LAWN TENNIS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9914, 1 August 1910, Page 2

LAWN TENNIS.

CHAMPION AT "WIMBLEDON. 1 WILDING IN "WINNING VEIN. [FkOJI Oril COHJMOSPOXDF.N'T.j LONDON, June 21. Tho All England Lawn Tennis Championship mooting, which commeuced at Wimbledon last Monday in _ superb weather, and before a very big _ company of spectators, is quite an international affair. America is not so strongly represented as was expected, only Heals Wright turning out to uphold the prestige of the Stars and Stripes, hut Germany has' sent .her graceful crack, Otto Froitzheim, and Otto Blom. India for the first time sent a representative in the_ agile but inexperienced Sirda Nalial Singh, New Zealand was represented by the famous Anthony Wilding, Australia by no less than tour players of repute in S. N. Doust, L. O" S. Poidovin, E. C. Pcckley, and the veteran Dr W. V. Eaves, and France sent A. H. Cohere. The Frenchman was soon put out of his misery so far as the Singles Championship (A. W Goro holder) was concerned. in the opening match of the meeting he ran up against the Australian" Doust., .who boat him decisively in three straight sets at 6-2, 6-2, 6-1. Eaves and Pockley also survived the first round, the former beating E. G. Barton 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. and the latter being indulged with a- walk over, but Poidovin after winning a set l'rom T. M. Mavrogordato at 6-4 and losing ono at 4-0 retired from tho contest. WILDING WINS. The great match of the day way that between Wilding and "Roper Barrett. As a contrast in styles and method and in tho physique of the players it wa.s splendid. As an of lawn tennis by tip top men it was somewhat disappointing. A fine figure of a man is Wilding. All of six "feet- and lissomeness itselL Ho has quite succeeded to the post of popular idol —vice the Dohertys, retired—in the hearts of tho impressionable damsels who affect "Wimbledon. Barrett, on tho contrary, is short, and plump, 'hut this in no way interferes with his activity. it was a curious match. At fine time, it seemed as though the guilo and craftiness of Barrett would be _ too much for the New Zealander. Whenever the latter had to face tho dazzling sun Barrett would artfully toss the ball up in the very eye of it, and Wilding time after time tuado a mess of his reply. Barrett won the first ..set at 6-4. Then Wilding who had been playing in somewhat irresolute fashion woke iip, and Barrett, losing his form, was beaten (j-4. The New Zealander's condition told its tale in the third set. Barrett waft "baked," and Wilding's play quite overwhelmed tho Englishman, who only captured a single game. Tho score was .j-'i in tlio New Zealander's favour in the fourth -set, when a very bad decision. wa,s given against Barrett. Wilding, however, refused to take advantage of the mistake*, and hit tho following stroke out of court. Barrett made tho score o-4, but Wilding won tho next game, and with it the set and match. AUSTRALIA v. AUSTRALIA. Tuesday's play saw Dr Eaves advance, into tho third round by a handsome win oTur E. W. Timmb. He lost the first set at 6-2, but thereafter gave his opponent no quarter, winning the next •three sets at 6-0, 6-0, 6-1. Wilding and Doust also advanced a further stage in the competition. The New Zoalinder had n more exorcise cauter tvosiu t,-. W«r<i who, i-A iste course of three sets, only managed to win a single fame. But Doust had a tougher proposition in his. old partner and compatriot Pockley. The two put up a brceay and most entertaining game. Both'are irtvfrterato yolli?yers, andtheve was a rare scramble for the net position

all the time. I don't know which is accounted tho better singles player in Australia, but on Tuesday Doust was the master man, being much steadier and much surer in his placing. He won in three straight sets, but_ there was not nearly the difference in the quality of the play that the score of 6-4, 6-1, 6-2, would suggest. Tuesday saw the commencement of tho Doubles Championship, held by A. W. Gore and Roper Barrett. For this event the American. Beals Wright, struck up a partnership with the Australian !>r Eaves, and the pair had little difficulty in disposing of their first opponents, Prinsep and Deed, in three straight sets, the scores in the Austral-American combination's favour being (3-0, G-2, 6-3. Wilding was partnered by M. G. J. Ritchie, an old friend and opponent. They were favoured with a bya in the first round, and entered the third by a ridiculously easy victory over tho brothers "Pfleiderer, who could only capture one game out of the nineteen played. E. 0. Pockley and his jjartner A. H. Hendriks, who were also favoured with a first-round bye, likewise entered the third series, beating Mounsey and Sterry by two' sets to.one. They lost the first at 7-5, but getting better together won the second at 6-1, and tho decide at 64. WILDING BEATS RITCHIE. On Wednesday the gain© of games was the meeting of those old rivals, Wilding and Ritchie, which produced tli© best tennis of the afternoon. Wilding nearly always beats Ritchie nowadays, but there is really not much to choose between them, and no one would have been greatly surprised if the New Zealander had received his conge at the hands of his brilliant but erratic opponent, who so often pulls out an exceptionally good performance, to the undoing of a more fancied rival. But on Wodnesday Ritchie did not give hibest, except in the third set. Wilding, by dint of superior play in almost every department, won the first two sets comparatively easily at 6-2, 6-3. Then by dint, of strong service, and surprisingly accurate anticipation of the New Zealander's tactics, Ritchie went to 4-1. Wilding retaliated magnificently by taking four games off the reel, but Ritchie, playing like a demon, took the next two and captured the set at 7-5, and gave rise to a fleeting hope that he might make a close battle with his formidable rival. These hopes were doomed to disappointment, for after leading 2-1 in the fourth set Ritchie began to make mistakes. In a prolonged fourth game ho served, a double fault, and put what should have been a winning shot out of the court. He had no further chance, for playing up in his very best form. Wilding won tho set at 6-2, and with it tho match. Australasia scored another thirdround victory when Doust disposed of a Wimbledon councillor who prefers to play as T. "Edmett," bub he had quite a hard job to do so. Doust, like Beals Wright, profers ''steel points'' to rubber shoes, which is not surprising, considering that he enjoys some note in Australia as a sprinter. _Of course, tho Australian was wearing rubbers at Wimbledon, and he found the court so slippery that he did not follow his game to the net so much as usual, and possibly for this reason "Edmett" managed to win three games in each set played, and to make a much better figlit than he was exnected to do against Doust. The veteran Dr Eaves received his coup do grace in the third series, his conqueror being Otto Fi-oitzheim. The German crack disposed of Eaves in straight sets. The winner's grace of style, his command of strokes, and his flicking shots to the corners wero much admired. He was too adroit in his placing for the doctor, who nevertheless gave him a good run, and performed really excellently, seeing that, he had._ only arrived in England from Australia last week, and must havo been woefully short of practice, as tcII as lacking in condition. Froitzhejm had all his work cut out to win tne first set, which ho captured at 9-7, but he won the nest at 6-3 fairly easffiy, and was "all over" the doctor in tl'c final, which the German won at 6-2. On the same day Doust aad Poidevin entered the third round of the doubles. by virtue of an easy victory over the youns Oxford couple, Holland and Mi ley. This pair was exmuted to give a good account of themsehbs, but tho Australians carried tar to<* many guns-for them, and. won ij\ three straight sets at 6-2, 6-1, 6-0. ENGLAND'S PARLOUS PLIGHT. At the conclusion of yesterdays' play poor old England was in a Tuwd way as regards her chances o-f retaining tho singles championship. Only two English players, indeed, remained in the Contest at the expiration Of tho fourth round, namely, Arthur Love and E. A. Bamish, who will certainly havo to make marvellous improvement on any form they havo hitherto, shown to even threaten danger to tho most fancied candidates, Beals Wright and Wilding. Besides tjiis couplo, the remaining players left in eland), Froitaheim (Germany), Doust (Australia) and R. B. Powell (Canada). For tho winner few people look beyond Wright and Wilding, but Froitzheim is a factor to bo reckoned with, and some very good judges consider that he has more than an outside ehanco of putting Wilding out when thev meet to-day..

"iesterday, on a court rendered treacherous by rain. Wi'ding made an exhibition of Ill's fourth-round opponent, R. J. M'Nair. whom lie smothered tnroughout the three sets, v-nun'rio' hands down 6-0 each time. This achievement brought Wilding's record of -ve sets won since he. In ruled in England early in May up to fifty-four. Doust had a more worthy opponent hi Gordon Smith, though lie won his match quite handsomely in three straight sets—6-3, (5-0. 6-2,' scores which hardly do justice to Smith's way. Doust and his partner Pnidevin entered the third round of the doubles bv triunmhing somewhat easily oyer Gwynne Evans and S. Hoedv, who won only five games and retired defeated by three sets to love—o-0, (3-3. 6-2. Ritchie and Wilding- also advanced to the third round, beating; 15. Hillvard and ,t\ Good in three straichfc sets. The first they won in a hollow fashion at 6-1. and in tlie next they never allowed their opponent*.* t« c'pim a Rilltrlo game; but in the third Hilivard and Good " came on " in :i remarkable fashion, and were not disposed, of until fourteen sanies had been nlaved. Wilding and his partner winning at 8-6.