TENNIS

Southland Times, Issue 20044, 4 December 1926, Page 18 (Supplement)

TENNIS

(By “Chop”). 1926-27 FIXTURES. New Zealand Championships, at Auckland, Christmas week. North Otago Championships, at Oamaru, Docember 25, 27 and 28. Southland Championships, at Invercargill, December 25, 27 and 28. Wellington Christmas Tournament, at Miramar, December 25, 27, 28 and 29. Hawera Championships, at Hawera, December 25, 27, 28 and 29 (conditional). Hawke’s Bay Championships, at Hastings, December 27, 28 and 20. Martinborough Championships, at Martinborough, December 27, 28, 29 and 30. South Canterbury Championships, at Timaru, January 1,3, and 4. Wanganui Championships, at Wanganui, January 1,3, and 4. Pahiatua Championships, at Pahiatua, January 1,3, and 4. Dannnvirke Championships, at Dannevirke, January 1,3, and 4. Auckland Championships, at Auckland, January 3,4, 5, and 6. Taranaki Championships, at New Plymouth, January 4,5, 6, 7 and 8. Palmerston North Championships, at Palmerston North, January 11, 12, 13, 14. Waipukurau Championships, at Waipukurau, January 13 and 15. Canterbury Championships, at Christchurch, January 20, 21 and 22. Wairarapa Championships (locality not decided), January 21, 22, 24 and 25. Wellington Championships, at Miramar, January 21, 22, 24 and 25. Waipawa Championships, at Waipawa, January 25 to 20. West Coast Championships, at Greymouth, January 26, 27 and 28. Nelson Championships, at Nelson, January 29, 31 and February 1 and 2. EASTER TOURNAMENTS. Canterbury Tournament, at Christchurch, April. Maori Championships, at lraug*\iui, April. North Auckland Championships, at Whangarei, A irU. Otago Chur .pionships, at Dunedin, April. Waikato Championships, at Hamilton, April. Wellington Torrmment, a' T jliramar, April. Hawke’s Bay Jub Ch. Moonships, at Napier, April. (Good Friday f'l's on April 15 next year.) Tennis players’ luck was in for two successive match days but last Saturday was hopeless. There is one consolation—nearly everywhere in New Zealand athletic fixtures had to be abandoned. The third round, postponed from last week, is being played to-day. The week has been anything but satisfactory for playing, a few hail storms and blizzards making conditions more like football. Very few ladder matches have been played and little practice indulged in. Hewat sustained a challenge from Meredith, defeating the Invercargill player 6 —3, 7—5. Meredith has good back and forehand drives if he is allowed to exploit them, but Hewat prevented this by judicious chopping and volleying. The Gladstone man was playing a much better game than at the early part of the season. The North Otago Christmas tournament, held at Oamaru on the same days as the Southland tournament, again promises to be well patronised by Dunedin players. Boddy, S. G. McDougall, Sherriff, Fulton and Miss Pattison will be competing, and Boddy and Fulton will be going on to Timaru for the New Year tournament there. “Smash” writing in the Otago Daily Times states that the Invercargill tournament has been revived this year and that “if Page and Sumpter partner each other in the doubles, as has been suggested, they should be pretty well invincible.” Ido not know whether Page will be playing Ixit Sumpter will be playing with his brother from Oamaru. Macpherson, of Wyndham, who has improved greatly under the tuition of his clubmate Henderson, should be easily worth a place on the Southland ladder. Who will win the New Zealand championship this year? Until the final entries are received it is hard to prophesy but I should say that, assuming Ollivier is absent, the four most likely finalists are Kalms, Andrews, Norman, Peach and Sims. Bartleet, Don France, Seay and Smyth should also be in the running. The fact that the New South Welshmen are competing will add considerably to the interest of the tournament and w'll renaP the championships of ston, Washburn of America and Patterson. O’Hara Wood and hwuuu ic-cu tralia were participants. ii will be remembered that Tilden and Johnston had a great go in the final but Bill proved too good for his wonderful little opponent. Norman Peach played very well when he encountered Tilden and took a set from the world’s champion. If he is playing as well now, he should go near to winning New Zealand honours this year. Norman Peach must not be confused with his brother Frank who came, round as captain of the New South Wales team a few years ago. Frank is the better general, but Norman is much the better player. Kalms, the present ' champion of his State, is a player of great promise and his chances will probaldy be most favoured at Auckland. If Peach and P air ’ n _ tlie doubles it will take New Zealand all its time to

produce a combination to beat them. Ollivier according to latest advice will not defend the title. This is regret-* table for it would be interesting to see how he would fare with the best of the visiting Australians. Still Geoff has often signified an intention of not competing and has entered at the last minute. Quite possibly this will be the case this year. A Christchurch Star reporter recently interviewed Ollivier and the question as to who would get the championship was asked. It was suggested that Don France might have a chance, but Olivier said: “I don’t think there will be a New Zealander in it at all. There’s Kalins, the Australian, and then there’s Norman Peach. There’s no knowing what he might do.” “If the Australians do not come, who do you think will get it?” he was asked. “Andrews is the man who might do it if the Australians do not come,” was the answer. The name of linn France was suggested as a likely champion, but Ollivier considered that while he had some brilliant shots, he did not seem to be able to last the games out. Speaking of Len France, he said that France would not be taking part in the tournament. Regarding himself, Ollivier said that he was playing fairly well at present, but was not in a condition to last out a tournament. He would need to practise daily if he were to play in the tournament. “To keep fit for tennis, one has got to play tennis,” he said. Norman Brookes has make known to the members of the Australasian Lawn Tennis Council the results of his efforts

to sectire international players for Australia. Nothing is apparently definite, and no time should be lost in attaining that objective. Writing in the Sydney Sun Richard Marsh has some interesting remarks to make concerning Australia’s future in the tennis world. Harada is at present in Japan, and Brookes intimated that he was ready to visit Australia this summer; that they had a new champion there now, and could put a strong side against us. I see that Harada forecasts Japanese supremacy in lawn tennis at an early date. Is any definite move being made by our Australasion Council to bring the Japanese team here? Japan would appear to be our only hope. The English mixed team, and, possibly, a French one, may come in twelve months time, but we have waited far too long already for some return of the visits of Americans and others to Australia. Twice now the United States has accepted Australia’s invitation, and twice has miserably failed to even submit a team for our consideration. With all her players one would think it far from difficult to arrange d visit to this country. It is evident her heart is not in it, and that so long as she holds the Davis Cup she will make little effort in this direction. I believe our best chance lies in the visit of American players in the composite professional side got together by Mr. C. C. Pyle, which comprises, so far as is known, Susanne Lenglen, Mary Browne, Vincent Richards, Howard Kinsey, and Paul Feret, though between now and this time next year there may be other defections from the amateur ranks. * Will £2OOO for the singles attract other players? Only those with a chance of winning, surely, unless there be compensation prizes, and, of course, there will always be many whom no prize could ever attract, no matter how rich. It will be most interesting, to see how the promoter will fare. He seems to be overpaying his converts. If Pyle carries out his intention of a world tour, with Australia as an important part of his itinerary much importance will attach to the stand that will be taken by the Australasian Lawn Tennis Association. Will Australia’s best players be allowed to meet Pyle’s professionals in exhibition matches? I hope so. In cricket and in golf we have matches between the amateurs and the professionals, also events in which each can compete. Is there any reason why it should not be done in tennis? It would be folly on the part of our amateur bodies to put obstacles in Pyle’s way, because the people will go to see the professionals, and if our association can derive some benefit by his enterprise so much the better.