LAWN TENNIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23370, 9 December 1937, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS

By Smash

The following tournament dates have been approved by the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association: — December 25 to 28.—North Otago championship and handicap tournament, at Oamaru. December 25 to 28. —Southland championship and handicap tournament, at Invercargill. December 27 to 30.— Canterbury championship and handicap tournament, at Christchurch. December 28 to January I.—Wellington championship and handicap tournament, at Wellington.

January 1,3, 4, and 8. —Riverton centenary tournament. January 1 to 5. —Wanganui championship and handicap tournament, at Wanganui. „ January 1 to s.—South Canterbury championship and handicap tournament, at Timaru. , . , , , January 5 to 8. —North Island championships, at New Plymouth. January 12 to 15.—New Zealand junior championships, at Christchurch. January 24 to 29. —Auckland championships, at Auckland. „ January 31 to February s.— New Zealand championships, at Auckland. Easter. —South Island and Otag J championship and handicap tournament. at Logan Park, Dunedin.

Kaituna was fully extended to win when it met North-East Valley on Saturday, the Valley, players, on their own courts, proving formidable opponents. Jolly and Boyd had a close and interesting match which wen. in favour of the former in straight sets, but it was not very good tennis and probably Boyd did not do himself justice in the unaccustomed surroundings. On the run of the game Jolly was always playing the more freely and he deserved his win. One of the best matches of the day was that in which Laidlaw defeated Facer. The Valley man, who is showing excellent form at the present time, was serving, driving and volleying strongly and it was only Laidlaw’s ability to slice his shots that took the sting out of Facer s returns and enabled the Kaituna player to gain a hard-won victory. Valentine recorded a notable performance when he defeated Sherriff 6—3 in the third set. He essayed his task in a confident and businesslike way and kept Sherriff on the move, with a resultant lack of accuracy on the part of the latter. Phillipps. took the first set against Miller fairly easily, but Miller’s length improved in the second and he showed greater steadiness to win 6—3. Phillipps, however, proved slightly superior in the third set, which went to him at 6 —4. In the Doubles, Boyd and Laidlaw had a great struggle with Jolly and Facer. Facer was the outstanding player and scored the majority of the points for his side, Jolly being inclined to over-hit in the second and third sets. The second Doubles match went to Kaituna in straight sets. The Valley pair played soundly on the backhand, but both men made many mistakes on the forehand. „ , Saturday’s match is the first occasion this season on which Kaituna has lost any rubbers. In the next round. Kaituna will meet Roslyn No. 1, and this match should determine which team will meet Otago in what may well prove to be the deciding contest of the A Grade competition. Otago maintained its unbeaten record on Saturday when it defeated Cosy Dell without the loss of a match. Robertson played accurate and well-judged tennis to defeat Falconer in straight sets, but Boddy found Cameron in good form, and after two keenly-contested sets, he held the upper hand in the third to win at 6—3. There was not a great deal between Kgye and Clarke, and though victory went to the former nearly every point was keenly disputed. Pollock defeated Shand with the loss of only two games in each set. The Cosy Dell pairs made a good showing in the Doubles, but in this department also Otago showed a margin of superiority. St. Clair had a very successful day when it defeated the Roslyn No. 2 team with the loss of only one set. Swallow and Chisman had a close match, in which the score went to 6—4 in each of the three sets, and Lawrence had to call up all the resources of his steadiness before defeating Gregory. Barclay gained a good victory over Mollison, and Yeoman beat Wil-

son by the odd game in each of two sets. St. Clair took both of the Doubles in straight sets. The Roslyn No. 1 team gained a decisive victory over Anderson’s Bay, winning the four Singles and one of the Doubles. Bryan was in good form throughout the afternoon, and not only defeated Ross in the Singles but was associated with Sincock in a good victory over Ross and Duthie in the Doubles. Young and Pringle gained the sole success of Anderson’s Bay when they won a very long match after an advantage set in the third. The St. Kilda ladies’ team encountered strong resistance at the hands of Cosy Dell, winning by four rubbers to two. Miss J. Falconer and Miss J Leith were the successful Cosy Dell players, but all the other matches went to St. Kilda, whose superiority was more marked in the Doubles than in the Singles. , „ , Otago accounted for North-East Valley by five rubbers to one, but University and Opoho were very evenly matched, and the former gained a narrow victory by two sets. STEDMAN AND COOMBE The Otago Lawn Tennis Association was offered a visit by Stedman and Coombe to play exhibition matches in Dunedin on January 3. Owing to the number of players who are out cu town at this time of the year the date was deemed unsuitable, and the offer has, therefore, been declined. JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS Arrangements are being made for Otago to be represented at the junior New Zealand championships at Christchurch on January 12, 13. 14 and 15, and it is expected that Miss J. Clayton (Kaituna). Miss M. Spackman (Otago) and the Wilson brothers (Roslyn) will make the trip. Miss M. Kerr was noi available. A QUESTION OF DRESS A complaint was received at the meeting of the association on Tuesday night that some men players had been appearing in matches in a costume more suitable for the beach than for the lawn tennis court. The association took a serious view of the matter, and a circular letter is to be sent to clubs stating that the minimum dress for men shall be shorts and a shirt. NOTES ■ Speaking at a reception in Christchurch last week, M. L. Page, captain of the New Zealand cricket team said that the members of.tte team did not confine the tour to cricket alone. They took the opportunity of seenig other sports. The first big thrill of the tour was the visit to Wimbledon. He con sidered the modern game of lawn tennis, as played by such Budge, Mako, von Cramm, and Henkel, was not quite as spectacular as the game in New Zealand. There were very 8 few long rallies-it was just “kill” all the time. Doubles partnerships for the New Zealand tournament. meeting at the moment are rather in the air. Line certain pair will be A. C. Stedman and D. C. Coombe, and the possibilities of their success, in view of the pretty constant play they will have together on exhibition, are bright With other partnerships, there is talk of Anga and Seay, Don France and Norman Sturt and Neil Edwards and Noel Bedford. It is assumed, too, that A. u. Brown and J. T. Mayson will again play together. If those partnerships eventuate, there will be some foi midable pairs in opposition. WHO IS THE GREATEST? There has as yet been no formula devised upon which to base an opinion as to when a player joins the ranks of the great of all times. Nothing has changed or is likely to change the general belief (says American Lawn Tennis) that Tilden outranks all. Next perhaps, comes H. L. Docherty He played his last senpus tennis in 1906, 31 years ago. The number of those who saw him play and are competent to judge is very small. We believe it to be indubitable that he never played such tennis as has come from the rackets of some of the masters of the last decade or decade and a-half. The game has improved steadily, and the best we can do is to advance the opinion that a Docherty playing today could probably equal, possibly excel, most of those who followed him* There have been players since the World War who, on their day, or poscihiv for a year or two or three, Equalled Gventte mighty Tilden. Two Frenchmen survive that test, Eacosie and Cochet. Vines and Perry possibly Crawford, even Allison and Austin, join them. Going farther back we find Johnston and Williams, possibly McLoughlin and Brookes and Wilding. Now Budge takes place with them. Yet great as all of these were, we must have hesitation in putting any of them on an equality with Tilden. Their reign was neither long enough noi without interruption. There comes the distinction between rG ,, . “greatest.” One can put half a dozen years at the absolute top as a necessity in order to become a Jove.