TENNIS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17030, 2 May 1923, Page 2

TENNIS

Ob mil Iba Courts

After two postponements on account of rain, it is hoped to start next Saturday on the five-minute appeals to club members to subscribe to the Assiciation Courts. The Clubs to be visited next Saturday are Addington, Avonside, Lin wood, Opawa, St Albans and South Christchurch. The speakers will be members of the courts subcommittee, which, nieets weekly and has the organising of the campaign in hand* The Limvood Club’s cheque for £2l reached Mr E. J. Taylor this week. The club has caught the right spirit of the appeal, ( and if its numerous members subscribe liberally the fund should receive a good lift. It is rumoured that Avonside, which has been in the fore-front of, the Association Courts movement for years has something near £3OO in sight in the way of life membership and other subscriptions, while St Albans, in proportion, to membership, will also make a bid for top place. The sub-committee- hopes that in each club a- small committee will be set up to canvass members for subscriptions. Meanwhile the appeal for funds is being pushed quietly and it is lioped to launch a more active campaign shortly. Suburban and Country Club members are to be asked to subscribe. An effort will probably be made to send a delegation to each club, and possibly matches could be arranged on these occasions. Letters were written to Darfield and Little River on the subject, and the Darfield players have suggested a match against a town team ol six ladies and six gentlemen for May 15 or 17. The prospect of sending an Australian Davis Cup team abroad seems much brighter since the movement was launched to provide a business substitute for J. O. Anderson, who recently launched out in a business of his own. It is going a step further than most persons imagined would be necessary in sending away a team, but a: A. Wallis Myers has pointed out, the term “Amateur” is very elastic and necessarily so. The attitude of America towards the question of expenses may be summed up in an editorial article which appeared in • American Lawn Tennis ” nearly a year ago. There writer (Mr S. Wallis Merrihew), said : —“ Perhaps the most remarkable feature of this year’s Davis Cup competition is the number of defaults that have been made, and their close relation to the matter of finance, ft may be that this will have the effect of focussing attention on the fact (well known to some) that, just as Napoleon ssid that armies travelled on their bellies. So international lawn tennis teams are “in being” because of the existence of the gate. In the early years of the competition, it is true, there was hardly a “ gate” worth o' : the name. Yet when British Isles took the cup to England in 1903, United States..did not challenge in 1904 because there was no money to send a team and small prospects of a gate to reinburse the U.S.L.T.A. if one were sent. In 1905 we challenged and sent a team over. This undertaking was made possible by passing around the hat and raising a sum of money sufficient for the- purpose. . . There are critical souls who deplore the modern tendency to rely on the “gate.” It would be a sorry day if the lawn tennis countries were obliged to depend on rich men, or the sons or relatives o: rich men, who could pay their own way, for their Davis Cup material. It is quite enough to ask business men (as they usually are) to travel thousands of miles at a great sacrifice of time, and be reimburse only to the extent of their travelling and hotel ex--I,tnse s” Brookes’ selection for the Davis Cup team is J. O. Anderson, J. B. Hawkes, J. D. M’lnnes and R- Schlesinger. The inclusion of three Victorians (Anderson being the only Sydney player) is bound to cause feeling in New South Wale, but probably Brookes is perfectly right in his selection, especially of the two colts, from whom great things may be expected. Schlesinger who beat Wirlheim 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. and Patterson 3-6. 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 in the M.C.O. tournament, is acclaimed as the best ground-stroke player in Victoria. O. MHnnes who is a very stylish young player, got into the semi-final of the tournament in which he went down to O’Hara Wood (the winner) 9-11, 6-4. 6-1, 7-5. A writer in “Australasian Lawn Tennis” the new official organ of the association in Australia. said: O'Hara Wood and M’lnnes gave a delightful display of all round attractive tennis. M’Lines got going first and led at 5-3, but the tally was evened up at 5 all, and Wood appeared to have the set won at 8-7. ancl 40 love in his favour: but he failed to drive his advantage home, and the first set went to M’lnnes 11-9. The hard werk of this prolonged set told on M’lnnes. Wood then put a little more ginger into his hitting, and won the next sets 6-4. 6-1. somewhat easily. In the next, and what proved to be tho final set. M'limes playing in his graceful. forceful style, for a little flattered his admirers by taking the lead; but

O’Hara Wood, after a momentary lapse, came again like a giant refresh* ed, and won 7-5. The match was a very entertaining one, both players using every kind of shot, and as an exhibtion it was the game of the week. The winning stroke was delightfully . dainty. Wood drove M’lnnes back with, good length hitting, and came in to r meet a low drive, which he hit with a cut volley, and it just chopped a few inches over the net. “Suzanne Lenglen may be a wonderful tennis playei, as indeed she ha* proved herself, (writes Harry B. Smith in the San FYancisco “ Chronicle.”) “ She not only abruptly withdrew from a recent French tournament, but declines to state whether she will participate in the women’s singles at Mentone. That tourney is chiefly important sine* it would mean another meeting between the French star and Mrs Mallory. Other accounts have had it that while Mrs Mallory was playing recently, Suzanne watched the play from a grandstand seat and openly laughed when the American found herself in some tight situations. If that is true it is an unpardonable offence, and no amount of temperament can condone it. Suzanne Lenglen will lose ground with the sport loving public of America and evidently is disgusting the fair play sense of her own people.” All ihis was written before Mrs Mallory became a “ wash-out ” on her latest tour, in which the Americans openly declared they expected to see the table* turned on Mademoiselle. It is sometimes asked whether it is ethical to beat an opponent without the loss of a game, says an American writer. It most emphatically is. What player has not. let down when victory was certain only to find that the other man came on and either won in the end or came mighty close to it. There is nothing worse than to let down, for this easing has an insidious effect that sometimes cannot be counteracted. It is even dangerous to chuck a game when the set is too far gone to save, for the purpose of starting the next set oji one’s own service. The only safe course to pursue is to go all out for the win, and if it means a 6-0, 6-0, or % 6-0, 6-0. 6-0 score, it can't be helped. Ichuiva Kumagal made the classic retort when he was asked why he did not give an opponent in the championship one game. “Why did’nt he take one?’* queried Kumagal.

SUBURBAN NOTES.

(By BASELINE.)

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS. Notices are now out to secretaries of sjuburban clubs about the championships. All matches will be best of 17 games, but the finals in each section will be best of three vantage sets. On Saturday, June 2, the ladies will start* their singles and doubles at Riccarton* and at Paparua the men will make a start. On Monday the finals and combined* will be played on the Canterbury College courts, this club having generously come forward to help the smaller clubs. Next year it is to be hoped that this tournament will be held on the Association courts, and all suburban players must help this movement, A word should be said for the way in which Addington Club has supported the outside 'cVubs. On one occasion they lent all their courts, but this year they are holding a club tournament. The honorary secretary for the championships, Mr E. Chapman, would like to receive the entries as soon as possible. Although the entries do not cIos« till May 21, yet if the committee could get an idea" how many are likely to enter, they will know how many court* will be needed. Each entry must be accompanied by 2s per player and addressed to Mr E. Chapman, St Andrew’s Square, Strowan. ASSOCIATION COURTS. Posters in connection with thes* courts have been sent to each club, and it is to be hoped that they will occupy a prominent position till the courts are an accomplished fact. To suburban clubs Wilding Park will mean a great deal. Most of these clubs have only two courts, and one each match day j is only available to the eight mem- . bers comprising the team. This means that through the summer the junior members of the club can only play ott * alternate Saturdays. The Canterbury Lawn Tennis As- , soeiation had built up a very live committee. and they ask each tennis playe# to find at least £1 to this good cause.