LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20536, 11 October 1928, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS.

By Smash; Fine weather favoured lawn tennis players during the early part of Saturday afternoon, and many enjoyable games were indulged in on the various club courts, at all of which there were large attendances of members indicative of the enthusiasm of the new season.* Later in the day a strong wind arose, making the conditions rather unpleasant on the more exposed courts, but by the time it made its presence felt most of the players had participated in more than one set. Arrangements have been made by the Kaituna Club, with which the executive of the association has _ joined hands, to tender a farewell social to-morrow night to G. Clark, who' will be greatly missed by both bodies. For some years he has been one of the mainstays of the Kaituna team, which will be greatly weakened by his absence. The announcement made at the end or last week that a modified form of daylight saving, in the shape of advancing the clocks for half an hour, had: been adopted by Parliament, would make welcome reading for lawn- tennis players, in common with the followers of other branches of summer sport. During last season the extra hour of daylight meant a great deal to devotees of the game, and expressions of satisfaction were heard on all sides; but these turned to disappointment when it was learned that Mr Sidey s Local Summer Time Bill had been defeated. The Government, however, has now come to the rescue in some measure with the enactment of a. Bill providing for an extra half hour of daylight, and bb the principle that half a loaf is better than no bread the compromise is one that will be gratefully endorsed. . The association’s grade competitions are' to be instituted for the season on Saturday afternoon with the opening rounds of the A and C Grade matches. Anderson’s Bay is making its appearance in the senior competition this year, and with a team of young players will probably give a good account of itself, and gain some valuable experience, even if success does not crown its efforts at the first attempt. The men of this team will probably consist of G. Pearce (who won the handicap singles and doubles at the last Easter tournament), S. Ross, Orton (who arrived from Western Australia at the end of last season and gave a good account of himself in the tournament), and Barsdell (a young player who shows promise of making a marked advance). The ladies will be Miss M'Adam, Mrs Orton, Miss Read, and Miss Hill. Cosy Dell should be able to place in the field a rather stronger team than was the case last year. The men will be Jensen, Bell, Sherriff, and Dr Focken, a new member of the club, who recently arrived from Melbourne to occupy a place on the teaching staff of Otago University. 'The ladies will be Miss Nancy Fleming, the club champion, Mrs J. H. M'Dougall, Mrs Jensen, and Miss Smith. Miss Fleming showed very fine form last year, and with the experience and match practice which she will gain in A Grade should develop into a player of a very high class indeed. Among the improvements made at Cosy Dell in preparation for the new season is the erection of a green-painted fence along the eastern side of the courts, thus giving a greatly improved background to the players at the other end. Another improvement takes the form of a volley board. The University team for the coming season will be much the same as that of last year, with the exception of Watson, who has gone over to Otago. University will again remain in the competition until the vacation. ' .. St. Mary’s Club (Kaikorai) is an addition to the B Grade competition, replacing Taieri, which has dropped out, entering only a C Grade team. Two new clubs—East Taieri and St. Petera—appear in the C Grade, and - both are welcomed into the fold. Dunedin is not to have a visit from the team of English players who are to visit the Dominion at the end of the month. This disappointing information was contained in a letter received by the association during the week and purporting to give the reasons why the team's itinerary was drawn up as it was. It is unnecessary to go into details regarding the association’s letter, except to say that as a defence of its actions it is exceedingly weak and not at all what is to be expected from a responsible controlling body. The plain truth of the matter. is that Otago has been passed over with complete disregard, and the local officials feel that they have not only been treated with great discourtesy but that the association has entirely neglected the interests of the game in this province. No doubt an emphatic protest will be lodged at an appropriate opportunity. In the finals at the Fendalton Club, played last week. Miss W. Walse won the women’s singles, by defeating Miss Dallas 6-—l, 6—2, and J. R. Crawshaw won the men’s singles by defeating B. Loughnan B—6,' 3—6, B—6. The brilliant young New Zealand player, E. D. Andrews, in the semi-finals of (file men’s singles in the Derbyshire Championships qualified to meet N. G. Far--quharson, of South Africa, another Cambridge Blue. Andrews defeated the veteran Gus Greville by 6—o, 6—4. In the semi-final, however, Farquharson beat him by 6—2, 6—2. In the North of England Championships at Scarborough, Andrews disposed of the last of ’ the Yorkshire players, J. L. Chamberlain, by winning two sets each at 6—4, and was also successful in the third round of the men’s doubles with his partner, C. H. Kingston, against Turnbull-Nuthall (6-—I, 6—o). The official journal of the English Lawn Tennis Association, Lawn Tennis and Badminton, gives the following particulars of the members of the British team who are due in the Dominion in the near future:— H. W.. Austin.—lt is hoped that the tour will teach, him leas introspection, and that under fresh conditions and in unfamiliar surroundings the shadow which hangs over his physique will be sensed as a -shadow of the past and no . more a substance of the present. Austin defeated G. M. Lott and J. F. Hennessey, both of America, this year, and gave 'Rene Lacoste a great run.- These performances have ranked him as a player not only of potentiality, but of performance, and this trip abroad may be the means of making him a more robust athlete. I. G. Collins.—The hopes for"this player arc that he will emerge from the assay of the New World with a hallmark of sterling and a complete craftsman's certificate. At present there is a lack of finish upon the sound metal beneath, which sometimes leads to results unworthy of his skill. Evidently Collins is a great sport, as it is said that he will welcome the shrewd hammerings'he may receivq from greater masters, because he is malleable, and, like all natural ball game players, very receptive and retentive of impressions. E. Higgs.—There are hopes that with the experience to be gained, more of the ipfinite variety of the man himself may be imported into his'methods. What he does, he does almost as well - if not better than anyone, but when his opponent counters his game or attack; he fails to sec it, and gets beaten owing to being of an obstinate frame of mind. He- is a master of practically every stroke, and could do lots of them, much better if he did more of them more often. Seemingly he is loath to change - his game when losing, and has got into a rut. The English opinion is that there is nothing like a dose of the New World for that complaint. J. C. Gregory.—This player is playing captain of the team, and is a son of the first lady champion of Yorkshire. He plavs the game for the sheer love of playing, and he is the very man to instil into his team and into the delighted spectators some of the joy of heart which is his, some of the gay abandon of the sportsman who loves a hazard: but it is also hoped that he may use his considerable muscular strength to the full, provided that it is controlled. Gregory must be a hitter," and the experience against the “down under” players may force him to see that with speed there must also be control.