LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19503, 11 June 1925, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS.

Bt Smash.

The results of the French hard-court championships at St. Cloud show arum Lacoste, Borotra, Coehet, and Co. are getting into form in view of the more serious Davis Cup contests in which they shortly have to engage. In tho singles Lacoste again demonstrated his superiority over Borotra and in the doubles theso two formed a combination which overcame all tho opposition. On these results it now appears certain that Franco will win the European zone, lor there do not appear to bo any English players who can foot it with tho Frenchmen. Tho second round of Davis Cup matches in the European zone is to be completed by Juno 13, the semi-finals by July 14, and the final not later than July 28, whSch will give sufficient time for tho nation winning the European zone to travel to America, and have an opportunitv for nr-iHE' l'° r in America not later than September o, 4 and 5. The nation that wins the final will play tho challenge round against tho viiampiuii nation la e.. 0 ouaeu uuuus not later than September id, n, ana —. In the American zone the dates have now been fixed for tho preliminary matches. Spain, even although weakened by tho defection through an injury to Manuel 'louso should acco-nt for fv’and will then bo matched against Japan, which advanced to tho semi-final through the default of China. Both the semi-finals will bo played on tno same dale, .Australia mooting vanaxui at iuuuutjai un 14, and 15. With tin? presence of tho Australians and t.ho probalbio presence of the .Frenchmen the American National Championships should bo lull of interest this year. The doubles championships will bo-played from September 24 to 29, and tho singles will ho played from September 14 to UL9, imlodialely following on tho challenge round if tho Davis Cup. It is evident, therefore, that a very arduous period of play is in ■tore for the top-notchors. Tho Anderson's Bay Lawn Tennis .Club’s dance in tho Early Settlers’ Hall on Juno 24 promises to bo well attended and to be a very successful gathering. Tho promotion of tho social side of club life during tho off-season is a matter to which clubs in general might well give some attention. That W. M. Johnston is retaining his form was .shown in two matches which he played against Tildon during April. Tilden won both, tho first 6 —3, 6—3, and tho second I—-6.1 —-6. 6 —4, 9—7. Miss Helen Wills will not bo a competitor at Wimbledon this year, but she will defend lier .singles title in America, and will probably play against the team of English ladies which is to visit the United States later in the season. There will, therefore, be no possibility of a clash this year between Mdllo. Lenglen and Miss Wills, and as tho Frenchwoman lias just beaten Miss . Kitty M’Kano vory decisively in tho hardcourt championships at Paris she should regain tho singles crown which she lost last year on account of ill-health. American Lawn Tennis states that W. T. Tildon will bo soon competing at some of tho big American tournaments this year, so long as tho dates do not clash with his motion picture engagements. It will bo a matter of some surprise if he does not defend his National Singles title and also represent his country in the Davis Cup. Mrs H. R. Ulz was the first member of of the Australian women’s team for Wimbledon to arrive in England. The rest of tho team, Mrs JJarpcr, Miss Daphne Akhurst, and Miss Ena Boyd landed last week and are now practising hard. Mrs Utz (says a London journal) is rofreshingly frank about tho Australians’ prospects. Mdllo. Lenglen. Mdlle. d’Alvarez, and Miss Ryan, site says, are all several degrees above any of the Australians in lawn tennis ability and strategy—to use her own words, ‘They are in a class by themselves, and 1 don’t think any of our players are likely bo worry them. Manuel Alonso, Spain’s leading player, fractured his shoulder in nn accident at Scranton (Fnnnsylvimia, U.S.A.) recently. If, as appears, it will mean his elimination for the remainder of the season, it will so weaken Spain’s Davis Cup team that they will not bo serious contenders. Thq Spanish star is at the peak of his career, iilden, writing about him, says; “Ho is tho quickest man on his feet I have ever seen. I look to see him tho greatest player tho Continent has produced. His game is one of the best rounded all-court games in tho world. Ilis forehand drive is tho closest rival to W. M. .Johnston’s of any shot I have seen,” Sir Eric Geddos, at a recent meeting in London, said that after a great dual of research add scientific experiment a new lawn tennis ball had [icon produced which was “immeasurably superior to any yet marketed. It may bo described precisely as n ball with an inner tube. Its chief merit is that, whilo it is of supremo excellence in play, it is absolutely uniform and line. I have,myself had six of those balls played steadily on a hard court for 150 sets, and tho variation from standard in bounce and weight at the end of this grilling test was infinitesimal and even so the balls were all uniform.” No doubt wo shall have this hall out hero in time. It is to be hoped that it win answer to Sir Eric Geddos’s description, as tho cost of balls to first-class players is enormous during tho season. • The majority of good players consider that a pair of new balls is done after two sots, even in practice, and anything that tends to reduce the high rate of expense, involved will bo cordially welcomed. In W. T. Tildon’s latest hook, “Match Play and tho Spin of tho Ball,” there is a chapter devoted to tho gome and the court which (says the English Field) is full of sagacity. Tho American champion .pays fealty to the turf surface. “Grass lawn tennis,” ho says, “is the height of skill, for on grass spin, change of pace, speed control, placement, and steadiness all play their true part and carry their correct value. Grass tennis may be won by strength, finesse, subtlety, or a combination of all. There is no stroke of tho game that is .seriously handicapped on grass. Therefore grass tennis has been, and still is, the standard of championship play.” This acknowledgment will be endorsed by every competent player with adequate knowledge of court conditions, nor is its truth impaired by Tildon’s admission that “grass appears to bo doomed in the near future owing to the tremendous expense of upkeep and the comparatively small area whore grass courts are practical.” It is true that the oiay or “dirt” court lends itself to variations of tactics as great as those possible on grass —for that reason it is an excellent learner’s surface; but, as Tilden points out, certain forms of offonive play are handicapped or or almost nullified on this floor. Speed still carries its own reward, but tho delicate refinements of chop, slice, and drop are neither bred nor nourished on the non-turf plane. I‘JAVIH GUP COM PETITION. The following extract from last week’s Sydney Referee is of interest to lawn tennis players generally because it contains the germ of an Idea that must crop up •sooner or later on account of the growing unwieldiness of tho Davis Cup competition ; “The international element fit sport is as magic. The turf can get. along nicely without it because it is a sport and a business combined, with possibly' the bigger slice of rhe business ingredient woven into its fabric. But oven in racing anything that savours of national rivalry stirs the feelings of the sportsmen. When Gloaming at different stages in ids wonderful career had to meet I’oifrel, Beauford, and other great horses in this country, people who ordinarily are not interested in the turf, became quite keen on tho big event of the moment. In cricket and Rugby football international rivalry is tho essence and inspiration of the games. And so it is in lawn tennis. “.last now overseas lawn tennis is wrapped up in the Davis Cup. Already tho captain of tho team, J. O. Anderson, has sailed for England. And very shortly G. L. Patterson and J. BHawkes will leave for America direct, where they will be Joined by the Sydney representative. We are left to contemplate this team of three fighting for the Cup and yet the most accomplished doubles player of all, possibly iu the world, in P. O’Hara Wood, is left behind. Surely there is something wanting in the organisation of lawn tenuis when this can happen while the man himself Is willing to become a member of the team. The trouble is finance. The last team which failed to beat the United States in the challenge round cost far too much money, owing iu some measure to the programme being mapped out on expensive lines. •‘This time Australia is going info tho comest under a lug handicap, and the question arises now whether it would not oc infinitely better I*, future to

decline to issue a challenge in a year when the money in hand does not permit of tho host tenth being sent, though the players are available. Far hotter to defer < the tour for a year and build up (he fund iu the meantime, so that the fittest, possible four men shall he despatched later. Law;, tennis just, now appears'to lie spreading its activities overseas without any set plan. For instance, the ladies’ (earn has been organised and financed by a very vigorous campaign of hearty enthusiasts. If similar enthusiasm and devoted interest hart been shown in getting together the funds for sending the fourth man for the Davis Cup, it might have made all the difference between losing and regaining the cnp. “In any case tho Davis Cup would appear to' iulve served its purpose under the existing rules governing its competition. It is worth while the Australian Association considering the nuhc-r of having the rules amended so that mi- winning team each year shall not have the right to have tho challenge round being played in ins country. If this is not done, sooner or later liie Davis Cup will become tno expensive a luxury for some of the nations, not excluding Australia, which gives much and receives so little in return train other nations.’-