LAWN TENNIS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143765, 13 April 1912, Page 8

LAWN TENNIS.

(By “Volley.”)

The final of the ladies’ American tourney in connection with the Fitzroy Club was played last week. Miss Potior defeating 'Miss Ford by three points after a close game. Both ladies had been beaten once only and so met again in the final. In the first encounter Miss Ford won. Mrs. Payne, Taranaki's veteran lady player, competed at the Rotorua tournament at Easter and, as usual, met with considerable success. In the semi-final Mrs. Payne beat Miss Kerr Taylor 6—2, and in the final lost to Miss Gordon (Sydney) 3—6, 3—6. The first inter-nrovincinl North Island tournament, which was fully reported in this week’s Herald, was a memorable one from several points, chief among them being the narrowness of tbe victory of the Auckland team over the Taranaki eight. It was a great fight and interest never lagged until the last game was finished. There is very little doubt that had J. C. Nicholson been able to travel instead of Webster. Taranaki would have been victorious and so been entitled to have held tbe tournament here next year. 1 still hope this will be the case and that the other Associations, "Wellington and Hawke’s, Bay will enter teams. The first match was the senior men’s doubles between Dr. Keith and Qninnell, of Auckland, and Dickie and Wallace. Of course the Taranaki supporters counted on their cx-New Zealand champions winning bub the most sanguine could hardly have expected such a nm-away. ' The Taranaki pair took tho first set without the loss of a game, the only redeeming feature on Auckland’s part being the hard fight over one game from Keith’s service, there being no less than eleven deuces. In the second set Wallace lost from one of his services and Keith won one of his, but these were the only games the Northerners won. It was" indeed an overwhelming victory for the Taranaki pair whose hard, accurate driving and crisp overhead work quite baffled their opoonents. In tho second men’s doubles the Auckland pair (Brown and Robson) made a much better fight against Wybournc and Webster. The former nair took tbe first set at 6—4 and led in tbe second but after that the play was all in favour of the visitors. Both the Taranaki boys wore decisive on their volleying, being vepy severe on the Aucklanders’ lobs..

Wallace made no race of Keith, the Auckland champion, in his singles, the scores reading 6—2, 6—4. As the figures read the Aucklander made a better showing in the second venture and indeed led 4—3 at one stage. This, however, proved the extent of his scoring, Wallace taking the next three games and so the set and match. The doctor depends in the main upon his screw shots but- the Waverley player's experience enabled him to treat the “deadly screws” with contempt and to generally return them w-ith pace added. Dickie also had an easy win in bis singles with W. Brown as did his clubmate Wybonrnc in his match with Quinn ell. Webster put up a good fight against - Robson, whose variety of services were the moans of his winning many an ace.

The ladies’ games opened with the doubles, both of which went to the Aucklanders. Little comment is needed except perhaps that the Taranaki ladies were outclassed in both instances. Lack of combined practice probably explains to a certain extent the results although the volleying of all the home ladies, especially that of Miss Gray and Mrs. Gordon, was at times brilliant. Miss Brewster Was obviously off her game although Miss Powdrell was playing as well as ever. Miss Powdrell’s win*over Miss Gray in the singles was particularly well deserved and the Patea lady was warmly applauded at the conclusion of the match. This win rather refutes the statement made by the writer in the N.Z, Herald when, in reporting the final of the Auckland championship, he said words to the effect that undoubtedly Miss Gray was the leading lady in New Zealand at the present time. A feature of the match was the very little net work which Miss Gray, famed for this department of the game, was able to play. Miss Powdrell’s low cross court drives frequently passed her opponent who tired very perceivably during the third set. Miss Gumming won in straight sets from Miss Brewster whose play was again disappointing. Mrs. Cooper, too, was too superior for Miss Simpson, her volleying especially helping her. Mrs. van Asch Inst her game to Miss Steele only after a hard struggle. Losing the* first set 3—6 Mrs. van Asch made good in the next the scores being reversed. The third was a very long-one and o all was called. Both the deciding games were punctuated with long rallies, the Aucklander winning after deuce had been called both times.

Thus the first day’s play ended with each side victorious in six games and Auckland leading by one set. The four combines wore nlayed on Easter Monday when Taranaki won the first two by close margins and Auckland the other two by 24 games to 9. . And so the first tournament leaves Auckland the champion province of the North Island. By winning the Singles (Afonte Carlo championship) Wilding added another spendid cup to his gallery of tennis trophies, the Challenge Cup, which has to he won.three times in all, being valued at £l2O. As AVilding won the event in 1908 and 1911, his victory this year made the trophy his own.

Concerning the bout between Wilding and Decngis in the semi-final round of the Singles at the recent Monte Carlo championship meeting, the special correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph says:—‘‘'Wilding started rather anxiously, and was lucky to win the first three games. In the fourth game he was 40—0 on his own service, but at this stage Decngis struck his game, and thenceforward until the end of the third set the men were dead level. In the main the rallies were conducted from the back of the court, and it was the champion’s greater steadiness that ultimately pulled him through. Wilding came to the net at his peril, and Inter on he abandoned volleying altogether. On the other hand, Decngis made several brilliant conns' at short range, especially shining with his forehand cross volley, a fine parry to Wilding’s backhand drives. The winner’s only fault was a tendency to toss too freely to anything in the nature 'of a short volley. Wilding was within a point of the first set, and must he applauded for carrying it so far, for he had a nasty fall when Decngis led at 5—4. blood streaming over the handle of his racquet. In the second set the champion was always a game to the fore. It was keenly contested ;*but after Wilding led 4—3, Decngis, realising that his chance of victory had gone, obviously stopped. The victory proved very popular among the large English ' crowd, and the champion was given a rousing reception at the finish.”