LAWN TENNIS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13843, 24 December 1908, Page 9

LAWN TENNIS.

(By "Volley.")

COMING EVENTS.

December 26 and 28 — Hastings open championships and handicaps, at Hastings. December 26, 28, and 29— New Zealand open championships, at Nelson. December 30, 31, January 1 ami %*- Nelson open championships and handicaps, at Nelson. December 30, 31, January 1 and 2—2 — Whangarei open championships and handicap tournament, at Whangarei. December 31, and January 1 and 2— South Canterbury open championships and handicaps, at Ashburton. December 30, 31, and January 1 and 2 — Whangarei championships and handicap tournament, at Whangarei. January 1, 2, and 4 — Wellington open handicap tournament, at Day's Bay. January 1 and 2 — Pahiatua open championships and handicaps, at Pahiatua. January 1 and 2 — Hawke's Bay open championships and handicaps, at Greenmeadows. January 1, 2, 4, and 5 — Auckland open championships and handicaps, at Mount Eden. January 21, 22, and 23 — Dannevirke open championship meeting and handicaps, at Dannevirke. January 22 and 23 — Rangitikei open championship and handicap tournament, at Marton. January 22 and 23— Wairarapa open championships and handicaps, at Masterton.

Daily reports of the play in the New Zealand championships at Nelson and in the Nelson Tournament will be telegraphed to the Herald, giving notes on the play in the principal matches and on the doings of Taranaki players.

It is a great disappointment to hear that Alexander has abandoned his intention to come to 1 New Zealand. He has received a call home, his father being ill. The Stratford Tennis Club (second teams mot tho St. Andrew's Tennis Club (first team) on the former club's courts last Thursday. The Stratford Club won by 14 sets to 5, the games being 128 to 8.

The Eltham Tennis Club sent a team to Hawera on Saturday to engage the HaAvora Club. The game resulted in a win for Hawora by 154 games to 89. Miss Powdrell is again playing with Miss A. Gray, of Auckland, in the New Zealand championships. For the Wellington handicap tournament, to be held at the Now Year, 188 entries have been received. The Lawn Tennis Association (England), at a council meeting held on October, 26, considered an application from the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association to be made a separate nation for the purposes of the international match (Davis Cup) competitions. The secretary was instructed to write to the lion, secretary of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australasia to ascertain the views of Australia before taking any further steps in the matter. The Americans use a ball not so well blown up as the English make, and this was specially noticed by Ritchie and Parke in the Davis Cup match played at Boston. Tho ball consequently is not so fiery. Tho American courts wore damp, owing to the grass holding tho wet, and the players all used long steel points; in fact, some of the points wero as long as those used by cricketers. I am not the only tennis enthusiast that regrets the withdrawal of the Now Zealand Association from tho Australasian Association. A. F. Wilding was asked about this in Sydney, and he said: "Well, Brookes and T are both hoping that New Zealand will not persist in this attitude. We have made representation to tho association asking thorn to reconsider tho matter, and pointing out that Mr Dwight Davis, the donor of the Cup, is particularly

anxious that the combination should not be broken up. 1 think there is a. big chance that the difficulty will be bridged over; it would certainly be a great pity for such a split to take place." An Australian interviewer asked Wilding about his future intentions. "To work hard at law," he ingenuously replied. "I am really rather fond of it, and was admitted as a barrister at the Inner Temple. In Now Zealand one can be both a barrister and solicitor at the same time, so 1 am Hoing into partnership with my father. It will be rather a change after the last six years, but 1 think I shall like law, and, once I commence, tennis can only be lak«n in week-end doses, with perhaps an occasional trip across to Australia for the big championships."'