LAWN TENNIS

Otago Witness, Issue 3773, 6 July 1926, Page 34

LAWN TENNIS

BY

SMASH.

During the past week all eyes have been concentrated on Wimbledon, where the All England Club has been holding ita jubilee championship meeting. As has been the case in recent years, the entries have been on an international ‘Scale, and all the countries that are in the forefront of the game to-day, with the possible exception of Japan, have representatives present at the great gathering. Though they are no longer known as the “ championships of the •world,” the titles to be won at Wimbledon are as greatly coveted as ever, and the tournament has lost none of the glamour which has given it pride of place over all other lawn tennis events. Some of the interest was taken out of the Men’s Singles by the defeat of Vincent Richards in the second round by Cochet, who is at last justifying the promise which he showed in 1922, but failed to maintain in subsequent seasons. The display of Richards would some as rather a disappointment to his countrymen, for in the United States he is rated as next i—and not a very distant “ next ” at that—to Tilden and Johnston. In fact, during the present season he has defeated Tilden in a five-set match, the reports of which show that on the day he waa clearly the superior player. But on his arrival in Europe he was defeated by Cocliet in the Franco-American match, and the Frenchman has now followed up his victory by defeating Richards at Wimbledon. Howard Kinsey, the other American official representative, although not rated so high as his colleague, has been more successful, but against weaker opposition. In the first round he defeated our old friend, C. P. Dixon, who represented England in the Davis Cup competition as far back as 1909, and three years later won the Australasian Doubles championship at Hastings. In the second round Kinsey defeated J. B. Gilbert almost as decisively, and then he emerged successfully from a five-set encounter with Flaquer, the Spanish Davis Cup player, and entered the fifth round by defeating C. Bryan, the Dutch representative player. In the fifth round he defeated P. D. B. Spence, the well-known South African player, and the present holder of the British hard-court title. Another foreign competitor who w*amc to grief much earlier than was expected was Bela von Kehrling, the tall Austrian, who last year won the All-England Platc t an event contested by the 70 players who were defeated in the first and second rounds of the championship. Last year he went down rather surprisingly to H. G. Mayes, and on the present occasion he succumbed to 0. G. N. Turnbull, a member of the 1925 British Davis Cup team. Borotra, in the earlier rounds, had a fairly easy passage, his victims including Godfree and A. H. Lowe and also E. Ulrich, the Danish player, who, in the previous round, had defeated Cattaruzza, the conqueror of F. M. B. Fisher. Fisher, who was a prominent figure at the New Zealand championships at the beginning of the present century, must now be a long way past his best in singles, but, nevertheless, he took the third set to 9—7 before he was compelled to capitulate. H. W. Austin, ..ho is regarded as England’s coming “hope,” met van Lennep in the second round, the Dutchman having previously defeated A. H. Gobert, the winner of the French championship 15 years ago. Austin won, but in the __ next round he met his Waterloo in the person of M. Kozeluh, the Czecho-Slovakian Davis Cup player, who in the next round furnished further evidence of his improvement by taking a set frm Borotra and running him to 9—7 in the next. The Duke of York, whose entry in the men’s doubles with L. Greig invested the tournament with a new feature of interest, is a left-handed player, who has made considerable progress in the game. In the first round his Royal Highness and his partner were matched against two veterans of the game in the persons of A. W. Gore and H. Roper Barrett, both of whom were playing at Wimbledon before the Duke was born. No doubt it would have been considered a rather ticklish task for two young players to undertake the elimination of royalty in the first round, - and there is just a suggestion that the draw may have been so arranged as to place this responsibility on shoulders better able to bear it. The match between Gore and Roper Barrett and Gobert and Decugis in the second round of the men’s doubles may not only be regarded as a. contest for Totwn supremacy of the tournament, but as deciding the veteran championship of the world. It is a remarkable and wellnigh incredible fact that the combined ages of the four players totalled 191 ye&rs, or an average of 48 years each. Of the total, the two Englishmen numbered 111 years and <he two Frenchmen a mere 80, Gore (58) being the senior member of the party, and Gobert (36) the “baby.” The Frenchmen, therefore, had youth on their aide, and youth must be served, so they won the day, but only after the Englishmen had put up a gallant resistance rnd had carried the scoA) in the third set to 14 games. The consolation for this avenging of Waterloo lies in the fact that when Gobert and Decugis reach a combined age of 111 years they will probably not be playing tennis at all. The women’s singles suffered two setbacks—first in the enforced absence of Miss Helen Wills, who was expected to challenge the supremacy of Mile Lenglen and secondly by the retirement of Mile Lenglen on the ground of illness. According to the cabled results Mile Lenglen had played only two matches up to the time of her withdrawal, her victims being Miss Browne (America) and Miss Dewhurst, but in both •asea the scores- indicated that she was below par. Her retirement was unfortunate, out not altogether unexpected, and it certainly robbed the event of a good deal of its interest. Mile Lenglen dominated the ladies singles from 1919 to 1923 and in 1924 she waa prevented from comKting by ill-health, enabling Min Kitty 'Kane to win the .title. Last year Mile

Lenglen signalised her re-appearance at , Wimbledon by winning all three championahipe. In the semi-final of the singles she defeated Miss M'Kane without the loss of i game and in the final aha beat Miss

Joan Fry 6—2, 6—o. So much for the French champion when she is in form! In the present tournament Mrs Godfree (formerly Miss M’Kane) has given convincing proof that she is playing os well as ever, and her defeat of Miss Ryan in the third round bolds out a promise that she will once more have her name inscribed on the championship roll. The ladies’ doubles were marred by what will go down in lawn tennis history as the Lenglen incident—one of those ebullitions in which the volatile French player has been rather too frequent a participant. Not only did she keep the Queen waiting and have Borotra on his knees, but she defied the committee of the All England Club and she won an empty triumph because of what she has meant to the “gate” at Wimbledon. To some extent it may be said that Mile Lenglen is Wimbledon. For years past her wonderful skill has been the magnet that has drawn the crowd, and the dilemma in which the committee found itself may well be imagined, and if it had exercised its full powers it would have given her a place among the martyrs of sport. Instead, it took the line of least resistance, and as it happened, retribution came swiftly enough in the form of one of those few defeats which the French champion has suffered, a defeat which gave the spectators an opportunity to show the measure of their disapproval. Of the pairs that remain in this event Misses Ryan and Browne (America) are a very formidable combination, and should reach the final, while among tho English players Mrs Godfree and Miss Evelyn have been doing very well. The other American pair, Mrs Jessup and Mrs Mallory, went down to Mrs Hazel and Miss Joan Fry, and it is apparent that Mrs Mallory. has not retained tne form that has several times taken her dose to success at Wimbledon It may be noted in passing that Miss Ryan partnered by Mile Lenglen was successful in the final of this evont last year. Only a few rosults are to nand of the mixed Roubles, but from the prosent op pearancck> Borotra and Mile Lenglen appear to have an excellent chance of retaining the title which they won last year, unless the latter again breaks down. Vincent Richards has a very strong partner in Miss Ryan, and if the final comes to a Franco American contest a very thrilling encounter should result. B von. Kehrling and Senorita d’Alverez are another strong pair and of the English pairs Godfree and Mrs Godfree and Lycett and Mrs Lycett are in tho highest flight, and liable to upset calculations.

MLLE. LENGLEN RETIRES FROM SINGLES. LONDON, June 28. At Wimbledon, in the fifth round of the men’s singles, Kinsey beat Spence, 6—3, 6—B, 3—6, 6—B; Brugnon beat Kingsley, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. In the women’s singles (third round), Mrs Godfree beat Miss Ryan, I—6, 6—4, 6—o. In the fourth round Senorita Alvarez beat Miss Beckingham, 6—2, 6—2. i the fifth round Mile. Vlasto beat Miss Sterry, 6—3, 6—3. In the men’s doubles (third round), Richards and Kinsey beat Robb and Meyer, 6—4, 6—o, 6—3. In the men’s singles (fifth round), Cochet beat Gregory, 3—6, 6—4, 6—4, 6—3; Borotra beat Kozeluh, 6—4, 4—6, 9-7, 6-1. It is officially announced that Mile. Lenglen’s illness of the last few days continues, and that she has scratched for the singles. In the first round of the mixed doubles D. M. Greig and Mrs Mallory beat Brugnon and Mile. Mathieu 6—2, 5—7, 6—l; Spence and Miss Colyer beat Hodges and Miss Joan Fry 6—2, 11—9. In the second round of the men’s doubles Van Lennep and von Kehrling beat Gobert and Decugis 4—6, I—6,1 —6, B—6, 6—2, 6—2. In the third round Borotra and Aslangul beat Robson and Boyd 11—9, 6—3, 6—2. DAVIS CUP COMPETITION. ' ’ LONDON. June 29. The Daily Telegraph says that the international delegates to the Davis Cup Conference, by six votes to four, passed a resolution against making the contest every two years. France, England, and South Africa (the mover), favoured the change, and Australia and America were Against it WIMBLEDON TOURNAMENTS. LONDON. June 29. Mile Lenglen has retired from all the competitions at Wimbledon. June 30. At Wimbledon, in the men’s doubles, Austin and Lycett beat Altchford and Pryce-Jones, 6—2, 6—2, 6—3. In tho third round of the mixed doubles von Kehrling and Senorita Alvarez heat Lester and Miss Sterry, 6—2, 6—2; Godfree and Mrs Godfree beat Aeschliman and Miss Patchell, 6-1, 6-3. In the semi-final of the men’s singles Borotra beat Cochet, 2—6, 7—5, 2—6, 6—3, 7—5; Kinsey beat Brugnon, 6—4, 4-6. 6-3 3-6, 9-7. In the third round of the mixed doubles J. B. Gilbert and Miss Harvey beat Cochet and Mile Vlasto 6—3, 5—7, 6—4. In the fourth round Kinsey and Miss Browne beat von Kehrling and Senorita Alvarez 6—B, 6-4, 6-2. In the third round of the mixed doubles Richards and Miss Ryan beat Crole-Rees and Mrs Jessup 6—3, 6—4. In the semi-final of the women’s doubles Mrs Godfree and Miss Colyer beat Mrs (Fielden and Miss Welsh 6—2, 6—3. July 1. At Wimbledon, in the semi-final of the women’s singles, Mrs Godfree beat MUe Vlasto, 6—4, 6—o, and Senorita Alvarez beat Mrs Mallory, 6—2, 6—2. In the women’s doubles Misses Ryan and Browne beat Mrs Beamish and Miss Clarke 6—2. 6—3. In the fourth round of the men's doubles Cocliet and Brugnon beat Borotra and Aslangul, 3—6, 6—o, I—3, B—6. In the semi-final of the men’s doubles Richards and Kinsey beat Lycett and Austin, 7—5, 6—4, 6—4. In the fourth round of the mixed doubles Richards and Miss Ryan beat Gilbert and Mies Harvey, 8-6, 6-3.-A. and N.Z. Gable. In the fourth round of the mixed doubles Godfree and Miu Godfree beat Percy Jones

and Miss Maltbv, 6—4, 6—o. In the semi, final Kinsey ana Miss Browne beet Berger and Mrs Strawson, 5—7, 6—4, 6—o. Kinsey haa thus reached all three available finals. In the fourth round of the men’s doubles Van Lennep and Von Kehrling beat E&mee and Higgs, 6—4, 6—3, 6—2, and will meet Brugnon and Cochet in the semi-final. BOROTRA WINS THE SINGLES. LONDON, July 2. At Wimbledon in the semi-final of the men’s doubles, Cochet and Brugnon beat van Lennep and Von Kehrling 9—7, 6—4, In the semi-final of the mixed doubles Godfree and Mrs Godfree beat Richards and Miss Ryan 7—5, 6—4. In the final of the men’s singles Borotra beat Kinsey B—6, 6 —l, 6—3. In the final of the women’s doubles Misses Ryan and Browne beat Mrs God* free and Miss Colyer 6—l, 6—l. Experts assert that Borotra could have beaten any player in the world. Kinsey attempted to keep him back from the net with lobs, but he returned these crosscourtwise, and advanced to the net and demolished Kinsey’s returns with smashes. It did not take him long to master the American’s subtle cuts and slicings. He hit both backhand and forehand powerfully and with certainty, and even oirtlobbed Kinsey when he wanted to do so. FRENCHMEN WIN THE DOUBLES. LONDON, Jnly 3 In the final of the doubles Cochet and Brugnon beat Kinsey and Richards 7—5, 4—6, 6—3, 6—2. In the final of the ladies’ singles Mrs Godfree beat Senorita Alvarez 6—2, 4—6, 6-3. Godfree and Mrs Godfree won the mixed doubles, defeating in the final Kinsey and Miss Browne 6—3, 6—4. FINAL OF LADIES’ SINGLES. LONDON, July 3. Mrs Godfree opened by winning against the service and went to 3—o after a fine rally from the base line. Senorita Alvarez found her length and placed cunningly, but Mrs Godfree showed fine defence ana went on to 4—2, and 6—2. In the second set Senorita Alvarez continued to sacrifice accuracy for severity but her placing was better and she went to 4—2. She volleyed finely to win at 6—4. In the last set Senorita Alvarez went to 3 —l. Mrs God. free won a great rally and drew level at 3—3. She stayed on the baseline thereafter and won, receiving a great ovation. ANOTHER NON-APPEARANCE. LONDON, July 1. Owing to her illness Mile Lenglen will not be presented at Court.