TENNIS

Southland Times, Issue 19823, 20 March 1926, Page 18

TENNIS

(By “Service Ace.”) PROVINCIAL LADDER. Following is the ranking on the Southland Provincial Ladder:— MEN. LADIES. Gilmour (In’gill). Miss N. Rein Deaker (In’gill). (Invercargill). Henderson (Wynd- Miss Edie (In’gill). ham). Miss Duthie Hinton (In’gill). (Invercargill). Hudson (Central). Miss G. Hutton Lindsay (Winton). (Invercargill). McDonald (In’gill). Mrs C. F. A. Jones Walker (Winton). (Invercargill). Hewat (Gladstone). Mrs W. D. Cowie Meredith (Winton). (Waihopai). Mrs MacFarlane Brandford (In’gill). (Gladstone). Drewe (In’gill). Miss Watson Satterth waite (Winton). (Winton). Mrs Martin Wilson (Riverton). (Winton). Miss Logan (Invercargill). As the end of the season draws near, many of the younger players are showing considerable promise, particularly one or two who may be singled out for mention. Of the ladies, perhaps the two outstanding ones are Miss Mahoney, of Southend, and Miss Melvin, of Central. Both these players were chosen to represent Southland as an experiment and acquitted themselves exceptionally well. Miss Ott and Miss M. Todd, both of the Invercargill Club, are players of exceptional promise and are perhaps two of the best juniors at present in Southland. With a little coaching all these players should develop a game that will be very useful, both from a club and provincial point of view. Of the men, Treeby, a High School boy, playing for Central, is outstanding. If this young player can be coached by the top players, he should develop into a champion. His style is a very natural one, while his strokes are easily and gracefully delivered. Why I do not mention the top players of other clubs, other than the Invercargill Club, is because the style in all the smaller clubs is inclined to be cramped and quite the opposite to assisting natural tendencies. Hughes, of Central, like Meredith, of Waihopai, has a good style, but both these players will require careful coaching to bring out their best as their advancement this year has not been as great as was at first anticipated. However, 1 understand that they are always under the eyes of the Selection Committee and this should be an incentive to raise their own standard of play by careful study and diligent practice.

Drewe and Strettell, both of the Invercargill Club, are both on the verge of becoming A grade players and should develop a very useful game during the next season. All these clubs would be well advised to follow the practice of the Invercargill Club and hold annual competitions. By so doing the senior players are able to watch the play of all juniors and assist them with useful advice and coaching. The Galloway Cup for the men’s singles championship of Southland, was won on Saturday by E. M. Gilmour, Invercargill Club. The other finalist was A. J. Deaker, also Invercargill. It was a game of hard driving, both men playing well. Gilmour, who appeared to be at the top of his form, made very few mistakes, volleying clearly and placing his ground strokes accurately. Gilmour took the net a good deal, cutting off many of Deaker’s drives and smashing anything loose. Deaker stayed back most of the time, his. volleying being the weakest part of his game, being frequently side-lined when he did go in. The match, which was the best of five advantage sets, was taken by Gilmour in straight sets, 6 —3, 6—2, 6—4. AFTER THE MATCH SIDELIGHTS ON SUZANNE AND HELEN The next day when the .Associated Press correspondent called, her father greeted him with the words: “Poor little one, she is very tired, but she wants to see you. She wants to talk to some one who has been impartial. She will see you.” Suzanne’s cozy little room was furnished in Louis XV style and glittering with silver and gold cups won on the world’s tennis courts. Mademoiselle herself wore a simple blue kimono trimmed with Burges lace. Hundreds of telegrams and messages of congratulation were strewn around. Mademoiselle’s face lit up when she saw the correspondent. “How Is Miss Wills?” was her first question, and when informed that Miss Wills was so tired that she had to request a postponement of her match at Beaulieu she remarked, sympathetically: “Poor little girl; I know how it feels. Look at me. I have stayed in bed all day. But I am getting to be an old woman; she is a mere child. I will be twenty-seven next May. “She is a good sport, a nice little girl. If ever I lose my title before I retire for good and all from the courts, there is no one to whom I would like better to pa® it on than Miss Wills.” Mlle. Lenglen rattled on in an animated manner. “Be quiet; don’t get excited,” said her father, stroking her hair. “You are a good little girl; you are all right Don’t cry,” as tears welled up in Suzannes eyes. “Please don’t be angry at what T said yesterday after the match. I was nervous and excited when I said I knew you would have to congratulate me on victory. Please do not think I am so conceited that I do not know I must be beaten some time. But it was the crowds, environment and reaction —I do not know.” Her father drew the covers around her, saying soothingly: “All right, all right, my little one. I think you had better try to sleep now.” Suzanne buried her face in a cushion, a vision of desolation and despair. She did not at the moment quite fittingly exemplify the fame and splendour of world’s tennis champion, as generally pictured. “Poor child, I would like to assure her future against want,” said her father, as he escorted the correspondent downstairs and discussed an offer of 20,000 dollars received from a well-known promoter’in the United States if Mlle. Lenglen would turn -professional and play five matches. “We are comfortably off, but not rich,” added the father. “I am getting old. Twenty thousand dollars is a lot of francs; it would be wealth for mv girl. But we cannot turn professional; this is not boxing. She won’t hear of it.”