LAWN TENNIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23334, 28 October 1937, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS

By Smash

Owing to. the proximity of Saturday to the Labour Day holiday, very few matches were played last week-end. and these will have to be completed by week-night play. Of the results published the most interesting was that of the Intermediate match between Tainui and Kaituna, the former club winning by one game, with sets being even at eight all. University defeated Cosy Dell by nine sets to seven CHALLENGE MATCHES So far not a great many ladder matches have been played. It is highly desirable that .players should take part freely in challenge matches so that a true standard of relative merit may be reached. If interest is not fully maintained in the ladders as time goes on it may be found necessary to try some other system. In a Men's Singles match Boddy defeated Rawlinson 6—3 3—6, 6 —3 aftera very protracted struggle. Mrs Foxcoft* defeated Mrs Joblin. formerly of Wellington. 6—4. 6 —2. CLUB NEWS A team from Balclutha visited St. Clair on Monday and, despite the high wind, a very enjoyable match was played, resulting in a win for the home side by 15 rubbers to nine. The St. Clair team was fairly well representative of the club strength,, whereas the visitors were not quite at full strength Included in the Roslyn 811 team are twin brothers named John and William Wilson, aged 15 years, who recently arrived from Wellington. John is slightly better than his brother as a Singles player. In Doubles, they do not force the pace, but are very steady and show an excellent understanding of each other’s play and of the requirements of this department of the game. WAIMATE TOURNAMENT A large number of leading South Island players took part in the tournament arranged at Waimate over the week-end to mark the silver jubilee of the Waimate Club. Bryan, Robertson, Rawlinson, and S. G. McDougall all won their first-round matches, but Falconer went down to I. J. Corich, the young Canterbury player, whom he carried to two long advantage sets before losing the third at 3—6. Bryan. Robertson, and McDougall were again successful in the second round, in which Rawlinson went out to Pattinson in straight sets. In the quarterfinals Pattinson beat McDougall and Bryan defeated Robertson, after the Otago man had taken the first set. Angas and Barnett reached the final without the loss of a set, and Angas. whose form was very consistent throughout, took the title in straight sets. He was driving very crisply and accurately, and his shots ‘to the side lines gave him the initiative throughout and enabled him to-reach the net oftener than his opponent. The final of the Men’s Doubles was an all-Canterbury affair. Angas and Barnett defeating Corich and Pattinson. ’ !. Some interesting matches marked the progress of the Women’s Singles. Mrs Rawlinson gave a good all-round display against Miss T. Poole, especially in the second set, but the Canterbury player was too strong, and in the next round defeated Miss R. Wilson (Southland), who, however, captured the middle set. Miss D. Miller, who was out of the game for the greater part of last season, showed that she has lost none of her form by defeating Miss I. Poole in straight sets, and going on to win the final from Miss T. Poole by a similar score.

The final of the Women's Doubles between Misses T. and I. Poole and Mrs Rawlinson and Miss R. Wilson provided some very fine tennis. The Canterbury pair owed their victory to their greater severity, especially In the air. and to a good understanding of each other's play. Mrs Rawlinson. though not so as her opponents, was very effective in her methods, and her well-placed drives and cross-court volleys from the net won many points. Miss Wilson served well, and drove nicely on the forehand, but was less reliable in the other departments of her play. Bryan and Miss Wilson reached the semi-final of the Mixed Doubles, in which they were defeated by the ultimate winners, Angas and Miss T. Poole. This made Angas's third title for the tournament. McMillan cup tourne* The annual Yankee tournament for the McMillan Cup will be played on Saturday. November 6, and entries will close on Tuesday next with Mr E. S. Wilson. The tournament is to be run in three sections:—First section: A and Intermediate Grades. Second section' Bl and B2 Grades. Third section: CI and C2 Grades. The winners of eachgrade will receive a trophy valued at 10s 6d each, presented by Mr A McMillan. Balls will be provided free, and it is expected that a large entry of players of all grades will be received. COOMBE RETURNING D. C. Coombe is returning to New Zealand by the Tamaroa, after a very successful season in England. He will reach New Zealand in the first week in November. During the time he has been in England Coombe played in 20 tournaments, winning 12 titles, made up of one Singles, eight Men's Doubles (with different partners), and three Mixed Doubles (with different.partners). He was also runner-up in six other tour-. naments for one Men's Singles, three Men's Doubles (with different partners), and two Mixed Doubles (with different partners). In a letter to Mr H. N. Burns, secre : tary of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, Coombe said he considered that his tennis had benefited considerably as the result of his tour abroad. NOTES Challenge matches for the Wilding Shield and the Kathleen Nunneley Casket, between Wellington and Canterbury, will be played in Christchurch on January 7 and 8. The news that Miss D. Bundy and Miss D. Workman, two rising xoung American players, are to visit Australia, has created great interest in women's lawn tennis circles in New South Wales, where it is expected they will take part in the State championships. "Probably my last Davis Cup match." These words, spoken by Jack Crawford, at the welcome home to the Australian Davis Cup players, struck a rather tragic note. It suggests (says the Sydney Referee) the passing from Davis Cup teams of one of the greatest players Australia has produced. The former American Davis Cup player, W. L. Allison after a long session at golf, returned to championship play recently in America. He won the Singles title at the Longwood Cricket Club—carrying off the much-valued Longwood Bowl, which has £eeh in competition for 16 years—this win entitling him to keep the trophy. Permission for members to piay on the Cambridge courts on Sundays was given by the vicar (the Rev. C. W Chandler), in declaring the St. Andrew's Club open foi the season. The vicar made the stipulation, however, that members must attend one of the morning church services every Sunday before playing, and that the courts !might be used only when .no services; were being held. Sunday play on the Wilding Park courts will again be permitted this season. The Management Committee of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association has decided to recommend to the Grounds Committee that the courts at the park should be made available to players on the understanding that a member of one of the association's committees was in charge. LAWN TENNIS UNION Although there was a big margin in the scores of some of the sets in the Musselburgh v. Kensington C Grade match, the majority of the games were closely contested. Musselburgh, however, made more of its opportunities and displayed good combination in the Doubles. Among the Musselburgh members, Misses Keen, Sherwood, and Tonkinson and Messrs Smith, ,C. Ferguson, and Coutts won all three sets. In the D Grade match Musselburgh v. Green Island, the latter team proved the better side, although the margin of games was not great. For Musselburgh, Lamont, playing in his first match, shaped well. Extracts from the ladder rules:— All challenges must be notified to the ladder secretary, who shall immediately advise the challenged player or players and arrange the date of play. A challenge must be played within seven clear days of notification to the challenged player or players. If the challenged player or players—(a) refuses to play, or (b) fails to accept within one week of notification, the result will be the same as if the players concerned had lost. No player or players on the ladder may challenge (or be challenged by) the same player or players within tw<- weeks of the date of their previous match. Inquiries have been made in regard to the amended rule governing matches, and the Management Committee has defined it as follows:"Any team failing to field a full team of eight players for any match by 2.15 p.m. shall default all the set'- in which the absentee players should have played—i.e., all three sets. Clubs are also reminded that matches start punctually at 1.30 p.m., and that they are not to wait till 2.15 p.m. The amended rule applies only to players who find at the last minute that they cannot be on the court at 1.30 p.m.