TABLE TENNIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23516, 2 June 1938, Page 5

TABLE TENNIS

By Backhand Chop One of the most important events to take place so far this season will be the Dunedin Club’s invitation tournament next Thursday night. This tournament is for a four-guinea trophy, the donation of Mr A. C, Brown and Messrs A. L. and D, M. Stanton. The 25 best players in Otago will be competing on this occasion, and table tennis enthusiasts are looking forward to an evening of fast and thrilling sport. Incidentally, the South Island, Otago, and West Coast champions will be appearing in this tournament, and the Otago Selection Committee will no doubt be watching all players with a view to gaining some information that will be helpful when picking the team to meet the Hungarians next month. The B Grade ladder competition is published now for the first time this season, and the 16 teams in this grade will be interested to study their positions. The committee is contemplating a big change in the B and C Grade competitions after another three or four games have been played. This change is a matter of splitting the two competitions into three, and making B, C, and D Grades, with an even 10 teams in each of these three grades. If this scheme is agreed to by the various teams involved, the competitions will then be much more even and all teams will be playing other teams of ability nearer their own. In the women’s section this week. St. Patrick’s proved a little too good for the Dunedin four and won by 19 to 13. The outstanding player was Miss M. Fogarty, with her team-mates. Miss A. Merchant and Miss D. Fogarty, and Dunedin's Miss E. Knight a good second. Miss M. Fogarty is a good allroundor and won her seven games .on Monday night by good placing, a steady hand, and consistent defence. Miss Knight, on the other hand, is an aggressive player and wins her games by driving on the forehand side. This player, however, is inclined to hit the ball a fraction too late; the right and proper lime to hit the ball is when it has reached the highest point of the bounce. Another Dunedin player with a good aggressive style is Miss D. Smyth, who, unlike her team-male Miss Knight, has the habit, but not a very bad one, of hitting the ball too soon, especially when the game tends to become very fast. The Men’s A Grade has now reached an interesting stage, with Y.M.C.A. still ahead. The Dunedin team continues to win, and is now only one point behind St. Clair, now placed second. Next week St. Clair and Y.M.C.A., the two undefeated teams, will meet, and an exciting tussle is expected. The Y.M.C.A. team comprises J. H. Don Miller, for many years the Otago champion; R. Everson, a player of much experience and hard to beat when on his game; H. J. Pollock, better known as a tennis player: and R. Dunbar, a much improved player since last season. The four St. Clair players are R. Algie, Otago champion: A. Algie, runner-up to the Otago champion: L. J. Ramsay, now playing tennis style and proving that a player can change to tennis style and step up with the best all in one month; and J. Foster, also much improved on last season’s form.

Next Monday being the King’s Birthday. there will be no matches in the women’s competition, but the men’s A. B. and C. Grade matches will be played as usual on Wednesday. Following are the positions of teams in the Otago Table Tennis Association’s B Grade competition;— Games

P. W. L. D. F. A. Pts. Avcrant 4 4 115 13 8 Dunedin 4 4 — 109 19 8 Chisholm’s 4 3 1 65 63 6 Locomotive 4 3 1 — 74 54 6 N.E. Valley 4 3 1 — 72 56 6 Excelsior . 4 3 1 — 85 43 6 Hillside 4 3 1 — 73 45 6 Sargood’s . 4 2 2 — 65 63 4 Paramount 4 1 2 1 44 84 3 Kensington I .. . 4 1 2 1 54 74 3 Boys’ Division 4 1 3 57 71 2 St. Patrick’s 4 1 3 — 52 76 2 Eadie Bros 4 1 3 — 59 60 2 Kensington II .. .. 4 1 3 OO 95 2 Tainui 4 — 4 — 47 81 — Y.M.D. 4 — 4 — 39 89 —