LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19902, 23 September 1926, Page 5

LAWN TENNIS.

By Smash. The annual meeting of the Lawn Tennis Association usually coincides with a renewal of activity in tho game, and by Saturday next the season will be in full swing. Already many players are to be seen practising hard, and with the lengthening out of the evenings the courts should soon have their full quota of players after five o’clock. In fact, not a lew complaints are being voiced by enthusiasts at the action of the Legislative Council in postponing the operation of the Summer lime Bill. The grade competition will be inaugurated towards tho end of next month, but about a fortnight before that a Yankee tournament is to be held —probably on

October 9. This is a good idea, and is an excellent way to set the ball rolling in a new season. The system adopted last year of completing the A grade match before Christmas is to bo tried again during the coming season, and no doubt tjje same teams will be engaged, with the possible addition of North-East Valley. Moana, and University will no doubt be represented by fairly strong teams, and without, discouraging any of the other competitors one may almost take it for granted that these two clubs will “fill the places,’’ as they say in racing parlance. As tho weather will have to be taken into the calculations of the cofhmittee, an early start will bo necessary in order to complete the competition by the second Saturday in December. The same argument also applies to the B and C grade competitions, which last year showed a tendency to drag on to a rather late period of the season. Apparently the only change that is contemplated this year is the inclusion of singles games for the third

and fourth ladies in the teams and. the reduction of the mixed doubles to 13 games. In this respect our players are decidedly more fortunate so far as singles are concerned than are the players in Auckland, whore it has been decided that the interclub contest shall consist of 10 _ matches—two men’s singles, two ladies’ singles, two men’s doubles, two ladies’ doubles, and two combined doubles. Personally. I have « strong belief in singles as the best method of improving the standard of play, and would like to see a greater number of singles included in the matches. If an earlier start wore made with some of the events, and the mixed doubles were eliminated altogether from the B and C grade matches, it should be possible, in addition to the present matches, for the first and second men

to play singles against the third nid fourth, and the same with the ladies. When all is said and done the mixed doubles games in the lower grades do not afford. particular enjoyment to anybody. Generally speaking, they resolve themselves into a wholly unequal contest between the man at the net and the opposing lady at the back of the court, with the respective partners acting as spectators until their turn comes. It is not likely that serious consideration can be given to this plan until the present shortage of courts has been overcome, but when the association has the 20 new courts to which the president referred it might be discussed by the committee. It would certainly mean a full afternoon’s play, even if the sets had to bo shortened slightly.

It is to be hoped that something will come of the suggestion made by Mr S. N. Brown that the senior players should lend a helping hand to the juniors in the way of coaching. The only way to build up a champion is. to put him on the right road at the start. But after that he must work out his own salvation.

Mr J. H. Meek fully earned the expression of appreciation that was accorded him on his retirement from active participation in the affairs of the association. Some years ago, during his term of office as president, Mr Meek was an ardent worker in the interests of the game, mid he did much to promote Us welfare at a time when the finances of the governing body were not too buoyant. He leaves the game with the knowledge that his services were appreciated. After thw defeat of the Frenchmen in the Davis Cup matches and the American national doubles their fine showing in the singles championship came in the nature of a surprise.' At Forest Hills the final stages of Wimbledon were duplicated—three Frenchmen to one American: but on the latter occasion Lacoste came on the scene instead of Brugnon, and Richards replaced Kinsey. The defeat of the three leading American players by tlicFronchmen is undoubtedly an impressive performance, and the United States may well tremble as to the fate of the Cup next year. One can readily imagine a great flurrv in American lawn tennis circles to discover players who will bo capable of repelling the Latin invaders, more especially as the latter threaten to go over next year in time to become thoroughly acclimatised. By their latest victories the French players now appear to have fulfilled (lie full measure of their promise, for they have dominated the two greatest championship events in the world. Tilden and Johnston, after establishing a wonderful record, have at length been forced to yield the palm, but then only to younger players whose prowess promises to equal their own. From all appearances the lawn tennis world is entering upon a period of French supremacy for some years to come. But for all that it will be very interesting to see how the experts rank the world’s First Ten for the rear 1926. By his defeat of Tilden on the final day of the Davis Cup challenge round Lacoste gave ample evidence that he was at the top of his form, and would be a dangerous competitor for the championship title. But the experience of the past had proved that both Tilden and Johnston were great fighters in a crisis, and on Davis Cup form the chances appeared to be in favour of the title remaining in the land of the Stars and Stripes., In the interval, however, Tilden injured his knee and would unquestionably be handicapped to some extent: but on the other hand, the French players must have set about accustoming themselves to the American conditions in earnest for they completely turned the tables on their opponents of the previouencounter. In the Davis Cup matches Johnston scored decisively over Lacoste and defeated Borotra in three closely-con-tested sets, but in the national singles Borotra has had revenge on the Californian player whom he defeated in the round before the semi-final. Unfortunately the score in this match was not cabled, as it would have afforded an indication of the game. Lacoste reached the semi-final by defeating the brilliant but uncertain Williams. and Richards survived ns the sole American representative by a victory over Brugnon. The chief sensation, however, was the defeat of Tilden at the hands of Cochct as this marked the dethronement of a singles champion of six years’ standing. At this distance it is impossible to estimate the effect of Tilden’s injury upon his play, but the accounts of the match credit Cochct with giving a superb display, and one is left reflecting why, after such an exhibition. be failed to win the title. But. it was not to be and he, in turn, went down before the more accurate play of Lacoste. In the meantime Borotra disposed of Richards and Forest Hills was treated to the unprecedented spectacle of an allforeign final, while it reconciled itself to the loss of the championship for the first time since the days of the Doherty brothers in 1902 and 1903.

The novelty of the situation created uy the success of the Frenchmen can best be emphasised by recalling the fact that the American lawn tennis public has grown rather accustomed to the TrldenJohnston championship final. Since 1919 these two players have contested the final six times, the exception being in 1921, when their names appeared in the same half of the draw, and when Wallace Johnson —now a light of other days—opposed Tilden in the final. In 1919 Johnston defeated Tilden, but from that time on the latter has held the ascendency, and has been champion of America oftener than any other player except R. _A. Sears, who reigned from I£Bl to 1887 inclusive. A now star is rising in the west coast of the United States, a successor to AULoughlin and W. M. Johnston. This is Edward Chandler, who has > recently beaten all the champions, even including John ■Jon. He is the inter-collegiate champion, having won that title last year and i« si most certain to retain it this year. Cram son Holman is close on Chandler’s heels.

According to Vincent Richards, Norman Brookes is probably the greatest of all the long line of Davis Cup players. He has been playing for 20 years or more, says Richards, and the r act ihat Australia kept the enp for six year? is certainly due in largo measure to him. lie entered the lawn tennis world in 1902 and the Davis Cup matches three years later. From the very beginning of bis career he played a game that was far ahead of hi? time; a game that had all the brilliancy of stroke together with that vanity which a modern champion simply has to have to hold In's own on the courts. !Te is considered the greatest genius in court tactics. position, and generalship that the game has ever had.