TENNIS

Southland Times, Issue 21850, 29 October 1932, Page 14

TENNIS

(By

“Chop.”)

A and C grade matches to-day. The A grade draw is:—Waihopai v. Winton, at Winton; Central v. Invercargill, at Invercargill; Georgetown v. Gladstone, at Georgetown; Southend v. St. Mary’s, at Southend. The C grade dravy is:—Moana v. Invercargill, at Moana; Kennington v. Waihopai, at Waihopai; Georgetown v. St. Mary’s, at St. Mary’s; Makarewa I v. Southend, at Makarewa; Makarewa II a bye. , , One of the B grade matches postponed from October 15 will also be completed, this being Waihopai I v. Kennington. Ideal tennis weather still continues and all courts are being very freely patronized. , ~ . Entries for the doubles ladders close on Tuesday, November 1, with Mr I. Jack, C/o Public Trust. Labour Day proved most favouable for the many tournaments that were held. At Winton, Riverton, Gore and Waihopai there were big entries and keen competition. The entries for the town doubles ladders are far from good. To date ' pairs have entered in the men s section and 2 pairs in the ladies’ section. Entries must be in the hands of Mr I. Jack (Public Trust Office) by Monday at 5 p.m. It is hoped that at least 10 pairs will be on each ladder. The match committee cannot go in search of entries. Players are free to choose partners from any club and any grade. The competition should considerably improve doubles play and should provide plenty of enjoyment. Why not enter? After trailing by 5 sets to 6 Invercargill pulled the B grade match against Waihopai II out of the fire when the game was completed during the week. The Invercargill men are nearly strong enough for A grade but the ladies are not up to the same standard. The tourney at Winton was open to all players and drew a record and representative entry. Two or three years ago the standard of play at this Labour Day tournament was not very high, for although there were a few good pairs, there were a good many beginners. Tennis has shown a marked improvement in country districts, however, and each year has seen more and more town players travel out to the popular rural centre, with the result that a high standard is now maintained at the tourney. So large were the entries on Monday that only by using all available courts in the township and only by efficient organization were the final stages reached. Mrs Brandford (Winton) and Miss Manson (Southend) playing from the ewe 30 3-6 mark won the ladies’ doubles after an exciting final against a very promising Northern district pair, the Misses Wilson. Mrs Brandford has always been a fine doubles player and she has lost none of her skill. Miss Manson supported her excellently. When the town team visited Balfour last year to play Northern they returned full of praise for Miss Joyce Wilscn. Judging from their Winton displays she and her sister will yet gain Southland representative honours. The handicapping in this event was very good, both semifinals and the final producing scores of 7—6. The men’s doubles were deservedly won by Woodhead and Kincaid, of the Central District who, from the owe 15 4-6 mark, beat Stephens and Jones (owe 40) 9—6 in the final. Woodhead has a very attractive style and with more practice against better players would develop into a provincial representative. Stephens showed throughout the day that he is one of the best doubles players in Southland. One of the best matches of the day was that between Lindsay and Mason (owe 40) and Paterson McKenzie (owe 30 5-6) the latter pair winning 7—6. Paterson, partnered by Miss Wade, reached the final of the mixed doubles despite an impost of owe 40. The Central pair play off with Clarkson and Mrs Clarkson (owe 15 4-6) to decide the winners. About sixty players took part in the Waihopai Club’s tourney, the courts being kept fully occupied from 9.30 a.m. until dark. In the morning ladies and men’s doubles were played, and in the afternoon mixed doubles. The ladies’ doubles went to Misses Holdsworth and P. Murdoch (owe 15) who defeated Misses Wesney and Smith (owe 30) in the final 7—3. Allan Baird and Percy Rice proved a happy combination in the men’s doubles. Rice is driving with much more accuracy this season and Allan Baird is in very good form. He was able to get in some effective net work following his partner s sweeping drives. R. Frampton and G. Scandrett were runners-up. Scandrett further distinguished himself by annexing, with Miss R. Neilson, the mixed doubles. It was dark when the winning shot was played and so strenuous had the day proved for the victorious male that a prominent member of the club who lives nearby had to render first aid. The runners-up i# this event were Miss J. Andrews and W. Stewart. The latter, a High School boy, shows great promise. Miss R. Neilson is a distinct find for Waihopai. She played excellently during the day and was in large measure responsible for the win. Players congregated so thickly on the Invercargill courts on Labour Day morning that it was wisely decided to run a mixed doubles tournament in the afternoon. The contestants were divided into four sections and a twolife system obtained. The post-section play resulted as follows: Cockerill and Miss Murdoch defeated Miss Cutt and B ur k 7—3; Fish and Miss Gilkison defeated Miss Pryde and Sutton 7—3. Final: Cockerill and Miss Murdoch defeated Fish and Miss Gilkison 7—5. The St. Mary’s seniors were to have gone to Wyndham last Saturday for a friendly match with the Wyndham team but the game was cancelled owing to rain. An enjoyable afternoon was spent on the Georgetown Tennis Courts on Monday afternoon (Labour Day) when a mixed doubles yankee tournament was held. The weather conditions were ideal for play and some very interesting contests were fought out. Miss R. Henry and G. Smith were the successful pair and both played excellent tennis and thoroughly deserved their win. Several challenge matches for position on the ladder have been played and interest all round is very keen. Some of the junior players are showing good promise and it looks as though their will be quite a few changes in the relative positions on the ladder before the close of the season. Mr G. Thomas has already won two challenge matches and is now fourth man—it looks as though he will go still further. The Central-Invercargill match today should prove very interesting and will have a distinct bearing on the fate of the shield. Last year Central had a decisive win but Invercargill . should just about emerge victorious this afternoon. Central will, I understand, be without Miss Guest. On the other hand Invercargill will be strengthened by Miss Rein. The Central players may be a little short of practice through their court having been under repair, though other clubs have given them facilities for playing. Judging from the success of the tournament at Riverton on Labour Day, tennis must be booming in the Western District. So numerous were the entries that even an early start and efficient organization did not enable all the events to be decided. In the men’s doubles R. S. Harrington and Jameson

(Otautau) beat Rogers and Branks (Riverton) in the final. Misses Kelly and Hunt (Nightcaps) who, by the way, are cousins, play off against Misses Borland and Galloway in the ladies’ doubles final, while in the mixed doubles Walsh and Mrs Baird (Nightcaps) play off with Cosgriff and Miss Hunt (also of Nightcaps). Walsh is the promising junior who nearly put out Allan Baird in the boys’ championship at last Christmas tournament. The Gore Club’s tourney proved most successful. D. S. McLeod, though on the back mark, won the men’s singles handicap fairly comfortably and is a semi-finalist in the mixed doubles which has still to be decided. He is reported to be playing excellently. Townsend fully extended him in the club match' on Wednesday but the Gore man deserved his 9-7 victory. Miss Lawson played well to annex the ladies’ singles handicap, for she put out some strong opponents on her way to the final.

The Eastern District ladder is: Men; D. S. McLeod, Townsend, Chapman, D. M. McLeod, Henderson, Fitzgerald, McMillan, Maude, Martin, R. Polson, Leishman, Cowie. Ladies: Miss Kelly, Miss Harvey, Miss Blakie, Miss I. Graham, Miss E. Graham. The Western District ladder is: Ladies Mrs Duncan, Miss Kelly, Miss Hunt, Miss Westcombe, Miss P. Bailey, Mrs Laurie, Miss Galloway, Miss Hunter, Misses Burgess, Borland, Brotherton, Laurie. Men: Higgins, Vickers, Grant, Johnstone, Forbes, Porter, Cosgriff, Burgess, Welsh, R. S. Harrington, A. Helm and McLean. It will be seen that Miss Kelly appears on both ladders. She is at present stationed at Nightcaps but may later be back in Eastern District. A marathon ladder match was played on the Southend courts during the week, McCullum retaining top place by defeating Fortune 7-5, 5-7, 9-7. In a tournament held at Alexandra on Labour Day Miss Leek of the Southend club won the ladies’ handicap singles—a good performance against formidable opposition. Some uncertainty still exists regarding the vist and Itinerary of the American stars and it will be some time before it is known whether there is a likelihood of Invercargill being included in the programme. The team as announced in the American papers is H. Ellsworth Vines, the American singles champion for the last two years, the doubles champion this year, and the Wimbledon singles champion; Wilmer Allison, the second string in the Davis Cup and the man whose match with Borotra provoked so much controversy; Keith Gledhill, whose team-work with Vines has made them the national doubles champions, and who, like Allison, has beaten Vines in singles; and John van Ryn, the Texan, who is bracketed with Allison as one of the best doubles pairs in the world. Allison and van Ryn have won both the Wimbledon doubles and the American doubles, and it is not too much to say that this assembly of stars, if it comes, will be the fnost powerful team to visit this country, not even excepting the times when the Davis Cup has been played here.

EASTERN DISTRICT NOTES. The Eastern District matches played on Wednesday furnished one or two surprises, the chief of these being the defeat of Gore A by St. Patrick’s. At Wyndham Townsend and McLeod had a good contest and it was close going all the way, with Townsend driving exceptionally hard for him. MeLeod, however, was very consistent and won 9—7. D. M. McLeod and Henderson had many interesting rallies, but McLeod was too steady. ■, r. . Mrs Werry turned out for the first occasion in match play this season and has lost none of her old form, having three wins during the afternoon. Miss N. Paterson’s defeat of Mrs Barnett 7—2 came as a surprise as this was the first occasion on which Mrs Barnett had lost a game this season. Another surprise was the defeat of Henderson and Townsend in the men s doubles by McLeod brothers who outdrove their opponents. Maude is showing very much improved form this season and has lost much of his erraticness. On Wednesday he had three comfortable wins. The St. Patrick’s ladies played exceptionally well against Gore, losing only one single. Miss L. Bates is a vastly improved player, her backhand functioning much better than last season. Her defeat of Miss Biaikie, who is fourth on the Eastern District ladder, 7—2, was a particularly fine effort. Miss Graham is playing very well at present as shown by her win against Miss Oswin. V. Fitzgerald decisively avenged his defeat by G. Martin in the McCorkindale Cup series last season by winning easily on Wednesday by 9—2. A rather unusual occurrence was the defeat of both the Gore pairs in the men’s doubles, the scores in each case being identical, 9—6. The ladies’ ladder for the Eastern District has now been completed, the additional six ladies being as follows: Miss K. Jopp; Miss L. Bates, Miss Oswin, ' Miss N. Paterson, Miss L. Jopp and Miss F. Allen. Already more challenges have been made this season than for practically the whole of last season, and from all appearances tennis is on the up-grade in the district.

IS IT A LET? BALL STICKS IN NET. An interpretation of tennis rules last week-end in the Northern Suburbs will provide a real sensation, for it is certain that within a few weeks it will have a far-reaching effect, for the extraordinary decision of the umpire, according to the noted authority on tennis laws, Dr G. H. McElhone, is correct, (states the Sydney Sun.) It happened in the A2 match between Rialto and Northbridge. Plummer and New, of the former club, were partners, and during the bitter struggle Plummer drove a ball like a bullet into the net, where it stuck fast. To the dozen or so spectators and the players it appeared that the call would be against him, but Umpire D. L. Jones caused a stir when he announced “let.” There was an icy silence. A couple of the players queried the call, but the umpire stuck to his guns and referred them to the rules of tennis and was willing to back his opinion so strongly that the game proceeded and his call of “let” stood. Since that day those who saw the match have argued, turned up the laws of tennis, and spread the news of the amazing gap in the rules of tennis. Even the one man in Sydney who is more familiar with the laws of tennis than any other—Dr G. H. McElhone—confessed that, in his opinion, the umpire’s call of “let” was perfectly correct The Two Rules. He took this view by quoting Rule 19, which says: “If the ball in play touch a permanent fixture other than the net posts, cord or metal cable, strap or band, after it has hit the ground, the player who struck it wins the point; if before it hits the ground, his opponent wins the point.” And Rule 20a, which also says: “It is a good return if the ball touch the net, posts, cord or metal cable, strap or band, provided that it passes over any of them and hits the ground within the court.” Dr McElhone pointed out that in both these rules, and in any other rule, there is nothing to provide for a ball being caught in the net, so, obviously, it must be a “let.” Anyway, it has in-

, trigued him, and the other umpires of the association, so much that it will be discussed at a special meeting next Monday. Whatever action is taken, and the manner in which the association will get over this particular type of shot will be announced later. The finding will be forwarded on to the secretary of the Lawn Tennis Association, Mr Sabelli, with the recommendation that it should be put before the International Federation in March, 1933.

In the meantime, Mr D. L. Jones has become famous as being the first umpire to actually call “let” when the ball has been caught in the net, and, incidentally, caused more arguments amongst tennis people in the past few days than for many years past. I am not quite sure how things will go now, but until the Umpires' Association announces a decision, an umpire will be within his rights of calling “let” if a ball is trapped in a net. It is certainly going to cause a great deal of controversy.