TENNIS

Southland Times, Issue 22293, 7 April 1934, Page 14

TENNIS

(By

“Chop.”)

Season all but over. , B grade knock-out final to-day. Gladstone play Central at Gladstone. Combined Districts play Central District at Winton to-day. Eyes will soon be turned towards Europe where the Davis Cup contests will begin in earnest, with Wimbledon following in June. McDougall and Miss Miller South Island champions. Miss Guest is the first Southlander to share in Island championship honours. Nicholson came very close to being South Island junior champion. Both at Dunedin and Roxburgh Southlanders were prominent. The 1933-34 season will rank as the most successful Southland has had. The weather for club matches was the only fly in the amber. Russell McCallum is the 1934 Southend Club champion. He beat Fred Rigby 6—3 6—2 in the final which was played during Easter. McCallum has been top man on the Southend ladder for the last four years but this is the first time he has won the championship. Though the entry was by no means representative of the full strength of the South Island, McDougall’s title will sit well upon him, for as a hard court player he ranks high and no one plays tennis with greater enthusiasm, concentration and determination. He trains hard, practises hard and plays hard, and freely patronises all tournaments within striking distance. When major honours come his way they are richly deserved, even though far more brilliant players may be robbed of crowns. Miss Miller’s victory was her first in the South Island championship, though for four successive years she has annexed the Otago title. On the programme the men’s singles and doubles finals were advertised as the best of five sets, but the committee for some reason reverted to the Otago championship conditions which in recent years have stipulated only three set finals. The Tournament Reviewed. The tournament must be classed as a most successful one, the standard of tennis being high, the weather ideal and the management by- the Otago Association excellent. The men’s singles was a triumph for the Otago veteran, S. G. McDougall. He played correct tennis in each one of his matches, driving deeply on both hands and often finishing off a rally with a clever volley. Rhodes-Williams was disappointing, but it is doubtful if he would at his very best defeat McDougall on the latter’s recent tournament form on a hard court. RhodesWilliams’s forehand drive is a beautiful stroke played with a fully extended arm. His body swings with his arm, and the ball, on hitting the court, goes through with very little bounce. Pearce’s form in the final was also disappointing. He erred far too frequently with his backhand. He seems to have forsaken his old top spin for an undercut shot which is not nearly so effective. Miss D. Miller proved too strong in the ladies’ singles, although Miss Pattison’s net play worried her at times. Of the Southland players who took part Miss Guest was the most successful, her form throughout the tournament being most impressive. _ She reached the semi-final of the singles at which stage she went down to Miss Pattison after a brilliant display by both players. Miss Guest’s net play would have tried Miss Millei- had she reached the final. Miss Guest practically dominated both the semi-final and final of the ladies’ championship doubles, although due credit must be given to Miss Barton for her steady baseline work. Miss Guest also played remarkably well in the mixed doubles with E. A. Pearce.

Mrs Hanan also had a good tournament, her best game being in the semifinal of the mixed championship in which she and W. Sherriff. were narrowly defeated by the ultimate winners, G. A. Pearce and Miss Baikie. Mrs Hanan's volleying in this game was brilliant and her placing uncanny. The success of W. Sherriff and Mrs Hanan in the mixed handicap was very popular. Miss J. Ronald was runner-up to Miss R. Barton in the ladies’ handicap singles. Her best games were in the semi-final in which she overwhelmed Miss Logan with hard hitting and in the mixed championships where she and Phillips after a hard fought battle. Miss Partridge after a long struggle. Miss D. Deegan (Central) started off well, but lost her form on the second day. McCallum (Southend) played well in all his matches and thoroughly extended McDougall, a feat of which both Pearce and Rhodes-Williams were incapable. But for an impatience to get to the net he might have beaten the champion. McCallum’s best performances however, were with Rigby in the doubles events. Neither has played tennis like it. They completely surprised Boddy and Dr Moody with their

consistent hard-hitting and in the next round only went down to Grimsdale and Phillips after a hard fought batle. They were not extended in the handicap event and were unfortunate in having to default the final which they would almost certainly have won. Arthur Deaker put up two splendid performances in taking Rhodes-Wil-liams to three sets, and, partnered by Ross, in taking G. Pearce and C. Deaker also to three sets. His forehand was functioning like a machine, matching Rhodes-Williams’s beautifully produced shots. His backhand always had pace and direction, but his service was poor in comparison with the other departments of his game. I. Shand, who usually does very well in Dunedin, was out of luck, being heavily handicapped in the handicap events. But he had a very good game against E. A. Pearce, in the championship singles, losing only after a long match. Robson (Central) played well in the handicap singles and also in the doubles with Stubbs. G. Black the Roslyn veteran had too much experience for Robson in the semi-final of the singles. Nicholson (Gladstone) was the run-ner-up in the junior singles championship, being defeated by Kerr from Waitaki. Kerr bases his game on his steady play and is very sound in all departments. Nicholson, too, is sound and produced all his shots correctly, but he was driving out on his forehand too often to defeat a player of Kerr’s calibre. Other Southland players at the tournament were S. C. Smith (Invercargill), J. Mclver (Southend), A. McKay (Central) and C. Hodgson (Central), all of whom met with a fair measure of success. Holders of the South Island championship to date are as follows;— Ladies. 1927- Miss M. Spiers. 1928- Miss M. Gibson. 1929- Mrs W. A. Scott. 1930- Miss M. Wake. 1931- Mrs W. A. Scott. 1932- Mrs H. M. Dykes. 1933- Miss D. Miller. Men. 1927- —T. W. Patterson. 1928- C. E. Malfroy. 1929- C. Angas. 1930- C. Angas. 1931- W. G. Robertson. 1932- C. E. Malfroy. 1933- S. G. McDougall. The Roxburgh Tournament. Several Invercargill and Gore players took part with considerable success at Roxburgh. The scores in the later rounds of the various events were: — Men’s singles championship: Second Round.—D. S. McLeod beat C. Lewis 9—o, J. Gilkison beat J. H. Smith 9 —3, J. Henderson beat G. Blaikie 9 —2, Johnstone beat Cousins 9—3, Rawlinson beat Falconer 9—6, S. Greenslade beat R. W. Stephens 9—5, A. Wilson beat C. Lockhart 9 —4, H. J. Pollock beat L. Wood 9—4. Third Round.— McLeod beat Gilkison 9—4, R. Johnstone beat Henderson 9—2, Rawlinson beat Greenslade 9—3, Pollock beat Wilson 9—3. Semi-finals—Johnstone beat McLeod 9—5, Rawlinson beat Pollock 9—3. Final.—Rawlinson beat Johnstone 9—-1.

Men’s doubles championship: Semifinal.—Rawlinson and Stephens beat Black and Wilson 9—4, Pollock and Swallow beat Gilkison and Marriott 9—6. Final.—Pollock and Swallow beat Rawlinson and Stephens 14 —12. Ladies’ singles championship: Semifinal.—Miss George beat Miss Becker 6—2, Miss Kelly beat Mrs George 6—5. Final—Miss Kelly beat Miss George 9—4.

Ladies’ doubles championship: Semifinals.—Miss George and Mrs George beat Misses Campbell and Tyrie 6—2, Misses Kelly and Jopp beat Mrs Gilmour and Miss Wright 6—l. Final.— Miss George and Mrs George beat Misses Kelly and Jopp 9—4. Men’s doubles handicap: Semi-finals. ■—Falconer and Greenslade beat Shand and Wood 30—21, Rawlinson and Stephens beat Marriott and Gilkison 30— Final.—Rawlinson and Stephens beat Falconer and Greenslade 31—

Men’s singles handicap: Semi-finals.— McLeod beat Pollock 30—28, Swallow beat Blakie 30—27. Final.—McLeod beat Swallow 30—18. Ladies' singles handicap: Semi-finals. —Miss Kelly beat Miss Low 26—24, Mrs George beat Miss George 25—20. Final. —Mrs George beat Miss Kelly 27—25. Ladies’ doubles handicap: Semifinals.—Misses Jopp and Kelly beat Mrs George and Miss George 25—21, Mrs Calverley and Miss Low beat Misses Harty and Walker 25 —17. Final.-— Misses Jopp and Kelly beat Mrs Calverley and Miss Low 25—13. Mixed doubles handicap: Semifinals—Wood and Miss Campbell beat Rawlinson and Miss Rankin 25—22, Stephens and Miss Gardiner beat Pollock and Mrs George 25—17. Final.—■ Stephens and Miss Gardiner beat Wood and Miss Campbell 25—18. Other Items. Australia is capturing a large slice of the world’s trade in championship and other tennis racquets—and all because of a “thick-head.” With this usually unpopular '‘asset,” however, there also is perfect “body balance.” (states the Sydney Sun.) So the Australian “thick head" is something different—hence its popularity over’ all other types. Two years ago England became interested in the Australian type of racquet, and since then orders have come to a factory at Launceston (Tas.) for large supplies. Jack Crawford and Quist played with the drybent racquet at Wimbledon and other places, and since then demands have been made on Australia to meet orders from England, Scotland, France, South Africa, India, New Zealand, China, and Japan. Vines, the American, followed Crawford, and he, with other Americans took home the thick-headed racquet. Many English tennis-players have also purchased them. Some manufacturers are so interested in the appearance of the Australian racquet that they have notified the Import Duties Advisory Committee that they request a mimimum specific duty on sports racquets and unstrung frames, which are now imported from Australia duty free. There is so much young tennis talent in Australia that mere youths in their ’teens play in championship form, F. J. Perry told S. N. Doust, of the Daily Mail. McGrath is showing vastly improved form, and the Australian team will take a lot of beating. “I believe Australia will be England’s challengers for the Davis Clp,” he added. AMATEURISM TOO ELASTIC? Once again an effort is being made to tear away the thin veil behind which international lawn tennis players have for years masqueraded. “Careful investigations” and “an alteration of the rules” are suggested by the International Tennis Committee. Will there ever be a real dyed-in-the-wool amateur? If the strict amateur rule were enforced, tennis, as an international game would fade out. No man could live on air—on the three shillings a day chits which are supposed to be issued to amateurs (writes Claude Corbett in the Sydney Sun). No doubt tennis authorities will declare that their players are amateurs, The Australian Board of Cricket Control looks upon its men who receive £6OO for a tour of England as amateurs. Nobody else does. Woodfull and his men could not compete as amateurs on the running track,

in the swimming pool, or in the boxing arena even if they wanted to! They are professionals. Members of the Australian XI could not subscribe to the amateur definition because of the money they receive; and, if by chance, Bradman or Brown, for instance, swam in a race for amateurs, other competitors would be liable to disqualification for competing with professionals. That is definite. Whether they would be similarly regarded as professionals in tennis has not been laid down, but if the amateur law were rigidly enforced they would have to be.

Ellsworth Vines and the other American players had a high time in Australia when on tour with the American tennis team. People who know tell me that Vines received £4 10/- a day! So did the other members of the team, while the three who had their wives with them were given an extra £2 a day. From this money they paid their hotel board only. Travelling expenses were extra! Consequently, long before Vines openly avowed his professionalism he was beyond the pale as an amateur.

During the past year,- English Rugby Union has disqualified many men, who, while playing as amateurs, were committing acts of professionalism with the Rugby League. Their procedure was to play trials with Rugby League clubs under assumed names, and, if acceptable, sign on. If their football was not up to standard, they went back to their Rugby Union clubs. The time has come in football, in England, when very few men can live up to the strict letter of the amateurcode.

The International Tennis Committee has made a big noise. The din will die away in the distance. And, after all, who will worry about that. Certainly not the players! Men will, as the report points out, continue to live at somebody else’s expense from January 1 to December 31. Warning tennis men about entering the ranks of professionalism, the committee evidently has forgotten that Vines received £1425 for his first match in New York, while Tilden and O’Brien each pocketed something like £7OO.