ON HARD AND LAWN COURT

Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1932, Page 11

ON HARD AND LAWN COURT

VISIT OF AMERICAN TOURISTS MATCH IN TARANAKI HOPED FOR.

SOFFE CUP COMPETITION ENTRY.

(By

“Half-Volley.”)

Tennis enthusisasts throughout Taranaki would jump at the chance of seeing the touring American team in action m the province, and there is a fair possibility that the opportunity may arrive. An application has been made to the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association for the Americans to play exhibition games at New Plymouth, and if the present arrangements for the tour stand there is every probability of the application being granted. The Americans are due to reach New Zealand, either at Auckland or at Wellington, on February 14, and their visit is to cover three week-ends, during, which they will play in three of the city centres, it is the present intention of the New Zealand association to ask them to play in one provincial town, of the North. Island while they are travelling between Auckland and Wellington, and no more convenient break could be found than New Plymouth. The New Zealand association will confer with the tourists as they pass through New Zealand, so that an agreement can be come to concerning the details of the tour.

Notes on American Players. Notes on Ellsworth Vines, the youthful star of the team, appeared in this column last week. No lesser player is John Van Ryn, 26 years of age, and a great doubles exponent. Another university player, he was educated at Princetown, and has a tremendous list of successes which include: Doubles championship of Wimbledon 1929, 1930, 1931; French doubles championship, 1931; United States doubles championship, 1931; defeated Tilden 1929, and Austin 1928; represented the United States in the Davis Cup, 1929, 1930, 1931, .1932. He has many other championship titles, such as the Mexican singles and Canadian doubles. His favourite stroke is his forehand drive, which is remarkable for power and accuracy. . Wilmer L. Allison was born m December, 1904, and was educated at Texas University. He represented the United States in Davis Cup matches four times before the present season, beating with Van Ryn, Cochet and Borotra in doubles in 1929 and 1932. He won the doubles championship .of Wimbledon with Van Ryan, beating Cochet, and Brugnon, Tilden and Hunter, Gregory' and Collins, in 1929. He won the singles final at Wimbledon" that year, beating Cochet. He and Van Ryan won the . doubles championship at Wimbledon in They were runners-up for the United States doubles championship the same year, and captured the title last seaS °Keith Gledhill has been through California University and learned tennis at home under the instruction of his

father. His first tournament play com-■ menced at nine years of age. Later he won the national boys’ title under 15years. He has played in many international matches and uses to advantage his backhand, cross-court shot, which is his best scoring stroke. He partnered Vines on many occasions, from junior play onwards. He was bom in 1911. Mirs. Van Ryn, who will accompany the team, is a player of no mean skill. She has many triumphs and is ranked in the first ten in the United States, national ranking In general comment, all members are university players and are young. They all have learned the game on private or club courts and all but one are selftaught. Incidentally they play with 13* oz racquets, except Gledhill, whose racquet weighs 13oz. Allison and Van Ryan partner in doubles and Vines and Gledhill,_ and these are the two strongest pairs m the United States.

Expenses for Wives. Three members of the United States team Vines, Allison and Van Ryn, will be accompanied on the tour by their wives. The fourth, Gledhill, is not married. The policy adopted by the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia in payin" the expenses of the players’s wives is°an innovation not viewed with any "reat favour. It was, however, practically forced upon the association. When negotiations were first opened it was found to be impossible to induce players to make the trip unless arrangements were made for their wives to accompany them. Faced with the possibility of the tour being abandoned, and, indirectly, assisted by the reasonable terms of the governing body in tne United States, the Australian association decided to make itself responsible for the expenses of Mesdames Allison, Vines and Van Ryn. Sofie Cup Competition.

Taranaki association matters will soon be moving. All the clubs in the north will shortly be open and the inter-club competition for the Soffe Cup will have to be arranged. The committee in control of the competition is to meet next week. Last year the competition provided a welcome opportunity for players io test themselves against the. mem-

hers of other clubs and gain valuable match experience. Generally the competition seems to have given satisfaction, judging, from the comments made at the annual meetings of clubs, and it is expected it will again be a succes_s this season. Fitzroy will not compete. It is understood their decision to withdraw was made because it was considered the matches took up too much of the time that would otherwise be devoted, to club play, which, cannot be carried on over a very extensive period in a grass court club. Fortunately, however, it is possible that Inglewood may enter a team and so fill the gap caused by the defection of Fitzroy. There are several players in the Inglewood club who were originally A grade players but who have not been on the courts much for several years. On their ranking as A grade players they would unable to compete in the team for the cup, but it is the intention of the club to approach the Taranaki association to inquire if any of the players might be re-graded on their present form. If this enables the club to field a reasonably strong team; an entry will be made for the cup competition. ■Permanent Court Fixtures.

An important amendment to the rules of tennis, proposed by the Lawn Tennis Association chiefly due to the persistence of Mr. Wallis Myers, was approved at the last meeting of the International Federation. The effect is to enlarge the meaning of the term “permanent fixtures.” The following note has been. aduecL to Rule 20: — . If, for the sake of convenience, a doubles court be equipped with singles posts for the purposes of a singles aame, then the doubles posts and those portions of the net, cord, or metal cable and. band outside such singles . posts shall be permanent fixtures within the meaning of Rule 17 (b). ■ Rule 17 as amended provides that:— A player loses 1 point if-— (b) He return the ball in play so that it hits the ground, a permanent fixture, or other objects, outside any of the lines which bound his opponent’s court, except as provided in Rule 20 (a) and, (c). , ■ This means that if a ball, a players racket or person, touch the net or post beyond the singles sticks whatever action is taken must deal with this extension as if it did not exist. Umpires will have to watch carefully when a player touches the net near a singles stick. If he touches beyond the stick there will be no penalty, if the other side, he will lose the point. There is another matter worth mentioning. A player who has run far out to the side of the court to recover a ball may hit it from there, and if he returns it into his opponent’s court, even outside the net, it is a good return. But when singles sticks are used with a doubles net, as is invariably done in New Zealand, the ball may be stopped by the net between the doubles post'arid sjngles stick—a physical barrier: which, should not exist—and the player will lose the point. The convenience of using a doubles net for singles play' has disadvantages which might possibly prove serious in an important match. A Sartorial Note.

The good people responsible for the running of the championships at l Wim-

bledon, who were so concerned a year or two ago over women players appearing on the courts without stockings, may receive a further shock next season if a fashion begun by H. W. Austin and E. R. Avory, finds any acceptance among prominent players. Austin and Avory, during their recent tour in America, caused something. of a sensation when they appeared on the courts at Forest Hills immaculately clad in white flannel trousers . which ended several inches above the knee.. Perry and Olliff, the other members of the English team, wore garments of the more conventional length. It remains to be seen whether male courage can be. stretched to the point necessary, for an appearance /at Wimbledon in shorts and ankle-length socks.