LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2975, 22 March 1911, Page 64

LAWN TENNIS.

BY SMASH. Discussing the Davis Oup competition, "Austral," in the Sydney Referee, regards j it as almost certain, that the challenging | nations will carry out their obligations, j and that all may meet in Australia, Christohureh (in his opinion) being- the most suit- ! able and the probable location for the final. The team to meet Australasia, he says, "will certainly be America, if she pursues her challenge; and if Brookes' informant at Colombo is correct in saying that Hackett and Alexander, the American doubles champions, will come over for the doubles and Bundy and M'Loughlin for the singles, it will take our men all their time to hold the Cup, even with such able j defenders as Brookes and Wilding. ... The South African team will be chosen probably out of Kitson, Le Sueur, Rowan, i Scholtz, Bauntlett, and Winslow. The first is their veteran, the last their brilliant colt. Dixon beat him 6—2, 7—5 in the third test. Gauntlett beat F. G. Lowe 6—l, 6—3." A number of visitors from other clubs attended at the Moana Club's courts at the Arthur Street School on Saturday to wit- j ness the final match between N.E. Valley and Moana in the first section of the 0 ! Grade competition. Rain prevented the I completion of the match, but some very j close and not uninteresting sets were wit- j nessed. Moana's lead of 'M points on the I day's play favoured the prediction that that club would meet St. Kilda (winners of the second section) in the final for tha grade championship, to be played at Anderson's Bay Courts on Saturday next. Thr unfinished games are to be played off during this week. Valley opened out promisingly, practising with success the lobbing tactics favoured by their opponents. In No. I court Taylor and Harraway took four games before Bray and Sinclair scored one. The latter pair crept up until the score stocd 6 all. Valley took the next game, but Moana retaliated with three successes, concluding a hardfought tussle with a lead of two. On the other court Manson and Murray and the Nioolsqn brothers were equally wel,' balanced. Murray's comprehensive ne| work troubled the - steady Moana'pair a| first, .but honours were even, up to 7 all,, the Nicolsons capturing the next two games and' the set. A succession of lengthy rallies marked the double© between Misses Cramond and Meenan and Misses Sinclair and Bagley, Miss Meenan's steadiness and precision, being again in evidence. Here again the final score was two in favour of Moana, Misses Sinclair and Bagley forging ahead from 4 all. The second ladies' doubles also furnished an attractive set, the play being marked by freer hitting and bolder tactics than were in evidence amongst the first ladies. Playing with courage and vim, Misses Gilmour and Yorston annexed three out of the first four games, but Miss Farra (whose backhand work is particularly forceful) and Miss Sparrow responded with spirit and ran out winners by 6 to 3. At this stage a difference of but 9 points separated the clubs, and prediction of the final result was by no means easy. The Men's Singles produced a more deft* nite separation, although here again two of the pairs were scarcely separable. Brady, who had previously accounted for Taylor, 9 —l ; W as unable to obtain a lead until 6 all had been reached. Taylor took the first game, and it was gam© and game about until 6 all, after which Brady secured three to Taylor's one. The' set provided some bright tennis, although neither would venture up to the net. Taylor has a beautiful backhand cross drive. The hottest tussle of the day was that between Harraway and G. Nicoison. From 2 all Harraway, who plays with dash, and was driving well, forced the position to 6—2 in Valley's favour. Nicoison notched the next three, but Harraway again pressed until he led 8-6. Moana's third man, however, is a tireless player, never beaten until the last stroke has been played and in this case justified his reputation by placing the next three games and the set to his credit. ,■,.,, • » a Murray opened splendidly against A. Nicoison, taking the first three games, but he contrived to secure only one more game in the set, which fell to Nicoison, 9—4. Manson, who in the previous encounter against Sinclair finished 8-9, on Saturday played below standard, securing but two games. , n , . Moana thus managed to win all the sets, though by but small margins in most cases. A word as to the courts, concerning wi" ch some dissatisfaction has been voiced. They certainly fall somewhat short of perfection, having a side slope and a restricted junback at one end. They were inspected by the Match Committee, however, and passed as quite satisfactory for C grade matches. A second match on Valley Courts would scarcely have been a fair proposition, but the proposal to play on Anderson s Bay Courts was readily accepted by Moana. Curiously enough, on Saturday Valley plavers did much better on Moana Courts than they had done against the same team on the Valley Courts. In preparation for the final, St. Kilda C Grade players had some useful practice against Hauraro on Saturday at the G . e< p r ?' e street courts. The match was unfinished. Tho scores were as follows (St. Kilda names being mentioned first): —Weed beat Ivory, 9—2; Marshall ket to Scott, 6-9; Wood and Hart beat Ivory rind Bundle, 9—2; Wilson and Marshall lost to Pratt and Scott, 7—9; Hart led Bundle, 6-4 (unfinished) ; Misses Stoneham and Robertson beat Misses Smith and C. Black, 6—2; Misses Laurie and Cole lost to Misses K. Black and Cameron, 3—6; Hart and Miss Robertson lost to Bundle and Miss C. Blank,- 7—9; Marshall amd Miss Laurie lost to Soott and Miss K. Black, 5—9; Miss Stoneham beat Miss Smith, 6—4. Totas: St. Kilda, 64; Hauraro, 56. It is probable that Wood will not be available for ht. Kilda for the final on Saturday. Wood is conspicuously the strongest-figure in the St. Kilda combination, and his absence would be a calamity. P)roibaibLe iSt. Kilda entrants for the Easter tournament are —Simpson and Laurenson, Wood and Hart, Misses White. The team to play at Inveroargill on Saturday is as follows!—Sinclair, Bundle. Bauohop, Bcrrie, Boyd. E. H. Gaidar, Misso* Bauchop, Hislop, Cook, and M'Lean.

. STATE CHAMPION'SHIPS. ADELAIDE, March 18. In the State championships H. A. Parker, the ex-N>ew Zealander, beat Taylor, 6—7, 6—2, 6—l, 6—2. In the Doubles Paxker and F.) M. B. Fisher beat Addison and Barnard (Victoria), 2—6, 6—2, 4—6, B—6, 6—2. Fisher and Miss Stewart beat Rice and Miss Watson in the Mixed Doubles, 6—2, o—6, 11—9.