BUDDING TILDENS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 671, 24 May 1929, Page 15

BUDDING TILDENS

JUNIOR TENNIS CHAMPS. HIGH STANDARD OF PLAY AUCKLAND BOYS DO WELL Wellington has been the scene during the last two weeks of the first hardcourt championship held in the Dominion, and quite a number of budding Tildens and Lenglens have been seen in action. All the players taking part have been under 18 years of age, while the style of play indicated that New Zealand is likely to have some clever players at its disposal in the not very distant future. The tournament took place under cover, as owing to wet weather it was impossible to play on the hard courts at Miramar, so that these junior championships may be considered the pioneer gathering of their kind in this country. There were eight courts in all. One on asphalt, two on malthoid, and five on wood, the latter being the most reliable. Among the players the most outstanding were ' finalists in the single events, ..o were undoubtedly of merit. E. Roussell (Wellington), who defeated R. Milne (Auckland) in the final of the boys' event, showed excellent form with the racquet, but so did some of the others who for various reasons failed to reach the final. \V. G. Robertson (Boutli Canterbury), EL. Brownlee and R. Smith (Auckland), and J. Bradley (Wanganui) may be placed in this category, and it would not take a very great stretch of imagination to see in future vears H. R. Escott (Canterbury), M. Ferkins (Wellington), F. Gallagher (North Otago), and T. Allison (Wanganui) adorning the championship rolls of one of the provinces, if not holding a place among the national title holders. Two Maori boys also showed themselves to

be very clever with racquet and ball, and one of them was really only beaten because of his lack of temperament and knowledge, a trouble which should bo overcome when he gets used to tournament play. Those two boys—J. Reweti and V. Wehipeihana—both of them representing the Maori Association. showed an aptitude for the game which was outstanding, the indication being that in a few years they will be knocking at the doof the singles title for New Zealand. THE GIRLS Of the girls the most outstanding player was Miss M. Purcell (Wanganui). She plays her tennis with a grim dourness which implies that she takes the game very seriously, which she has every right to do, as in a few years the lady champions of the Dominion may be making room for her. In the final against the Canterbury representative, Miss J. Morrison, the Wanganui girl with methodical precision sent back each ball, and often placed it cleverly, with the consequence that she came out a winner 6—-3, 6—l, the South Islander finding it impossible to make any impression on her opponent. With a little more training, however, and a greater attention to placements, the Canterbury girl, who has a fine, free and hardhitting service, and played a much prettier game than her opponent, should find herself among the frontrankers of the game. The other two semi- finalists, Misses Jean Ward (Taranaki) and D. Miller (North Otago) both played excellent tennis on occasion, but they were inclined to be too in and out to allow them to win matches against steadier opponents. Other girls who were outstanding and who should do much better when they find themselves able to settle down to tournament conditions, were Misses J. Chambers (Auckland), B. Griffiths (Auckland), I. Poole (Canterbury), C. Longmore (Wanganui), IT. Cox (Otago), J. Burns (Wellington) and M. Howe (Wellington). All these may be classified as promising juniors but all are much in need of correct coaching in order that they may get the best out of tiie aptitude they certainly have for the game. There is no doubt the tournament has resulted in the finding of some excellent talent, and it has also surprised the experts in the standard ? of tennis displayed, but it has also revealed the great need there is for proper coaching and training, particularly among the girls. Even the boys showed a lack of knowledge in handling the game, and it was in this direction that most of them lacked experience. They did not know when to come up to the net and when to use the baseline. Some of them were very clever in making placements, but they did not know how to manoeuvre their opponent out of position or how to make a kill when they had done so. Still, this knowledge will come with years to most of them, but it could be hurried if the youngsters received the advice of older and more experienced players. “HAS COME TO STAV” “Judging by the enthusiasm shown by the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, this tournament has come to stay,” remarked Mr. R. B. Hardy, manager of the Auckland team, to a Sun man on his return to Auckland. “It has done a lot of good. Players from Whangarei to Invercargill came together, and the standard was remarkably high.” This tournament—the first of its kind ever held in New Zealand—took place after 16 years’ effort. The idea of holding it came from Mr. W. J. Melody, a great Wellington enthusiast for junior tennis. What the young competitors thought of his efforts was illustrated by a presentation which they made to him on their own initiative. Referring to the Aucklanders. Mr. Hardy observed: “The boys were always in the running. The girls, however, were not quite up to the same high standard, except Miss Chambers, who put tip a splendid fight against Miss Morrison. Of the boys. Milne I

consider to have been the best stroke producer of the tournament. He cer-

tainly has the fault when coming up to the net of not getting right in. The same applies to Milne and Brownlee in the doubles, although they owe their win in the final to coming up to the net more often than their opponents Smith played a very heady game. He has not quite the power of the others, but he plays very judiciously. “I am given to understand that 200 boys and 200 girls are playing each week in competition tennis in Wellington,’* remarked Mr. Hardy. “This must have a big effect on the game there.”