LAWN TENNIS

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14482, 1 July 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

LAWN TENNIS

A JFKJCiNCHIIAN'S TRIUMPH, In taking the Covered Courts Singles to France, A. Jl. Gobert created a new record (says an English writer). Howover much English lawn tennis may feel this further bloWj there ia no scope for withholding full credit from ■Cohort for a very remarkable achievement. Aged only twenty, he outgenerolled the. majority of his opponents, and won six matches without the sacrifice of a set, whilst he produced a repertoire of strokes that we should be only too glad to discern in a. possible British champion. The quality of the entry at Queen's Club serves to emphasise the merit of Gobert's performance, and the quiet y-oirng Frenchman may be said to bnve put the hall mark on his reputation when he qualified to meet the holder, i'. G. Lowe, by Lis straight set victory over Ritchie, who, in actual fact, was in capital form all the week.

Lowe's only chance presented itself in the second set after lie had valiantly fought and lost a capital first set. In this second set Gobert was perhaps a trifle over-confident. The Frenchman ■did little real attacking up to 2 all. and probably underestimated his op-ponent,-with the result that Lowe asserted himself in a most encouraging way, and accomplished some fine serving and passing shots into the corners, while Gobert became "fluffy" overhead. Wifcb. Lowe at 5—2, however, Gobert, instead of becoming disturbed, as probably would hare been the caso last year, recognised that a live attack was necessary. He buckled to so brilliantly as gradually to -overhaul bis man arid to capture five games off the Teel, and the set at 7 —5. Meanwhile, Lowe clung on gamely, but was beaten in tactics during a period of play that proved conr-hisively tho high quality of the opposition. The nest set was 6—12 to Gobert. and he won it as a champion should. The galleries rose at him, and he will go home with a keen appreciation of the sporting impartiality of an English crowd.

~"It was clear that a player who is to beat Gobert will need to be severer overhead than was Lowe, and to be more venturesome in his advances to the net. Lowe provided the Frenchman with too wide an area for his accurate placing, and I cannot help thinking that the occasion told upon him so much that lu* on-fitted t-r> pursue tactics .that instinctively would hdva come to his aid in a■: practice match. Gobert's service improved as the game progressed, and in the lafct set was splendid.

Tlie Ladies' Singles was worthily and exnectedly retained by Mrs Lambert Chambers. She was too strong and too safe a partner for A. F. Wilding, the New Zealander, to give rise to fears as to the successful issue of the pair from the Mixed Doubles. WILDING'S DEFEAT. The French youth, William H. La'.irentz, who defeated the great A. F. Wilding in the French lawn tennis single championship on Easter IMonday, is only sixteen years of age, writes our London correspondent. He is the son of tlie_ manager of "Auteml-Lonehamp, ' a French racing paper. Laurent?, is a pleasant-spoken, handsome boy. standing noarly six feet. "I attribute my success,'' he said, "to constant practice and a deiiglit iri the game. I was only thirteen when I started learning tennis; I was down at Monte Carlo with, my' people during the wuiter of 1908, and my elder bro° ther, who plaj-s a good deal, offered to teach me. It-soon got a grip of ire, and I made great strides. From time to time I feel in wonderful form, and then I score my great successes. ~ "By the way ; I had already beaten Wilding last year in an international competition at Brusseld. I have had many other victories at the covered courts of the Paris Club, and down at iNemllv and Pateaux, just . outside Pans.'

T\ lieu Laurent* met WMinc in trance, says "Sporting Life." the question asked by «i 9 crowd of spectator* not which would win, but howmany games would tie junior finalist secure. JViobody, least of all "Mr Wi'd n' imaging that young France. roiiM tnuniph. Cut this totally unexpected event earns to pass. The match' occupied two hours, and ran into five «c-t» raty-fiTO games b?.ntr contested. Wilding won tne first two eets, though onlv ny a small ninrsrm and lie was evidently not mo comfortable against the Amerimn reverse service of the Frenchman. Ho lost the third w.th the gain of only one rr ruiie. The New Zealander's servi..4 nn<: *iOt«:-:oratod— there wore several ('.oniric 1-1 nits—while his adversary's hud gained ui variety of pteh. His sub-M-oi:-;nt_ vo-lleying was clean and decisive, now nolsody thought I a 1rentz would win. The fourth and fifth se.s were botii vantage, and both laretiy gm-sreed'Dy the sea-vice. AVWe tiu lourth sot was vital to the chances or Lam-cuts, asA was therefore desperat-U----.-triv-n for, it was deemed I>v Wi'd;,,'. at least, that was the lmpre-s-'oiT given—to he not of much moment If the champion lnd gone out a little more tor the fourth set ho might perchance Vi-?5- savctl -£ ,e tnatch - In lh * 6n»l set Uj!din S , with a _ service game- in hand, held the lead right throuiih. fire-four being called in his favour; but Laurentz exhibiting marvellous endurance and resonrc-e for on*> so vorni"- and comparatively inexperienced, "always b:s own service nnd his own masterly volleying with which to draw level .\ hen the crisis .-amc, the Frenchman S 3S J2 u ? d . *-° ,lare th <» stamina and -♦.~.I~« Mt to win the nrioele** odd J,™' e , a r, the finish the lipht had wading, loss familiar with cov->r d court conditions, had considerable ,r ff .-_ eulfar in judging tie wem service* ~f

Laurent!. It stands to h.'s credit that Ih> did net appral to the referee, as he. might have done. The winner was mve-n a -great reception at the close. Tile noise was unparalleled in the history of the meet.ng, and the enthusiasm waa of a meat fervid character.