Flashes From Fields Of Sport Abroad

Taranaki Daily News, 12 November 1934, Page 11

Flashes From Fields Of Sport Abroad

Dorothy Round’s Superiority.

The final of the women’s singles in the South of England lawn tennis championships, at Eastbourne recently, was the third occasion on which Dorothy Round and Mrs Maurice King (formerly Phyllis Mudford) had met this year. Each had a victory over the other to her credit. This time Dorothy Round emphasised her position as Great Britain’s champion, for five games in two sets were all that Mrs King could claim. There was just one time when the.issue seemed as if it might be in doubt* That was when Mrs King led 3-2 in the first set. After that Dorothy Round was quite invincible, and won 6-4, b-1. She ran Mrs King all over the court, with drives of great pace, both deep and cross-court; she kept such a grana length that the balls came too fast even for the fleet Mrs King. Often she finished a rally with a neat volley or a drop-shot. Stanley N. Doust remarked that, as she played on this occasion, the British champion’s flat drive was harder and more difficult than Helen Moody s.

Making her first appearance in the event, a 17-year-old Welsh girl, S. L. Browning, won the womens long-dis-tance swimming championship of England, from Kew to Putney, in Ihr llmin 15 4-ssec, a few weeks ago. That time was 42 l-ssec better than that of the second competitor to finish.

Stiff Battle For Andrews. The semi-final between E. D. Andrews anod C. E. Hare in the mens singles at the South of England lawn tennis championships was a strenuous one, lasting over two hours... Andrews won, 7-5, 6-8, 8-6, but so great was the pace that he collapsed on the court when he had won the last stroke. It was a match that fluctuated in every set, and the man who led in the early part of each set lost it in the end. Hare, the 19-year-old Warwickshire left-hander, led at 5-3 in the final set. In the ninth game, on his own service, he led Mlove. Then Andrews played four magnificent shots that nobody could have taken. This match took so much out

of the New Zealander that he could not reproduce his best form when he played Nigel Sharpe in the final, on the following day. Sharpe has learned to volley, and has become a player likely to give any other player in the world a good battle. His handling of the high break service, his immaculate length, and the accuracy of his passing shots were the features of a fine game against Andrews, whom he beat 6-3, 6-3.

Popularity Of Soccer.

From reports received by the International Association Football Federation it is clear that the game is still growing in popularity almost wherever it is played, and it is also continually being introduced to new areas. In Europe, Italy’s football prestige is now exceedingly high, as she won the “World Cup” in Rome last July. Austria’s stock has fallen slightly; she recently lost the Central European Cup to Italy, and so far she has been unable to make good the toll that age has taken of her “wonder team of a few seasons ago. The standard of play to improve in Germany. France is relying less on the help of foreign players. Russia has reached a surprisingly good standard of play, although her international playing relations are limited more than those of any other country in Europe.

At the . time of the last'race, over 1500 metres, between J. E. Lovelock and W. Bonthron, the latter being the Princeton University (U.S.A.) runner who ran second to the New Zealander when he broke the world’s mile record, it was hinted, that Bonthron was about to retire from the track. Colour is given to that indication now by an announcement that Bonthron will not compete in the 1936 Olympic Games at Berlin.

New York papers- say that the decision in favour of Jimmy McLarnin—it was given on the casting vote of the referee—in the fight in which he regained the welterweight boxing championship of the world from Barney Ross, who still holds the lightweight

championship, was not popular among the crowd of 25,000 spectators. Incidentally, the fight was one of the fiercest ever seen in the Madison Garden Bowl. Both boxers fought themselves to a standstill, and were badly battered at the finish. •X* Discussion continues on the prospects of an Association football tournament’s being held in connection with the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936. If, in accordance with Olympic Games rules, only amateurs took part in such a competition, those countries which have not yet openly adopted professionalism but which, it is well known, permit the payment of players, would have a great advantage. Football was played at the Olympic Games from 1908 to 1928. It was cut out of the Los Angeles programme in 1932, but the Germans would welcome its inclusion in the next Olympic Games, partly because of the great addition it would make to the receipts at the gate.

Lavish Praise For Perry.

Lawn tennis enthusiasts in America have been heaping praise on Fred Perry, the world’s No. 1 player, for his great victory in the United States singles ,at Forest Hills, New York. He is declared to have joined the immortals of the game. It is something of a change to see an American newspaper heading declaring that “Britain rules the courts.” American writers on lawn tennis have dubbed him “England’s Bill Tilden.” It is remarked that Perry in his recent form is as great a player as has been seen. He may lack the fluency of style of Rene Lacoste, or the gracefulness of J. H. Crawford, but he has what the others lack—speed of -stroke. Perry hits the ball a split-second sooner than anyone else; that is, he takes it earlier in its rise. So long as his condition and his eye allow him to do this it will take a super-champon to beat him.

P. C. Minns, former Auckland representative Rugby wing-threequarter, who played for the Blackheath Club after he left Oxford University, but who returned to New Zealand for a

while, and played in Wellington, is with Blackheath again. After a match in London a few weeks ago it was remarked that he still goes for the goalline as hard as ever.

Mania For Suspensions.

The U.S.A. National Boxing Association, which is national only, in name, recently held a meeting at which its disposition to hand out suspensions was more marked than usual. First, it suspended Jackie Brown, the British flyweight champion of the world. This, it said, was “because of a recent incident in England.” Then it noticed that Midget Wolgast, whom it claims to be world’s champion at Brown’s weight, was alleged to have assaulted an army veteran; so it suspended Wolgast, too. Then it remembered that Maxie Rosenbloom, listed as the world’s light-heavy-weight champion, had been accused of “clowning antics, and ridiculing opponents in the ring.” Rosenbloom was suspended. After that the association called it a day, probably to the relief of another champion who had committed the offence with which Rosenbloom had been charged. Of course, these suspensions hold good only in the association’s territory. So far as Brown is concerned, the British Board of Boxing Control says that the United States National Boxing Association has not received from it any communication about him, and the board still regards him as the holder of the title.

Through A Pavilion Roof.

Batsmen in the Lancashire county cricket team of late years have had very much more said about the stodginess of their play than about their hitting powers. So it comes as something of a shock to read that one of them hit a ball right through a pavilion roof. In the match between the champion county and the Rest of Eng-

land, at Kennington Oval, a few weeks ago, J. Iddon, who went, in first wicket down for Lancashire, hit a straight and lofty,six, off H. Verity, which fell on the pavilion ; roof and went right through it. Wire-netting under the roofing trapped the ball, which hung there out of reach. Another ball was brought into use. Iddon tried at once to send this ball to join the other, but he missed, and was stumped. He had scored 80 then. , «• * * New Thrill For Golfers. Golfers at Blaenavon, in South Wales, have been getting a new thrill out of their game lately. The contours of the greens change from day to day; what is an easy putt to-day may be impossible to-morrow. Recently the groundsman was working on a particular green, when he saw the flag in .the hole vibrating violently. The reason is that colliery workings are so near the surface that shots fired underground can sometimes be heard on the course above. \

World’s Championship Fight.

It was'in a good fight that Freddie Miller, of Cincinnati; U.S.A., retained the featherweight boxing championship of the world by beating Nel Tarleton, British champion, at Liverpool recently. Miller is a “southpaw”—that is, he fights with right hand and foot foremost—and he crouches. But he has remarkable footwork; he shifted this way and that, landing .blows, orthodox and unorthodox, from all. heights and angles. The combination of his footwork and shiftiness with his left-handed style nuzzled Tarleton considerably, and the Englishman was outboxed for six rounds. Through the middle portion of the fight Tarleton was the faster, and more than held his own in points, but his punching was not as forceful as the American’s. Miller was much the fresher and stronger over the last three rounds, and in the last round —the fight was of 15 rounds—he nearly knocked out his opponent. There was no doubting that Miller had won, but there was good ground for the opinion that, having learned —too late for that contest-how to box a “southpaw,” Tarleton probably would beat him in a return bout.