LAWN TENNIS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 14343, 22 October 1910, Page 8

LAWN TENNIS.

(By “Sport.”) Although tho present dry spell of weather is tho kind welcomed by devotees of tennis and kindred games,

it will not, just now if it lasts, have a very beneficial effect on the voting grass, which has been coming on nicely. At the Now Plymouth Chib s Courts the grass lias been cut for some time, ami the courts have been looking well. But, as stated above, a dry sued now will’ not do them any good. Tho club's asphalt court has been in fairly constant use during the winter mouths, and latterly, on the weekly half-holiday, it has been a case of “wait vonr turn.”

Tho New Plymouth grass courts will piobably he opened early in November. The Fitssroy Club will open their grass courts on the first Thursday in November (the 3rd). A meeting of the committee of the New Plymouth Club was held last night (Friday). It was decided to open the grass tennis courts tho first or second week in November and the croquet court next wool;, weather permitting. It was decided to limit tho nnmlier of lady players to: Croquet 30, tennis 45. The ladies’ tennis membership is already practically full. There are a few vacancies for men. Several now members were proposed at tho meeting, and the names will ho posted in the pavilion. Mr. J. Morton was elected the chib’s delegate to the Taranaki Lawn Tennis Association.

The asphalt courts at Fitzroy have been leased to Mr. Stanley Smith, who is forming a men’s club there. By his recent victory in the United Slates Singles Championship, W. A. Laniard has won the distinction Tor tho sixth time. He first annexed the chamship in 1901, again in 1902, also 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910. The performance is an exceedingly good one, for (remarks The Referee) it never happens, ns we sometimes have it here, that the field is a poor one. It appears that lie is playing splendidly this year, quite as well as at any period of his career and it is very much to be regretted that we are not to see him over this side of the world in quest of the Davis Cup. His stylo is different from tho younger American players, inasmuch as there is nothing of tho sensational about it. It has been described ns “easy, smooth, and perfect,” and so automatically, in appearance, docs he get his length and find the right snot in tho court that many people are' inclined to underrate his play—of course, until they find themselves on tho other side of the not, and get a taste of his precision. M. B. M’Lougldin is, according to recent advices, still making rapid improvement in his game, At the end of August he won the Singles- Championship at Southampton, Long Island, from a large field of first-class players. In the semi-final ho met an old-time rival in Thomas C. Bundy, of Los Angeles, who has been playing in such splendid form in the United States Championships. Bundy is said to have started off like a racehorse, and put up tho first sot to his credit at 6—3. His reverse twist service liotlicrcd M’Loughlin, and his lightning-quick volleys scored regularly. His anticipation of M'Loughlm’s strokes was marvellous. In the second set M'Loughlin handled Bundy’s service with much more accuracy. ' He drove off it, and wore Bundy down gradually, winning tho second set o—4. In the third sot Bundy made a good start but got a streak of double faulting, and M'Loughlin broke through tho service twice. Playing in whirlwind style, he won tho third set 6—2.