TREMENDOUS IMPROVEMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19067, 12 January 1924, Page 12

TREMENDOUS IMPROVEMENT.

LAWN TENNIS IN THE DOMINION. AUSTRALIAN CAPTAIN'S OPINION. iFbojs Ook Own Coeeeepondent.j WELLINGTON, January 11. ‘‘The New South Wales team, as a whole, is delighted with the arrangements which were made for the past tour,” said Mr Prank Peach, captain of the visiting lawn tennis team, in an interview prior lo sailing for Sydney. “You could not have mapped out a better tour,” said Mr Peach. ‘‘All over Now Zealand tho people have been most hospitable. We have been overwhelmed with kindness and lavishly entertained wherever we have been, and we have enjoyed our stay here to the full.” ‘‘l believe that tho decision to play a test match before the New Zealand championships was questioned,” went on Mr Peach, “but it was the one and only thing to do. Last time a men’s team came over to tho dominion the test was played at Auckland after tho New /Zealand championship meeting concluded, and it was impossible for the men to do themselves justice under such circumstances, and I said so at tho time. In Australia we would never dream of putting such a match on after the players were fatigued by an arduous passage through championship rounds, and you had that precedent to go on ” Jordan’s injury had been unfortunate, Mr Peach said, but it was all in the game. Jordan had been ready to return from Auckland and to be replaced by W. A. Clark, but a doctor had thought that ha would make a good recovery, and so he had continued with tho team. Next time, however, a touring team should consist of seven men, as ho had strained himself at Christchurch, Goodman had suffered an injury at Timaru, and finally Poulton had been forced to go into hospital in Wellington with what might bo a serious illness. Still they had had a fairly successful passage, boating Auckland, Taranaki, Wanganui. and Otago. In Dunedin they played only three men, and got home by a couple of sets, and they were beaten by New Zealand and Wellington. 'The game in New Zealand, said the Australian captain, had come on tremendously. The last team to visit the dominion in the Davis Cup year had had no difficulty in winning all its rubbers, but this time the case was different. Of course, the last team had been stronger: it had included such men as his brotnei, Norman Poach, Marsh, and he himself had been fourth man in that team. There was no doubt that Now Zealand held some very fine players, and four men had struck him as those who should represent the dominion in tho Davis Cup. The first was Bartleet, of Auckland, who had a good solid service, punishing overhead drives severe ground strokes, and was a reliable volleyer. With foreign experience Bartleet should develop into a first-class player. Next there was the New Zealand champion, A. W. Sims. Sims would have to improve vet, but ho had a magnificent drive, both forehand and backhand, and he had the ability to smash and volley, but he “was inclined to hang back and not go in to finish off the point when he had the other man out of position; also his foot-> work needed improving, but once he had a stronger service Sims would go a long way in first-class tennis. E. D. Andrews, the ex-national junior champion, was another young player who would go far. Andrews’s driving was exceptional for a boy of his age, and he was fully up to New Zealand representative standard. His weakness was a reverse delivery which was very easy to hit off the court. Andrews realised this and intended to develop a new service. Finally there was D. G. France, of Wellington, who possessed a powerful forehand and fine all-round stroke equipment, but who would have to concentrate more on the court. These were the men whom it would pay New Zealand to give experience in the Davis Cup. The future of the dominion lawn tennis would lie largely with them, and as they could not commence getting their footing in really first-class tennis too soon. ' !

Of T. Seay, of Canterbury, of whom he had heard, Mr Peach could not comment on, but ho expressed the unanimous opinion of the team that one of the best players in New Zealand still was A. J. Wallace, of Taranaki, who had captained the test team. Criticising New Zealand doubles play, Mr Peach remarked that what it lacked most was combination. The doubles play of the visiting team had not been good, but they had had only one pair, Reid and Pike, and Pike was more a base-liner. On the other hand, Jordan’s illness had necessitated him pairing with Goodman and Poulton in turn, and these men were by temperament singles players. It had amused them to hear their doubles play commended because they had been rather disgusted with it. The New Zealanders, however, could hardly expect to produce first-class doubles players when one considered the distance which one man generally had to travel to pair with another. The essence of the double was understanding and practice together, and beyond that the dominion men should not hesitate to take the not at the very first opportunity and to ' hit for the point without more ado. A tendency to be slow in going in, and a diffidence in picking # the ball to kill, marked most of the dominion pairs, and that was the main trouble. Taking the play at the New Zealand tourney all round, ho was of the opinion that Bartleet and Robson had proved their right to bo called the first pair in New Zealand. Robson’s play in the men’s and mixed doubles had been splendid, while Bartleet played a sound double.