LAWN TENNIS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13797, 31 October 1908, Page 10

LAWN TENNIS.

NOTES. (My • 'Volley.") A typical Taranaki spring has made I impossible to open the grass courts ill next week at any rate, but enthuuists have boon making good use of he few asphalle. courts here. Tlio season is so short here that ocal players will always be at a disadvantage in competition with those from nitsido until the asphalte game be"omes more general. For this reason t is pleasing to note that the New 'lymouth Club has decided to lay down land and tar on \t* small court. Winter )lay only needs a beginning to make it < .cry popular. There is a rumour that 1 lieu private asphalte court may be formed in the west end of the town shortly. While New Plymouth Club is about to open an asphnlto court, Fitzroy has laid down two courts in grass. The izrass practice will give the Fitzroy players a far better opportunity of succeeding in tournament games. What the players of this club now want is plenty of practice against their superiors at the game. Tho improvement that would result from good inter-club matches and tournament play would probably surprise them. Inter-club matches were all too rare in New Plymouth last year. The holding of the championships here was largely responsible for this. For the sake of the game it is to be hoped they will be more frequent this season. Apropos of this, a little story: In Wellington a few years ago there was only one club that could play tennis — the Thorndon Club. There were several other bodies of nondescripts and beginners. Then inter-club matches began. Thorndon at first held aloof, but afterwards joined in the competitions. Both before and after Thorndon began to compete the play of the other clubs improved with steady rapidity until the old club's supremacy was challenged. Of late years there"l?ave been two clubs on practically the- same level as Thorndon, and their improvement has been duo not so much, though partly, to the advent of first-class players as to the improvement of the erstwhile nondescripts. If inter-club matches are to be arranged the club th«t should take the initiative in this district is the New Plymouth Club. The Taranaki tournament on January 1 and 2 will have some opposition ironi other centres. The NoK-mi championship and handicap tournament follow immediately after the New Zealand meeting. The Wellington Association's handicap tournament commences on Now Year's Day. Considerable interest is being taken >in the approaching contest for the Davis Cup, which is to be played in Melbourne between the American and Australasian teams, starting on November 26. If Wilding is in anything liko form he and Brookes should be able to retain the Cup. The popularity of lawn tennis iv New Zealand is still going ahead by leaps and hounds. T*p to the end of September the number of active affiliated players reached the total of 6832, and since then the total has gone over 7000. One hundred and forty clubs are affiliated, and it is hoped to increase that number by 20 this season. The annual report of the New Zealand Association shows that 52 olubs"thfttr J nre'very active; t»rfd are the holders of good courts with enthusiastic members, are not yet affiliated. The Auckland district has quite 20 or 30 clubs unaffiliated, but it is understood that active steps are to be taken this season to get all the clubs in. Wellington heads the list with 36 clubs and 1862 players, whilst Otago with 30 clubs and 1102 players, and Canterbury with clubs and 1192 players, are close up. The New Zealand Association's financial position is good, there being a balance of £74 odd at the bank. The assets amount to £130 aud the liabilities are nil. F. B. Alexander, one of tho members of the American team about to visit Australia, has caused a sensation in lawn tennis circles in that country by foot-faulting B. C. Wright, who is also coming to Australia. Wright took the lesson, and immediately mended his ways without materially affecting his play. Wright, when playing at Wimbleton, was foot-faulted in an important match, and seemed to be considerably disconcerted thereby. The New Zealand Association has increased its balance during the past year from €42 14s 3d to £74 12s lid. It is mentioned in the Association's annual report that the last championship tournament, held at New Plymouth, was a success, financially and otherwise. The committee of the New Zealand Association in its annual report records its gratitude to the Taranaki Lawn Tennis Association, its hon. secretary, Mr J. Paton, and assistant hon. secretary, Mr 14. Stocker, and other officials for the able manner in which tho New Zealand Championships* of 1907 were carried out ; also to the New Plymouth people and others who gave trophies for tho last championship meeting. ["Volley" will bo pleased to receive news from town and country clubs for insertion in this column.] The New Zealand Association decided at the annual meeting at Wellington last night to secede from the Australasian Association. It is cutting off its nose to spite its tace. Its main reason for joining the Australasian body was to strengthen both countries in competitions for the Davis Cup. The move succeeded. Australasia won the Cup with a combined team — N. E. Brookes (Victoria) and A. F. Wilding (New Zealand). Brookes and Wilding are to defend the Cup this year against the American challengers and will "robably win. Without Wilding tl Australasian team would have ahi chance of losing. Without Brookes it »'ould be practically certain to lose. So we have the delightful prospect that next year, if England or America can send a strong team out the Cup will be lost to the Southern Hemisphere. And what a poor chance we sliquld have of getting it back ! Possibly in Australia a second Brookes might come forward and help to retrieve the laurels, but what chance beyond one in a thousand would New Zealand, isolated, have of getting a team away to England or America that could' defeat the best players of these countries? Even Wiiding is only on the edge of the first flight of the world's players, and at present there is no one in New Zealand to approach him. The prospect is dismal. If tho union with Australia were maintained there would at least be a chance that in a few years a Davis Cup match would be played in New Zealand. Still it has to bo admitted that the New Zealand Association has been "cavalierly treated," as the chairman says. It must be very annoying to its officers and humiliating even to delegates to feel that the Association is being ignored in the important counsels of Australasia. But that is not a sufficient reason to justify secession.