LAWN TENNIS

Otago Witness, Issue 3488, 18 January 1921, Page 41

LAWN TENNIS

By Smash. Some attractive play was also witnessed at the North Otago Association’s Christmas tournament in winch a number of llunedm players took part. it is fiovied that, as a result oi the experience they bare gained many players botii from Invercargill and Oamaru will take part in the Otago Association's Faster tournament. It is doubtful it a higner standard of play has ever been seen at the New Zealand championships than that in evidence at the tournament which was concluded on tiro Domain court in Auckland early this month. ihis was, of course, due to the presence as competitors of the members of the American and Australasian Davis Cup | teams, the players from New South Wales, as well as our leading local exponents. Johnston did not enter for the singles chaninionshin of the dominion, but in this event his team-mate (iilden) added another to his already lengthy list of championships. A great many people would like to have sceu a meeting in New Zealand between the two great American exponents of the game, and if such a match had taken place there would have been a great deal of support for Johnston. By again defeating Patterson, 'iilden decisively proved his superiority over the Australian especially as in the championship he beat him in three straight sets (18 games to seven), whereas in the Cup the match went to four sets and 23 games to 15. In the semifinal, N. Peach, first man for the NewSouth Wales team, made a very good tight against Tilden. After winning the first two sets. 6 —l. 6 —3. the American had to concede the third, Peach going out from 3 all. Tilden, however, won the fourth set 6 —3. This was the llrst singles match in which the American champion had lost a set since he met Patterson on the final day of the Davis Cup contest. The final between Tilden and W ashburn the only five-set match which the champion was called upon to play—serves to show what a really fine player W ashburn must be, and howdifficult lie is to beat. The following table shows the winners of the New Zealand Championship to date: 1886. P. C. Fenwieke 1902. —H. A. Parker 1887. P. G. Fenwieke 1903.—11. A. Parker 1888. P. C. Fenwieke 1901.—11. A. Parker 1889. M. Fenwieke 1905.—H. A. Parker 1890. J. M. Marshall 1906.—A. F. Wilding 1891. 11. IX Harman 1907.—H. A. Parker 1892. M. Fenwieke 1908.—A. F. Wilding 18.93.—M. Fenwieke 1900.—A. F. Wilding 1894. J. B. Hooper 1910.—J. C. Peacock 1895. H. A. Parker 1911.—G. Ollivier 1896. J. M. Marshall 1912.—K. N. Iv. Swanston 1897. J. R. Hooper 1913—A. G. Wallace 1898. 0. C. Cox 1914.—G. Ollivier 1899. J. B. Hooper 1919.—G. Ollivier 1900. A. W. Dunlop 1920.—W. T. Tilden 1901. J. O. Peacock In the earlier rounds of the Men’s Singles J. C. Peacock (Wellington) was fully extended in his single with w. A. Bray (Otago). The latter won the first two sets, 6 —4, 6 —3, and Peacock retrieved his position only after a hard fight, which extended him thoroughly. One consequence was that he was not able to do himself justice when he met Tilden very shortly afterwards. Just how formidable a combination lilden and Johnston are is shown by the fact that neither in the Davis C'up nor in the championships were they extended to a five-set match. The first time they met Brookes and Patterson they won by three sets (22 games) to one set (14 games), and the next time fhev won by three sets (24 games) to one set (17 gained. They also defeated O’Hara Wood and Heath by three

sets (27 games) to one set (21 games . The following are the winners of the Men’s Championship Doubles to date : 1886. —P. r. and M. Fenwieke. 1887. —U. TX Hiinnan and F. Wilding. 1888. 1889. M. Fenwieke and .T. F. Jardine. 1890. It. IX Harman and F. Wilding. 1891. —M. Fenwieke and A. F. Logan. 1892. —R. TX Hannan and F. Wilding. 1893. .T. M. Marshall and P. Marshall, ms A. —Tl. IX Harman and F. Wilding. 1895. —B. IX Harman and D. Collins. 1896. —H. A. Parker and C. Gore. 1897. —TI. A. Parker and C. Gore. 1898. C. C. Cox and J. N. Collins. 1899. 0. C. Cox and ,T, N. Collins. 1900. IT. A. Parker and J. 0. Peacock. 1901. J. 0. Peacock and F. If. It. Fisher. 1902. J. C. Peacock and F. XI. B. Fisher. 1903. —TI. A. Parker and P. haistihy. 1904. If. A. Parker and It. I.ycelt.’ 1905. —H. A. Parker and B. N. K. Swanston. 1906. —IT. A. Parker and 0. 0. Cox. 1907. —O. J. Dickie and A. J. Wallace. 1908. —IT. A. Parker and S. Donst. 1909. —F. M. B. Fisher and J. 0. Peacock. 1910. —F. M. B. Fisher and J. C. Peacock. 1911. —N. TI. Brookes and A. W. Dunlop. 1912. —Ol. Ollivier and W. Goss. 1913. A. G. Wallace and 0. J. Dickie. 1914. G. Ollivier and F. P. Wilding. 1919. G. Ollivier and V. P. Wilding. 1920. W. T. Tilden and W. M. Johnston. The title of lady champion of New Zealand was won by Miss Nancy Curtis (Petone), who early in the tournament showed good form when she defeated Mrs S. O. Ilodges (Remuera), last year’s champion, and Miss Marjorie iVlacfarlane (Reiuuera), runner-up fast year. Mrs B. M. Knight (Eden ar.d Epsom), by defeating Mrs C. G. Marshall (Eden and Epsom) in the semi-final, earned the right to play Miss Curtis in the final. The first six games went to the server, and then Miss ■ urt-is made the" score 4 —3 by winning off her opponent’s service. The next two games went to Miss Knight, placing her in the lead, 5 —4. Miss Curtis secured the 10th arid 11th games and the set, 7 —5. 'l ire set had been marked bv some long and exciting rallies, in which both ladies showed a liking for volleying, In the second set. Miss Ourtia outplayed her opponent, and won, 6—o. TIT.BENTS UJCID EXPLANATION. SYDNEY, January 12. Mr W. T. Tilden, when asked how victory was achieved, told a Telegraph interviewer that he wandered around Auckland, and discovered a green racquet. After that he knew everything was all right. Suspending an explanation for the time being, T ilden puzzled the pressman, who besieged the American for particulars of the green racquet. Tilden eventu-

ally explained that it was only ljin long, a little New Zealand greenstone miniature, n a charm mascot. VICTORIANS v. AMERICANS. MELBOURNE, January 13. j The weather was dull after rain for the [ lawn tennis match between the American Davis Cup players and the Victorians, but the court was in good order. There was a large attendance. W. T. Tilden beat J. P. Hawkes, 6—3, j 63. The experience of Tilden told i largely against his 3-ounger opponent, the long back-hand drives of Tilden keeping Hawkes on the base-line. The “ bullet ” service of the American was also too severe, and the accuracy of Tilden’s placing kept Hawkes busy. In the second set Hawkes failed to score until the sixth game, but he followed by winning the next two games. W. Washburn beat G. L. Patterson j 75, 6—3. Both players gave an excellent exhibition of backhand and forehand driv I ing. Washburn displayed strategy and ! imparted much force into his services and j ! strokes. Patterson volleyed, and finally ! gained much advantage. N. E. Brookes and P. O’Hara Wood ; beat W. T. Tilden and W. M. Johnston 6—4, 7—5, 6—3. The generalship of Brookes, with the assistance of his capable partner, caused the Americans to get I rattled in each set. Johnston was not [ playing up to form and Tilden was dis- j placing many of his long drives. Tilden’s ' “ bullet ” service was extra strong, repeatedly beating Brookes. Januarj r 14. For the continuation of the match between Victoria and the members of the American Davis Cup team the weather was perfect and the court in good order. There was a large attendance. In the Doubles Patterson and Hawkes beat Washburn and Tilden 6—3, 7 —o. Hawkes played a fine game, and his placing was very accurate. Tilden’s service was very telling. Patterson was much below form, but made a great rally in the sixth, game. In the first set Tilden’s baseline drives were very severe and his bacic hand drives were a special feature of the game. In the Singles Tilden beat O’Hara Wood 8 — 6, 6 —2. Tilden started serving poorly-. Wood’s half-court line strokes were splendid. Tilden was making beautiful crosscourt strokes, and his volley service was extra severe. Wood was outclassed in the second set, only winning the fourth and fifth games. 111 the other Singles game Johnston beat Brookes 3 —-5, 6—l, 6—4. The strategy of Brookes gained him some advantage in the first set, but Johnston’s long driving across the court to the side lines kept Brookes too busy to hold his strength. In the remainder of the games Brookes made some beautiful attempts but his strokes lacked force. January 16. The weather was beautiful and the courts in good order for the match between the Victorians and Americans. The attendance was a record. In the Singles Tilden beat Brookes 6—l, 6—4. Brookes’s serving and placing were j superb on the side and base lines, and I Tilden’s receiving and covering of the court were brilliant. Long back-hand drives formed a feature of both players j work. Tilden gave a clever exhibition of j skimming the net. The American opened the second set with a- deadly volley service, and Brookes was playing well to the side lines. A great rally took place with play on the side and half-court lines, JTilden scoring with service strokes. Tilden won the ninth and tenth games dashingly. Patterson beat Johnston 6 —2, 4—6, 6—4. Johnston serving, began scoring 133placing well on the base line, Patterson returning beautifully and showing a great improvement on yesterday’s displa3 r . He scored repeatedly by smashing lobs delivered by Johnston. The final set was full of long drives. In the Doubles Washburn and Johnston beat O’Hara Wood and Hawkes 5 —7, 6 —5, 4 —6, 6—2, 6—3. An element of humour was introduced by Washburn and John ston competing for the strike from lobs. There v,-as no serious play until the last set. America won the first, second, and fourth games, and Victoria the thirl, fifth, and sixth, making three ail. America followed with the next three and won the set. —A. and N.Z. Cable. NEW SOUTH WALES TEAM. MATCH AGAINST COMBINED TEAM. WANGANUI, January 13. The New South Wales representative lawn tennis play-c-rs met a combined Wanganui and Taranaki team to-day in brilliant weather. The local men put up a good fight and won two rubbers out of the 12 played, being defeated by 26 sets to six and 150 games to 106. M. L. Lampe, of Wanganui, beat S. H. Henderson in the Singles 6 —4, 5—7, 6—2, and Wallace and Dickie, of Waverlcy, beat Marsh and Watt in the Doubles 6—4, 6—3. The most spectacular contest of tire dav yvas when the I’each brothers defeated " Wallace and Dickie I—6,1 —6, 7 —5, 10—8 after a great contest. Other results were as follow:—Doubles: Peach brothers beat Lampe and Powdrell 6 3, 7 —5. Singles: Watt beat Powdrell 6—4’ 6—4; F. Peach beat Archer 6—4, 5 7 6—2; Marsh beat Dickie 6—l, 6—3.