LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21146, 2 October 1930, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS.

By Smash.

* Pavilion openings ” -were the order bf the day da Saturday afternoon, the unfavourable conditions again making play impossible. The semi-social nature of the • proceedings, nevertheless, proved thoroughly enjoyable. The president of the association (Mr 5. Angel) attended -the official opening of, the'Roslyn Club, mid banded over to the club president (Mr J, L. Salmond) the B Grade banner, which was won by the Roslyn A team in a play-off with the, B team. It is interesting to note that though Roslyn has been runner-up in a number of the inter club competitions, this is the first, occasion in 26 'years on which the club has actually won a banner. Mr Angel paid the club' a very fine compliment when he said that Roslyn members had always been "in the forefront in helping forward-the game, and he hoped the club would this year win the A Grade banner as'a reward for its past services to -the game. In declaring the season open, Mr Salmond impressed on the younger players the heed for shouldering their share in the workings of the club, and wished one and all an enjoyable season. Members were then the guests of Mrs and Miss Salmond at afternoon tea," . St. Kilda opened last Saturday, when brief speeches-were, made by the president (Mr'J. J; Marlow) and the Mayor of St. Kilda (Mr-- J.;: Beattie). Nest Saturday afternoon - a 1 Mised Doubles Yankee tournament will be held, and each member of the winning pair will receive' a silver button, which they will hold until they are defeated in a challenge match. At the close, of the season the buttons will be awarded the pair of players who have held them nioet frequently .during the season. The Otago Club observed its opening day on Saturday afternoon in the presc'ence of a good number of members and visitors. Proceedings / were of a pleasantly informal;, social character with an atmosphere of" keenness which promises well for the new season. '". " The" official'‘opening of the Caversham Club will be held on Saturday afternoon.. On-the following Saturday-the club will hold a dance at Sti ".Clair. /" Moana will hold its official opening ou Saturday afternoon. •The first annual meeting of the United; Club held in the Somerset Lounge last-. Thursday, night disclosed a healthy state of affairs, and a hopeful outlook for the future. As -the president (Mr A. T. Jensen) remarked, this club supplies a long-felt want in. Dunedin, and with, the 14 courts at Logan Park added to the' club courts throughout the*city and suburbs the game-has .a better opportunity to advance than it . has ever had in Dunedin hitherto. The coadhing proposal outlined by Mr Jensen, by which senior players will attend on one or two nights a week to instruct those who wish to improve, should ■ also prove of great value. No doubt the younger players will be asked to "make up sets with those who are more experienced,' .for this' sort - ofpractical coaching is, after all, perhaps the most beneficial. ■ ; Dr J. R. H. Pulton, who has spent the last year or two’ in'Wellington, recently returned to Dunedin following an 'operation/ for appendicitis. It is his intention to'leave shortly for London, where he will undertake a . course, of post-graduate studies. He is to travel on'the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company’s Zealandic as ship’s surgeon, and "will embark on the Vessel/at her last port of call in the Do-* minion. Dr Fulton is well-known to lawn tennis players throughout the Dominion, having been a competitor at tournaments in different parts of the country for some years. He ranks among the leading doubles players of the Dominion and, in addition to. winning the Otago Championship in 3928 (with B. BoddyL he has also reached the final of the: New Zealand Doubles, It is to.be hoped that he will have the opportunity: to enjoy . some; games in England' and-that he will get sufficient practice to reproduce-his true form. He will be .accompanied- by the good-wishes of all. who knew him. ANDREWS AND MALFROY. The two New Zealanders, Andrews and Malfroy, distinguished themselves in the North of England championships, played at Scarborough at the end of August. In the semi-finals, Andrews defeated Kingsley, the' British Davis,Cup player, 7—5, 7 —5, and Gregory (who visited the Dominion last year) defeated Malfroy, 6—4, 57, 6—l. Andrews won the event by defeating Gregory in straight sets—6—o, 9 —7. The New Zealanders, in partnership were also runners-up in the Doubles, reaching the final by defeating Lester and Peters, 2—6, 6—l, 6—4, In the other semi-final r Gregory and Kingsley , beat C. 6. and J/H. Fletcher, 6—o, 6— 2, and in the final they accounted for the Dominion representatives by the decisive score of 6 6—3. Andrews and Miss Fry also played successfully through the Mixed Doubles, in which. Malfroy and his partner,. Mrs Hawkins, reached the semi-final by defeating/H.'F. David and Miss Heeley, 7 S, 10—8. ’ NEW ZEALAND AND THE DAVIS dUP. There is some possibility of New Zealand, being-represented in next year’s Davis ,Cup competition. An invitation was received by the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association to compete in the American zone, which would have involved playing the first match in Argentina, but this was declined, no doubt on the score of the expense that would have been entailed. The probabilities are that the officials in Wellington were mindful of the fact that Andrews and Malfroy, both of whom are at present in England, have shown themselves well able to hold their own with most of.the;players'of the OldWorld. That being so, they probably contemplate entering in the European zone, especially as the coffers of the association contain sufficient resources to enable this to be done. But while Andrews and Malfroy are on the spot that in itself, is not a sufficient reason why these twojdayers alone should constitute the New Zealand team. It should not .be overlooked, if . the Dominion is to be represented by its best side, that we have in C. Angas a player who is certainly superior to Malfroy, and probably to Andrews as well. Those.who Witnessed the displays "vyhich Angas gave last year against Kahns and Sproule must have been convinced- that he is one of the finest players that the Dominion has produced. Moreover, he has the match temperament very highly , developed and seems to reach his greatest heights when the opposition is strongest.' In his present form, no New, Zealand team would he complete without him. Hopes were entertained some months «go that a visit from a South African team might be arranged for the coming season, but negotiations to this end have broken down. The'remaining string to the international how was the possibility of a visit from some of the younger American players who have recently come into prominence. Australia had been in communication with the United, States with a view to securing a visit from a team including players of the calibre of 'Allison and van Ryn (winners of the Doubles at Wimbledon for the past two years) and G. M. Lott and Berkeley Bell, both of whom are in the forefront of Jie game in America. This tour, however, is also unlikely to eventuate, for the American Lawn Tennis Association has expressed itself as opposed to too much travelling on the part of young players. When the great amount of tripping about that is involved in, the Davis Cup competition is remembered this decision need cause little surprise, especially as three of the four players named above will probably be included in next year’s United States Davis Cup team. Failing the visit of an overseas team to the Dominion this season, and if the New Zealand Association decides against entering a Davis Cup team, the time may he considered opportune to return the visit made by the Australian players last year. The last tour of the Commonwealth made by Dominion players was in 1926, and there does not seem to be any reason why a side should not be got together that is capable of acquitting itself as well as did the 1926 combination.

ITEMS FROM ABROAD. “ Rene Lacoste will play for France in the Singles matches of the Davis Cup I final next year,”. stated Jean Borotra to ( a representative of the Parisian paper LTntransigeant, recently, “It is absolutely decided. He and I sealed the compact yesterday when we were lunching together. As for me, 1 give up my place