THE TEST MATCH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17231, 24 December 1923, Page 8

THE TEST MATCH.

For the lawn tennis Test match, New Zealand v. New South Wales, to be begun on Wednesday, the visiting captain has. announced his team in tin: following order:—-Poulton, Reid, Peach, Jordan, Goodman and Pike. The doubles pairs, in order, will be:—Peach and Jordan; Reid and Pike; Poulton and Goodman.

The New Zealand team will play in the following order: —Ollivier, Sims, Bartleet, France, Wilding, and Wallace. The doubles pairs, in order, are:— Ollivier and Sims. Bartleet and Wilding. France and Wallace. The fourth, fifth and sixth singles will begin at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, aud the other singles will follow at 2.15 or 2.30. Six singles and five doubles will be played on JVednesday, and six sigles and five doubles on Thursday, it having been arranged that nurr. ber one player on each side will meet number one and number two on the other; number three will meet numbers three and four; and number five, numbers five and six. In the doubles, each pair will meet three pairs on the opposing side. FORM REVIEWED. NOTES ON THE PLAYERS. The chances of the leading players are discussed by “ Huka,” writiug in Saturday’s Wellington “Post.” He says:— “A WILY BIRD.” With the six New South Wales and eight, New Zealand players seeded, the matches in the first round of the men’s championship singles will mostly be a weeding out process, yet there will be some very interesting struggles, as several rising players have had the good or bad luck, as the case may be, to draw more experienced players. Quill meets D. France, and, although on paper the younger man should win, yet Quill is a wily bird, and if in form will take some beating. Sims and Smyth also meet in the first round, and, nothwi the tan ding that -the. latter beat Sims on the hard courts at Dunedin, he can hardly be expected to beat the New Zealand representative. Nevertheless, it should be a good match, as Smyth is a greatly improved player this season. Clark and Seay will also have a hard go, but the 1921 junior New Zealand champion should win. and this is the year that something is expected from him. TOP-NOTCHERS MEET.

The second round brings some of the top-notchers together. L. France and Greenwood, in the top half, had the luck to get byes, but they were drawn to play one another. If Greenwood is at liis best, the Wellington player will ha\ r e to be all out to win. Denton and Pearse had the same luck as the two preceding players. Warue Pearse is a tough snag, but the Christchurch player should just about beat him. Gianville (Christchurch) should beat Schadick, the West Coast champion, unless the latter has improved greatly this season. Bray, the Otago champion, meets Lampe, of Wanganui, x >rov i6ed both win in the first round, and the Otago player will possibly be too sure for Lampe. Griffiths (Auckland) and M’Dougall (Otago) should meet, and the northerner should win. Cliff Dickie (Taranaki )is having another go, and should he and Young (Victoria College) meet, the Taranaki player should win on experience, providing he can stay the distance. D. Franjce and Parker (Wellington) will have a close fight, and the former should win. The meeting of the next pair will prove a try-out of Page by Peach, the captain of the New South Wales team. It is just possible for a surprise to come off here, ns should Page be at his best, the. New South Wales player may be more than extended. The match between Sims and Haege (New South Wales) is sure to attract a big following, if the latter arrives in time to play. From all accounts he is a. bit above tbe average, as Sims may find out. In the junior championship of Victoria, he was beaten by young Dunlop, after taking the first set, and leading 5-3 in the second. At that stage he broke a. string in his racquet, changed it, and went off his game. If Jordan is unable to play, this young player would make a very good emergency for tho New South Wales team. Two Wellington players, in Edmandson—provided be beats Sheppard, and Melody beats Longhnan—will fight it out, but Edmondson is too accurate for tbe Kelburn player. If Andrews, the New Zealand junior champion. and Guy (Otago) should meet, the former is expected to win. If Seay gets to the second round, he will meet 'Wilding, and it is on the cards that the younger player will win. There is no likelihood of upsets in the other matches lower down in the second round. DANGEROUS GROUND. Now we are coming to dangerous ground in the third round. Ollivier will give Ferkins (W T ellington). if he survives against Goss, some experience of hard hitting, and the match should benefit the younger player. Reid (N.S.W.) will get‘to the fourth round, and so should L. France, but. Clark will hare to be beaten, as well as Greenwood. Goodman (N.S.W.) should b© another fourth-round ruau. as well as Robson and Gianville. but the latter ■prill find Brav verv solid—too solid, perbans. Griffiths, Feach and Sims should also get into tbe fourth round. The first-named max- hare Dickie to heat. Peach will find D. France a tough proposition, as the Brougham Hill plaver is very fit this season and k hi* tennis has improved. “Huka” is

picking Andrews In heat Pike (N.S.W.: Bash? Well. I don’t know so much about thaL : the North youth was very nigh good enough for the New Zealand team last season, and tho advices are that he is better this season. Anyhow, the Sydney player will get a run for that match. Seay is another that the writer gives a chance to for the fourth round. Of course, he has to get past Wilding and Sahnond. players with experience, but it’s on the card's. Jordan (N.S.W.), Bartlett (Auckland), Aitken (Christchurch). Alex. Wallace (Taranaki) and Poulton (N.S.W.) are all pretty sure to reach the fourth round. Jordan’s bad arm may prevent him taking part in the event. Who will the fifth round players be? Ollivier will have to be in good form to beat Reid (N.S.W.-. as will L. France to get home from Goodman (N.S.W 7 .). Robson should beat Gianville. an Peach should account for Griffiths. All these players are in tho top half of the draw. and. provided the aforesaid eventuates. Ollivier and France and Peach and Robson will meet. Tf Olli vier can get to tbe fifth round be will be playing about at bis best, and 1m passing shots may be too good for France. Still, the latter may rise to the occasion ; it should be a hard fight. “SIMS TO AVIX.” Peach at his best will get to the semi-final, but possibly no further. Looking at the lower half of the draw, the following are likely to meet, and the first- named in each case are picked as winners:—Sims v. Andrews, Seay v. Jordan, Bartlett v. Aitkeu. Poulton v. Wallace. That being so. Sims and Bartlett look good for the semi-final. In 1921 Aitken boat Sims in the first round, 2-6; 0 6. 6 3, 6-2, 6-3; and Bartlet in the fourth round heat Aitken 4-6. 3-6, 6 4. 9-7, 62 : but Sims has improved his game since then, and he should get Barlott unless the latter ha also improved since he visited England. A. W. Sims is the straight-out choice for the New Zealand championship singles of 1923. and his opponent in the final is likely to be G. Ollivier, the present New Zealand champion. Should France or Peach get to the final on the top half Sims should still be able to win, but Peach will be the hardest man of the lot to beat, if it is his day. Some of tbe Now South Wales players may upset calculations, or even some of tho younger New Zealanders. If any of the latter, such as Andrews, Seay. D. France or Smyth, upset some of those who are supposed to be mote in the running, it will speak well for the future of the game in New Zealand.

PRESENTATION TO MR J. C. PEACOCK. A few friends of Mr J. C. Peacock, and who, likie him. are interested in tennis, assembled at tbe Empire Hotel, Wellington, to wish him bon voyage to England, a happy time and a safe return. He was also presented with a travelling rug. Mr M. Denniston, chairmag of tlie Management Committee of the New' Zealand Council of the Lawn Tennis Association, who presided, said that Mr Peacock, who was a very fine sport, had been in the tennis game for nearly thirty years, and was still able to hold his own with the best players in New Zealand, when fit. He did not see any reason why Mr Peacock should not he able to hold his own with the best in England. There were two outstanding qualities which lie considered Mr Peacock possessed. He was always a good winner. He never gloried ower a man he had beaten, aud he never trouuced a man more than necessary. .He was a,lso a fine loser. The crow ning achievemtnt of Mr Peacock’s tennis career in Wellington was the Miramar scheme, aud he (Mr Denniston) hoped that when Mr Peacock returned from England he would find the Miramar courts completed. The speaker thought that New Zealand could not have a Getter or worthier representative in its first essay for the Davis Cup than Mr Peacock.

Mr G. N. Goldie, referring to the fact that Mr Peacock was a member of the successful New Zealand team which toured New South Wales in 1904, said that lie was one of the founders of the Australasian Association, which was. the commencement of their entrance into Davis Cup competitions. No better man, he thought, could have been picked to represent New Zealand in its. first endeavours to -win the Davis Cup. The speaker considered that Mr Peacock and Mr F. M. B. Fisher would make an ideal pair, and he believed that they would be able to defeat some of the European contestants.

Messrs Harold Brown, H. M. Gore, and E. Salmond also spoke. Returning thanks for all that had been said of him, Mr Peacock had been said of him, Mr Peacock said he never regretted the day he took up tennis! It- kept him fit, and by means of it he met some of the very best people he ever knew. As regards the honour of representing New Zealand for the Davis Cup, he understood perfectly the position. He believed it was a good thing for New Zealand to be represented, and thus make a start. He would do his best and ho hoped lie would be the means of rousing the young men so that in a few years the country would be able to find a team with a chance of winning the Davis Cup.

' The following is the Hat of matches set down for Wednesday, when the New Zealand liHvcn Tenuis championships will begin on the United Club’s courts 9.30 a.m.. Men's Singles, nianville v. Thompson. Bray v. Miller. Lampe v. Moore. Griffiths r. Browning. M'Dougall v. Nixon Burns x. Dickie. It. T. Young v Pomervilla. Parker v. Thwaites. Quill v. D. France. Tolhurst v. Page. Sheppard v. Edmoniidon. A. B. Longhnan v. Melody. Eundle v. Guy. G. Penlington v. Andrews. 10.30 a.m.. Ladies' DoubUs. Misses Ferrier and Saunders v. Misßes M. and M. Macfarlane. 10.30 a.m.. Ladies’ fiingles. Miss Willcox v. Miss Speirs. Mrs Melody v. Mrs Penlington Miss Columbus v. Miss East. 10.30 a,in.. Men’s Singles G. Clark v. Seay. 11 a.m.. Ladies’ Singles. Mrs M'Master v. Mies E. M. Partridge. Miss Howe v. Miss Willis. Miss W. M. Partridge v. Mrs Cook. 11 a.m.. Men’s Singles. Robson v. Robinson. Hale v. Paterson. 31 a.m.. Ladies’ .Double.*. Mrs Scott-Watson and Miss Tracey ▼ Misses Bloxa.m and Capper. Misses Cato and Wellwood v. Mrs O’Rorke and Miss Fox. Other ladies' singles and doubles will l>e played if time permits before the commencement of the test, match.