LAWN TENNIS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16417, 4 May 1921, Page 3

LAWN TENNIS.

NEWS AMD NOTES, (By " ONLOOKER.”) KING'S BIRTHDAY TOURNAMENT. The following civoulm* haft been sent j t-o ail affiliated clubs by the secretary j of th© Addington Club:— With th© object of raisin" funds ! for the purpose of laying clown a new ; tennis court, lb© Addington Gnli arc i arrait.ifiiig t-o bold n one-dav handicap j tournament on the King’s Birthday. I open to all members of affiliated clubs, and inv itc entries from t.h© members ; of your chib. The tournament will ■ t ourist of three emits .-—Men’s doubles, ladies’ doubles and combined doubles; best of seventeen 2am«: entrance fee for each pair. 3s per event. Trophies ! valued one guinea, donated by various Christchureh firms, will be presented to the winning pairs in each event. Hamlienpppr. Mr 11. Tlrowpinp:. Cold lunch at- a small charge will be available. Entries close on May 23. Position on status list required with entries. Play starts 9 a.tn. ’ INTER-Cl-UB MATCH. A match was played between teams representing the Addington and. Opawa Clubs nu Saturday weeh. There were a number of particularly interesting contests, and some unexpected results. Adclingt-on finally r*ro> ed victorious by ciiinie? to 72. In the following; details of play Addington players are mentioned first :- Ladies’ Pmibles—Misses Hov and Bove.a 3 v. Missen Wilson and Taylor 9:‘Misses Just and M'Nnb 5 v. Misses Saunders and Owen 9 : Mr? Cooper and Miss Morion 9 v. Miss Goodnrd and JTrs Bonnington 7. 'Men’s Ooubles -Alunnings and T)erbidge 9 v. Patterson and Harman I ; Austin and Steer© 1 v. Penn and Collins 0: Fairrlongb and Cooper 9 r. Menr-ir-s and "White fb Com bipod Double* -Munniugs and Hov (5 v. Patterson and Miss M ib-ox 9; Herbidge and Miss Just 8 v. Harman and Miss- Taylor 9 ; Fairrhuagh and Miss !Morton 9 v. Bean and Miss Sounder? I : Austin and Mrs Cooper 7 v. Collins and Miss Owen 9: Cooper arid Miss Bores 9 v. Monznes and. "Miss Goddard 5: Sterro and Miss M’Knb 9 v. "White and Mrs Bonnington 1. MONTH CAPLO*TOrBNAMF.NT. Ald He T.cnglen won ihe ladies’ open singles in tlie Monte Carlo iournametit, defeating Miss Tlvati, live Lnglish player. 0-2. 0-0. Tn the final of the ladies open doubles Miss Tty an and Mdlle Lenglen beat Mrs Lambert Chambers and "MrsSafcterthwnite. 6-0. 6-3. Ma.j<sr Kinyjscote and Mdlle. T.englen won the mixed doubles, defeating F. G Lon-e and "Miss llynn. 6-1. 8-6. T.owo von the men's singles charrtpionship, defeating Ivingscote. 6-1, 0-6, The double? championship was won by T\ ingsoote and A Wallis Myers, whose, opponents were. Lord Bocksavage and G. St odd art. Th© scores

AMERICANS FOB T'XROPF. AV. T. Tilden i?i apparently to keep his promise lo go to Wimbledon this year and endeavour to retain the honours tie won lnst_July (says a. writer in the '“Bulletin”). The American Association is making a national matter of it. and with that thoroughness tha t charnel crises •“all its actions is determined to leave no stone unturned to obtain and retain all the- highest world’s honours in the game. Not satisfied with having captured every title available t-o men. an effort, is now to be made to add the ladies’ singles to the list . Last year Mrs Mallory, better known as Miss Molla Bjurstcdt, went to London on hoi- own account, and was farewelled with a great flourish of trumpets as the certain winner of th»> ladies’ singles at "Wimbledon. All will remember how. after just struggling home in the first round from Alts? HransfieM, and getting a- win from an “ unknown ” in the second, she was hopelessly outclassed in the third round Ev Airs Lambert Chambers, 6-0. 6-3. Tb© latter lady, it may be remarked, was beaten by Mdlle Lenglen in the challenge round. 6-3. 6-0. and yet th© great AV. T. Tilden., writing with that patriotic fervour which characterises so many Americans. expressed the astounding belief that "Mrs Mallory was in reality a.s good a player as thedainty French wonder. Well. Hie American lady will he. given another opportunity io endeavour to supnort her champion's opinion, as th© U.S.A. Association is sending her to AVimbtendon this year a« the representative of her country. Rvidcntly the controlling body there intends to trv and rob Wimbledon of the tf world-wide ” character of its annual tournament, and attrnrt to the American championships a rcor© representative gathering this year than ever before. The challengers for the Baris Cup wijl he there, and now Mdlle Lenglen has been invited to participate. In the past the American champion shins have never attracted outsider?, the onlv occasions for men from overseas to he there being when I a "Dayis Cup team barmens to be across, and it is not at all likely that, pertinacious as they are. the Americans will over bo able to remove from AYimblodon the highest, status in the world of tennis.

CHAMPION TENNIS.

V A TTERSON ’ S RLAITNISCENGES. G. 1.. Patterson, ex-champion tennis player of the world, wrote an interestmg article in th© ' l St-rand MagavivMi lest year giving his views upon many well-known players whom he had met on the. courts since the conclusion ©I trie war. Th© article, which, is reproduced here, ir of particular interest at the present time ovring to the progress of several important tournaments in England and on the Continent, and tdjy* in view of the -approach of th© Wimbledon tournament, at which several of the players commented upon will doubtless take part. Patterson. in his article, traverses his experiences during the English Reason of 1919. the visit of the Australian Army team to Paris last .June, his American trip, th© Davis Clio matches in Australia, and last, season. Between April of 1919 nnd January of 1920 he played the game in three different, continents against the champions and aspiring champions of muuy countries, and h© explains how b© attempted— often, unsuccessfully he candidly admits—to overcome his various antagonists. H. HOPEI?, BARRETT. It was at Surbiton grass meeting that I encountered, the great tactician, H. Roper Barrett, and perhaps readers will pardon me for saying that I played what I e.rsonally consider on© of my best games of the season (Patterson writes'). As a matter of fact T won more ©asiTy than at ■ ofld time seemed likely, mainly because Barrett, by cleverly forcing me so often into the corners. led me to try a, new stroke. This was a cut or chop from deep dovv n the right-hand court, either short or half court, to my opponent’s forehand. with enough cut. on it to make the ball <‘ling io the grass. To make this shot I shorten my grip considerably (if t-he ball is within reach), and this naturally facilitates wrist action. 1

a are to than]? Roper Barrett in a very targe measure for the discovery of tins shot as an offensive-defensive stroke. Usually, of course, the cut stroke should, be avoided behind the service line, but closer to the net it is very useful for the purpose of putting away short returns A few words about rhy general theory of attack will not, perhaps, be out of plaoo here. Tt can be stated in five words—livery player has n weakness.. Therefore, pound away at his weak spot before he can discover and pound away at yours. Although everyone admits that n player plays as well as he is allowed to by his opponent, few realise what a really fundamental truth, this is. To- my mind its importance is often overlooked bv both players and critics—and good ones too The unseen working of this “ law f> is the real reason, J. fancy, for so many apparent losses of form just when a player appears to be right at his best. Two players defeated me in the Allied Armies meeting in Paris, viz, Pat O'Para Wood and Avidre Gobert. AT WIMBLEDON. At Wimbledon in the. memorable Victory Championships a long and arduous campaign, numbering eight singles, to say nothing; of doubles, resulted in the writer achieving that ambition which mv father hod instilled into mo some time after wo started playing the game. My tactics against Barrett, T. AX. Mavrogordato and S. X. 7>oust consisted of serving to their weaker “kali :? ’ with variations, and taking the net. Their service 1. also returned whenever possible to the backhand, once again seeking the- - to me—magnetic net. T was rather lucky, perhaps. to find Andre Gobert, my opponent in the fifth round, nervy and uncertain, while 1 wo?, fortunately, just the reverse. They tell me it was one of the worst matches seen at "Wimbledon for years; T can quite believe it. I have no hesitation in saying that some unhappy lino decisions * were largely responsible for this. Far a big ordeal like Wimbledon one must be fit, and ready for all emergencies. and T do not mind confessing that T took great care to ensure entering the championships as fit as possible. In my opinion, it is roost unwise to risk getting stale by playing countless singles at pre-Wimbledon meetings such as Beckenham or Queen’s. After all, half the battle, other things being equal, is to be at your best, just at the required time. To do this, training and careful planning arc absolutely essential. T have no doubt whatever that the challenger this year worked out his salvation on these linos. •T G. RITCHIE. J. G. Ritchie gave me decidedly the hardest game in the championships. Oti a slippery court, following showers, the English veteran’s returns made great pace off the court. His service, too, shot much. more tlian usual, which, no doubt, was arranged for my discomfort. Colonel TCingscotebs play in the final disappointed everyone. Maybe, howover, it was partly tho story of n man not being allowed to play his own game. t knew, for instance, that lie did not like a high, bounding service on his backhand: anything low lie lores. Against his not. too strong service T found it. fairly easy to get to the! net. To my wav of thinking. Kingscot© is not deliberate enough in his play, and in trying to “bustle"’ ends by ‘"bustling’* himself. NORMAN BROOKS.

In challenging Norman Brooks for the world title T did not. of course, overlook bis comparatively weak backhand, and also at the same time kept the bell well away from that, dangerous forehand cross-court shot of his. I Fancy lie followed up his service too mucli, and would indeed have been well advised to stay hack more-. On© seemed, too, to b© passing him more perhaps than be realised. _ I tided to profit bv the late A. F. "Wilding’s mistake of 1914- and went for the sidelines whenever possible. Moreover, f think l studied Brooks’s game in practice just a wee hit more closely than lie studied mine. T think that about covers th© players T met in England during those very strenuous days last summer. Now for a few words about America’s star performer*. WASHBURN AND JOHNSTON. Another tussle with W . M. Mashburn. whom T had previously beaten in Paris, again went my way because oi the little extra speed which I was able to produce at the most needed moment. Washburn passes well on th© forehand and covers the nei well in volleying. His servi*"*' T also found deceptive and hard to do very much with. M. M. Johns-on. the American champion, proved just too good for me in Inc t" S. Championships. 1 started patchilv. and ultimately lost the odd set in five. It was a fluctuating contest, in which the play was occasionally quitepoor, owing, no doubt., jto the intense excitement which prevailed. Tn the fourth set, when my opponent led ljytwp sets to one. and four games to one. it was by going for th© sidelines more often and •staying beck a bit on the service that I overhauled him and won 6-4. Tn the last set lack of concentration nt the critical stage of five all and 40-15 on my service lost me three prints -inches out Just previously I thought T had him. but he slipped home. AY. T. TTLDFX. 4V. T. Tilden -I consider the most versatile and audnrious of the American plovers. A great hitter, back and fore, high or low. And ihcv come off. too. lie cuts a lot from the back of the court, and js a great lobber. but somewhat weak against deep balls of this varietv himsoh". Afaster of cvery strokei is Tilden. but not vet the tactician T fancy he hope? to be. Ur.orthodox to a degree on occasions, and very liable to take up weird positions on the court, yet he manages tn execute some amazing shots Inclined to be nervy. The possessor of a tremendous service, IV. T. Tilden is altogether a most interesting player to watch or play, and with no really weak spots. THE DAVIS CUP CONTEST. T do not think T ought to close these few reminiscent and critical remarks on lawn tennis and the men who plav it without some reference to the challenge round for the in which T repievented the victorious Australa-. s.ian team against the British Tales at Sydney in Jatiuarv, 1920. The match w ith Colonel Kingscot© was much Gif. same as tlie one we contested at AA’imhledon a few months previously. except that tlie third set was a very dose call l’or me. My service alwvivs got me to the net, and Txingsservice w a* again none fpo strong, which. h\ taking .on the rise, half-way between the service line and has© line, enabled m© to get to the net, despite the sticky court. One usually drove down Kingsoote’s hackhand line, then crossed the other return t-o the symo place, aoLup to th© net ready to volley.

Arthur Lowe plaved very v ell in those in .tdies. Tn form the old Oxonian is perhaps one of the best of the English players. The vipi-t of the British Tries team to Australia, did an immense amount of good to th© game there. The sporting spirit which promoted them to play upder the most adverse weather conditions for th.© convenience of the spectators was greatly appreciated.