LAWN TENNIS

Otago Witness, Issue 3806, 22 February 1927, Page 60

LAWN TENNIS

: BY SMASH. The Otago team to play Canterbury will leave here on March 3, and will play South Canterbury on the same afternoon / and the following morning. The Canterbury match will be played in Christchurch ©n the Saturday. ~ Last Saturday’s matches brought the B section of the Otago Lawn Tennis Union’s competition to a close. By defeating St. Leonards Kaikorai became the winner, hav ing had no losses registered against it. The A section is still in doubt. First Church, after a fairly even game, defeated Kensington A last Saturday, and it will now be necessary for First Church to play ~ Broad Bay and Portobello, these -matches having been postponed in the season. First Church will have to win both these matches to win the A section, llie final between the A and B section winners will •be played on March 5. Tlie handsome challenge cup presented by Mr B. C. Galloway for competition among tho men of Southland will be competed for at the beginning of next month (says “Chop,” in the Southland Times). tho conditions governing the competition tho four top men on the provincial ladder at the end of February play off. In the semi-final the top nran meets the fourth man and the second and third meet, the final being played the week later. All matches are the best of five sets. At present the first four men on the ladder are Gilmour, Deaker, Hinton, and Sumpter. Hinton, however, is leaving, so that it looks as if the competition will be among Gilmour, Deaker, Sumpter, and Lindsay. Deaker’s ankle, which prevented him from being included in the team to play Otago, is rapidly improving, and it looks as if he will be Ct again next month. In the final, of the Australian singles championship G. L. Patterson beat J. B. Hawkes 3—a, 6 —4, 3 —6, 18—16, 6—3. How near Hawkes came to winning the title is shown by the fact that when Hawkes was leading 13—12 in tire fourth set he had match point four times in the next game with Patterson serving. In the thirty second game, also against .the service, he again had match point, but Patterson survived the crisis and went on to win the two deciding games. Crawford, the University colt, was beaten by Moon (Queensland) .2 —6, 9—ll. B—6, t—3, B—6. According to “Hi’ka,” in the Evening Post, both are likely Davis Gup players, and it is on the cards that they may be given a chance with Patterson and possibly O’Hara Wood, as Hawkes is una A >IP make the trip if he is chosen. In the final of the ladies’ championship singles Miss Boyd (Victoria) beat. Mrs Harper 6 1, 6—2, and in the doubles Mrs ,Vo°d and Miss Bickertcn beat Mrs Harper and Miss Boyd 6—3, 6—3. The tournament was well managed, and it is interesting to note that a profit of £lOOO is likely th be handed over to the Australian Lawn’ Tennis Association. : Dr Winnington-Ingram, the 68 rears old x.ord Bishop of London, Miss Helen N. Wills, William M. Johnston, and Dr Sumner Hardy made up an exhibition doubles match at the Claremont Country Club in Berkley, on Armistice Dav (states American Lawn Tennis). Miss Wills Paired with the Bishop against Johnston and Dr Hardy, and came out on the short end, 64, 6 2. Then, wishing for an opportunity to play against Miss Wills, his Lordship moved over to the opposite sido of the net with Johnston losing one rhore set to the'lady and Dr Hardy, 6 —3. . Bishop, vho is en route to the Dominion on a trip round the world, says tjiat his lawn tennis keeps him in condition to make seven or eight addresses a week. Ihe style of the game played by the veteran churchman, and his spry-_ i>ess on the court was quite a revelation to the large gallery of onlookers who had journeyed to the club to see the meeting of winter «'nd spring. His back court game is a combination chop and drive, cuite an original stroke, but every effective. and "lie places it well. His net shots are very . good, well timed, and well angled. ■ r tampions were his foils, two of them national litlists. and the other a one-time holder of tho Pacific Coast championship. ?. “Personally I see no objection to professional lawn tenuis, and I blame no player for turning professional/’ writes W. T. Tilden. “I consider that a matter for individual to decide for him or herself. Certainly there is no stigma attached to >t. Mr C. C. • Pyle made me art; offer which I turned. down. It was turned down because I believe that I owe, it to amateur lawn tennis to play one more year at least. I liave reaped the honours and advantages which the American title affords for six years. I believe, (hat it would be r ? cst ,lna P° r tsman!ike to turn professional vt r l vear that that title goes abroad, if 1 had enjoyed the fruits of the champion s title, I should do what I can to returned to this countrv next rear, whether it is won by some other America or myself. - In making this decision 1 am laying. no claim to the ability to regain, the title myself, nor am I fooled a.? to the extreme difficulty, of: the task of anyone regaining the championship from Lacoste. He is a 1 marvellous player and worthy of his positron. If is’ only that rp.V personal standards of snortsmanship demanded that I should remain amateur next year. The amount of money Mr Pyle, offered me did not affect my decision, \ nor is my decision against the idea of professional tennis. ■ I might sign in 1928. but the year of 1927 presented peculiar circum-stances-which I felt demanded my upholding the sporting traditions of amateur sport. Lacost« ;won the covered court championship of /France ' by defeating Pierre „ Lanpry, a Hsing tennis star. B—6, 6 2. 8 6. Lsntlry has brushed aside stars of such magnitude as Jean Borotra and oacquos-. B. Brugnon, on his way to the fop The latest French lawn tennis star gave the holder of the United States championship a battle,, throughout. Undismayed by the reputation of his adversary, Landry attacked- all through the first set. * while the stolid Lacoste stood on the baseline awaiting his oponent’s errors. The first and third sets-were very evenly disputed, while Lacoste carried the second without much opposition. The fifth game .of the third set went, to deuce 17 times. Landry’s. best stroke was a backhand cross- , court drive, with which he fooled Lacoste several times, Lacoste displayed a new service which puzzled the spectators who LaVe not. sgen him nlay since his return from. the - United State’. Borotra was eliminated in the semi-final, 6—2, 4—6,

6—4, by Landry. Borotra shared with Lacoste and Henri Cochet first place in the French lawn tennis rankings recently trade public by the French Federation. Lcrdry, who is 21, was rated in a tie with Joan Emile Couitcas for fifth place. He was ranked fifteenth in 1925. The young star not only prevented Borotra from meeting Lacoste in the finals, but has brought himself into strong relief in the French lawn tennis world. Borotra, it is said, was not in his finest form, as he landed from an aeroplane from Milan at noon, had his lunch, and then went to the courts.

THE WILDING SHIELD. WELLINGTON DEFEATS CANTERBURY. CHRISTCHURCH, February 18. The lawn tennis contest for the Anthony Wilding Memorial Shield between Wellington and Canterbury commenced at Wilding Park to-day. Canterbury are the present holders. Results (Canterbury players mentioned first): — SINGLES. C. Angas lost to A. L. France 2—6, 3-6. T. W. Patterson beat D. G. France 6-3, 6—4. I. A. Seay lost to E. D. Andrews 2—6, 6-2, 5-6. G. Ollivier beat N R. C. Wilson 4—6, 6-2, 6-0. DOUBLES. Ollivier and Seay beat Wilson and A. L. Franco 6 —4, B—6.8 —6. Angas and Patterson lost to Andrews and D. France 6 —B. 2—6. February 19. In the competition for the Wilding Shield Wellington beat Canterbury by two sets. Results (Canterbury players mentioned first) :— SINGLES. Patterson lost to L. France 1 —6,’3—6. Seay ;os; to Wilson s—-7, 5 —7. Angas bqat D. France 2—6, 9—7, 6 4. Ollivier beat Andrews 6 —3, 6—o. DOUBLES. Ollivier and Seay beat Andrews and D. France 6 —B, 6— 2, 7—5. Angas and Patterson lost to Wilson and I. France I—6,1 —6, 3—6. Each team won six matches, but Wellington had the very narrow advantage of two sets. A feature of to-day’s play was the overwhelming defeat of Andrews, the singles champion of New Zealand, by Geoffrey Ollivier, former champion, in two straight sets, 6 —3, 6—o. OTAGO DEFEATS SOUTHLAND. INVERCARGILL, February 20. The Otago lawn tennis team yesterday added another victory to its long list of wins against Southland by narrowly defeating the home representatives by 13 matches to 11. The weather conditions were anything but bright in the morning, but as the day wore on they improved and permitted good tennis to be played,. and incidentally some keen contests. As in previous years tne Otago men proved too strong, but thg Southland ladies evened up matters, Otago securing the match on combined play. Following are details of the games (Otago names first)): — MEN’S SINGLES. M'Dougall beat Gilmour 6 —4, 11 —9. Cleghorn beat Sumpter B—6,8 —6, I—6, 6—l. Duthie beat Lindsay 6 —o, 6—4. Jensen beat Henderson 6—4. 6—3. Rawlinson lost to M'Donald 4 —6, 5—7. Pollock beat Hewat 6—3. 5 —7, 6 —4. MEN S DOUBLES. M'Dougall and Cleghorn beat Sumpter an. 4 Gilmour 6—4, 9—7. Duthie and Jensen lost to Lindsay and Henderson o—6,0 —6, 6—3, 5 —7. Rawlinson and Pollock beat Hewat and M'Donald 6-3, 7-9, 6-1. COMBINED DOUBLES. Mrs Tregear and M'Dougall beat Miss Tucker and Sumpter 6 —2, 6—4. Miss M‘Adam and Duthie beat Miss Watson and Lindsay, 6 —l, 6—l. Miss Anderson and Cleghorn beat Miss Rein and Gilmour, 6—3, 11 —9. Mrs Jensen and Jensen lost to Miss Guest and Hewat, 2—6, 3—6/ Miss Sparrow and Rawlinson lost to Miss Melvin and Henderson. 2 —6, ,3 —6. Miss Moloney and Pollock- beat Miss Mahoney and M'Donald, 6 —3. 6 —4. " LYDIES’ SINGLES. Mrs Tregear-lost to Miss Tucker, 1 — 9. Miss M'Adam lost to Miss Rein, I—9. Mrs Jensen Jost to Miss Watson, 7 —9. Miss Anderson lost to Miss Guest, B—9.8 —9. Miss Sparrow, lost to Miss Melvin, I—9.1 —9. Miss Moloney beat Miss Mahoney, 9 —4. LADIES’ DOUBLES. Mrs Tregear and Miss M'Adam lost to Misses Tucker and Rein, I—6,1 —6, I—6.1 —6. Mrs Jensen and Miss Anderson lost to Misses Watson and Guest, 2—6, 2—6. Misses Sparrow and Moloney beat Misses Melvin and Mahoney, 6—l, 6—2. J RESULTS OF GAMES. Thirteen contests have now been played between the provinces, with the following results:— 1910 — Southland. 1921 —Otago 1911— Otago. 1922—Otago. 1912— Otago. 1923—Otago. 1913— No contest. 1924—Otago. 1914 — Otago. 1925 —Otago. 1915— —War years 1926 —Otago. 1919—Otago. 1927—Otago. ' 1920—Otago.