LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20174, 11 August 1927, Page 5

LAWN TENNIS.

By Smash.

The Wilding Shield, the interprovincial blue riband of the game, is at present held by Wellington and there are indications that tho association in that city is going to take steps to safeguard the possession of the trophy. It is quite probable that challenges will be received from both Canterbury and Auckland, and there is a possibility that the shield may return to Christchurch, whence it was transferred to Wellington last year. It has been suggested that Otago should issue a challenge during the coming season in the event of Canterbury regaining possession of the trophy, and there is little doubt that a team could ho selected which would put up an excellent fight even if it did not succeed in bringing the shield to Dunedin. The northern provinces recognise that possession of the shield is an excellent means of fostering interest in the game, and if the opportunity presents itself there is no reason why Otago should not assert its claim. G. Ollivier is convinced that a covered court is sure of success in Canterbury, with its 3000 lawn tennis players (says the Christchurch Star), He is of the opinion that before long two courts will be found inadequate, and the_ possibility of extension should be kept in mind. At Queen’s Club (England), where there arc covered courts, the social aspect is kept in sight, and billiards and afternoon tea rooms arc as well equipped as the courts. Something along the lines of a tennis and social club would fill a long-felt want in Christchurch. The annual Anglo-American women’s match for the Wightman Cup will be played in the United States this month. The first contest for this trophy, which is designed to do for women’s play what the Davis Cup has accomplished for the game as a whole, took place in 1923, when an English team composed of Miss Kathleen M'Kane, Mrs R. C. Clayton, Mrs W. S. Beamish, and Mrs B. C. Coveil, visited America, and, contrary to general expectations, were defeated by seven matches to nil. In 1924 a return visit was made by the American ladies, and the pendulum swung the other way, England winning by five matches to two. In 1925 the English ladies, led by Miss M’Kane, gained a sensational victory over a strong American team, which included Miss Wills. This match was even imtil the last contest was staged. Miss M'Kane and Miss Colyer, however, proved too strong for Misses Wills and Browne, and England obtained a second leg on the cup. In 1926 the fourth annual competition for this trophy was won by the United Stated. The scales are now balanced nicely. Each country has won the cup twice, and each has won and lost once in each country. The English ladies, who will this year visit America for tho fifth contest, would appear to have a difficult task before them, owing to the great improvement in Mi.ss Wills’s game. The composition of the English team is not yet known, but it will probably include Mrs Godfree, Miss Joan Fry, and Miss E. Colyer. The American 1927 team will be the stronger by the inclusion of Miss Wills, Mrs Wightman, and Mrs Mallory, while its only loss will be Miss Browne. W. T. Tildcn has no intention of turning professional for the present, but what his sentiments on the matter will be a year from now be is unable to say. Tilden denied the reports that have been appearing in European papers on this question, and stated that he had not accepted any £4OOO-a-yoar position in tennis or any other offer. The already very high opinion which Tilden entertained of Lacoste’s game was greatly increased by his match against the French star at St. Cloud. Tilden believes it puts the Frenchman on a pinnacle—the finest player in the world. He was satisfied with his own play, and feels that the score is now even between Lacoste and himself. They have met on four occasions and the tally is two matches each. In 1925, in the challenge round of the Davis Cup contest, Tildcn beat Lacosto in five sets; a year later, in the same contest, Lacoste won in four sots. In ’be French team match, two weeks earlier than the French championships, Xilacu won 6—4, 7—5. In the French championships Lacoste won at 11 —9 in the fifth set. It was generally anticipated that the two would meet at Wimbledon, which would be neutral ground, and would have settled for the time being the question of supremacy. The fates, however, decreed otherwise, Lacoste falling to Borotra in a five-set match and Tilden being beaten by Cocbet. Jean Borotra, whose hurried trips between Wimbledon and France by airplane last year caused so much amusement, is a champion hustler, who could give points to many cute Yankees. Torn between the claims of business and his love of lawn tennis, he is often hard put to to reconcile the respective claims of the two. He thinks nothing of taking a stride over the whole of Europe during one short week. How full his life is of travel and bustle may be gauged from the fact, that last year the Basque champion spent no fewer than 198 nights, that is, over half the nights of the year, aboard ship or in a train. The great topic of conversation in lawn tennis circles at the moment is France’s chances in this year’s challenge round for the Davis Cup. After the French victories. of 1926, Borotra expressed the follownig views which are of special interest at tho present time: ‘‘As for myself, I am not too optimistic. Tho situation at the bottom does not seem to me to have been greatly changed by the fact that i-iiden and Johnston have grown a year older and that Vincent Richards has joined the ranks of the professionals. Certainly Tilden and Johnston are no longer young, but neither is 35 years old yet, and I figure that Tilden, in particular, has an excellent chance this year to regain the title of champion of America winch lie held for six years. Johnston is by no means finished either, and he is entirely capable of playing two marvellous singles in the Davis Cup contest with one day s intermission. He could not, it is true, play three days in succession, and it is therefore in the doubles that our chances will be improved a little, but it must not be forgotten that a TildenWilliams combination, for instance, will probabJy be as strong as the RichardsVvilliams team. If we play the challenge round in America this year with our very best team we will win, I hope, but in my opinion the chances will be barely c( V ,a ii,- Wl l, be a . question of doing c ',{;P*'" ln s 80 that this may suffice.” the story that gained currency in London during the Wimbledon tournament that ii’n 7 M Ut^i a l t. llad ,3eon offered £20,000 by Mr C. B. Cochran to turn professional was promptly contradicted by Sporting Life, which may Lo trusted to adhere to the truth. u/- T u? I , 10 " 3 was sery ed up all hot for the Wimbledon crowds who wanted something to talk about during yesterday’s rainstorms, says this journal. “The offer, B W pLu a,d ’ !f- d fae ,? n made b ? Mr Charles B. Cochran himself, and Betty, if she signed tho contract, would set out on u "t° r n, toar as a professional tennis star of the first magnitude. That was the faffd SiP ri.« H ”® U i re th ?./ act3 J Mr Cochran told tho Sporting Life that not only had lie not made such an offer, but the first ho knew of it was when ho heard of it during las week-end visit to Paris. ‘An offer might have boon made in my name by some well-meaning friend,’ added Mr Cochran I knew absolutely nothing about it and the first thing I did when it was biought to my notice was to telegraph to Mrs Nut hall to tho effect that I had not authorised the offer. I also took tho opporumty of offering my congratulations on daughter s wonderful success at Miinbledon. So that’s that. Betty is tho darling of th© crowds. There is '£tii fGa -m? f H 10r sacrificin » lior amateur kf if S ’/ [ f '® se served up the story of Mi Cochrans glittering oiler and Betty’s iefu-,al of it served a double fault l ” the following is from tho Morning England I lle fact that Miss Tapscotr one of the (hreo members of the team of South African ladies who recently arnved to compete at Wimbledon, wear no stockings when playing lawn tennis, has naturally received its due meed of aftertion m .no press. One enferprising writer hastily assuming that bare legs on the tennis Jaun had never been seen or hoard of before, went so far as to ask the manager of the Wimbledon championships whether he (liouht her entry would he accepted ! As a matter of fact, tho practice oi dispensing with stockings is by no means new. I have se Cl) hare ler>s flitting to and fro in the sunshine on tho°Riviera“ and I fccl.ove the credit of being the pioneers of the practice in this country belongs tO tho ladies of Sussex some of whom have adopted it in hot weather for several seasons past. Miss Tapscott has never worn stockings while playing since >ho first took up tho game. But she has also never yet encountered tho rigours of an English summer.” So far (ho practice has never been adopted in New Zealand (says the Evening Post), but ladies