competition. Nine taatches to lovo was an overwhelming defeat, especially when it is remembered that the game is at a very low ebb at Home just now. Australia has decided to raise no objection to New Zealand entering the international competition as a separate nation, and if this country is to produce a team worthy of representing it we shall have to depend on our own players—a course that was advocated! in this column 4ome weeks ago. ( • The principal item of interest in connection with the championships which were played at Sydney last week-end was the defeat of Patterson by his Davis Cup team-mate, J. O. Anderson. Those two - players appear to be about as evenly ‘matched as the two Americans, Tilden and /Johnston, and whenever they meet rio one •can say how the result is going to go. The (only difference is that the importance of the ,(occasion does hot affect the uncertainty of •the issue when Patterson and Anderson ■meet, whereas, when Tilden and Johnston meet, the former by means of his wonderful : -.ternperainont seems able to overcome his •rival in really big contests, while Johnston notches a somewhat easy win Tn # the unimportant events. The latest match between these stars, the West versus •East, in America, proved an easy win for (Johnston, 6—3, 4—6, B—6, 6—o. The report describes the winner as absolutely at , ,his best, with Tilden patchy. In the contest played prior to this match, the national jingles of America, Tilden beat Johnston, ’ 4 — 6. 3 — 6, 6 — 2. 6 — 3, 6 — 4, 7 The fate of the American Challenge Cup for the national singles championship Avas decided at the last tournament, Tilden /Winning* it outright. Prior to the chamtpionship Tilden was interviewed, and expressed the opinion that America’s “Big ‘/Three” would probably go out of the game fWith the cup. To use Tilden’s own words: "'One thing seems, almost certain. That is, the famous bowl passes from competition, when Johnston, Williams, and 1 go out with it. Neither of the other two men has definitely said so, but I know that Jphnston is tiring of the game, while every year business makes further inroads on Williams's playing time. Frankly, I am tiled of the strain of hard tournament tennis, and I know that none of us three would expect to win another challenge bowl. Age would put us all in the discard long before three legs could go to any one man. If a new name goes up this year, then I believe 1923 would find Johnston, Williams, and myself in the game again seriously, if it does not, if the cup is won outright, then 1922 may see the passing of all iff Ua from the game. We would all play tennis at times and even in big tournaments, but not seriously, nor with the idea of success. A player must have tournament competition for any real chance of attaining the championship. Johnston, should he cerise coming east, would probably play in California, and would remain their best player for soma years. Williams will always be ■'a leading star of the east, while I would confine my play to those events that I played with my young doubles partner,. Sandy Wiener. It was only my interest in Sandy that brought mo back to tennis this year, coupled, with the sentiment for the big cup and the unwillingness to retire before the cup passed from competition. If Sandy plays regularly with rue next year I may stay in the game. If he is not playing and the cup is gone, then the -a- national championship is my swan song to American courts.” . Following upon this we, have confirmation of the ■ recent report that Tilden had injured his hand, and it now appears that he has practically lost the use of the middle finger of his righfl hand. This, it ia stated.

\yill not materially affect his back and forehand drives, but it will rob him of many of the short chops and trick shots that ■wore an important part of his armoury. To be incapacitated in such a manner is exceedingly unfortunate for a player of Tilden’s rank,, and the nows of his accident wiljl be received with 'regret wherever the game is played.