TENNIS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17572, 24 June 1925, Page 4

TENNIS

On Saturday the fourth round of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association's senior inter-club was played oil in fine weather. Avonside continued their all-conquer-ing career and defeated Cashmere by 31 matches to 5. Opawa’s record to date also shows no losses. On Saturday the>’ beat Linwood by 12 matches to 2 (two matches unplayed). St Albans beat Suburban with a little in hand, scoring 9 matches to 7. Canterbury College, refreshed after vacation, romped home from New Brighton by 13 matches to 3. The position of teams is now as follows :

In the match Avonside v. Cashmere, Avonside had things all their own way, although France had a tough game against O'Connell before he finally won 6-5, 0 Angus, by beating Parsonson, shuwcu what a promising player he is. Derbidge sustained his reputation of being enc of the best of the number four men by beating his opponent. In the doubles France and Angus beat O’Connell and Derbidge. Dobie and M Kay lost to Browning and Parsonson. The Avonside ladies won all their singles, although Miss Campbell had a hard tight against Miss Archey before she won 9-7. Misses Witte and Archey won their doubles against Misses Dorman and Campbell 9-7. The match Opawu v. Linwood was a walk-over. Ollivier, Patterson, Barlow and Harman all won their singles against Field, Borrows, Wood and Burn respectively. Patterson, however, lost his first set. to the veteran Borrows i*-6, but he won the second 6-0, and after a close game the third 6-4. Barlow also had a hard match with Wood before he won 4-6, 6-0, 6-5. The Opawa ladies had an easy run of wins as follows 9-0, 9 ; 3, 9-1, 9-2 and in the doubles 9-1, 0-4. Only two combineds were played and Opawa won both. The two matches won by Linwood were the men's doubles, one win in particular being a surprise. Ollivier and Patterson went down to Field and Borrows 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Harman and Barlow lost to Wood and Burn 3-G, G-5, 4-G. Suburban (who in the first round beat Linwood by 11 to 5) went down to St Albans, who won 9 to 7. Tait, W. Somerville, Hatch and Tlardie all won their singles against Hawkins, M'Keown, Tillman and Mercer respectively. The only match to go to three sets was the Hatch-Tillman. Hatch won 6-1, 4-6. 6-2. In the doubles Somerville and Tait won against Hawkins and M'Keown, whilst Hardie and Hatch lost to Tillman and Mercer. The ladies broke even in the singles, Miss Buchanan beating Miss Muirson 9-8 and Miss Banks beating Miss Leighton 9-8. Miss Wright lost to Mrs Chalklen 3-9 and Miss Webb lost to Mrs Spicer 3-9. The suburban ladies won both doubles. In the combineds honours were easy, each side winning two. The draw for the next round, to be played on Saturday next, is as follows: —St Albans v. Linwood, at Wilding Park; Cashmere Hills v. Canterbury College, at Wilding Park: New Brighton v. Avonside, at Wilding Park; Opawa v. Suburban, at Opawa. Earlier in the season one would have

NEWS FROM ALL COURTS

picked Linwood as an easy winner against St Albans, but on performances to date the match should be a close one, with the odds slightly perhaps in vSt Alb&ns’ favour. Canterbury College should beat Cashmere and Avonside will beat New Brighton. Opawa, of j course, will beat Suburban. In the < sixth round Avonside and Opawa clash, i The winner of this match should be the winner of the comjjetitioii. Cable messages io hand yesterday show that 3. O. Anderson has survived the first round at Wimbledon, but only after a hard go with Andreae, the Indian champion, who was leading 3-1 in the fifth set. However, time has shown again and again at Wimbledon that the champion players invariably start off badly and improve ■as they go along, till near tiie final rounds super-tennis prevails. The following article by " Austral,” of tho “ Sydney Referee,” shows that the Australians are expecting Anderson to win this year. '* Although tho main purpose of tho journey of J. O. Anderson is to take part in the Davis Cup in America, liis visit to England and his chances in the English champion singles and doubles and perhaps also mixed double* a* 4\ imbledon are .almost as important . from a purely tennis point of view. ! Although to-day Wimbledon is not the greatest event in the world from tho point of view of skill unless Tilden, Johnston or Richards are there still, j in every other way it is yet the Mecca of the lawn tennis world. To it every player of repute goes every year that ho can make the trip, and to win the coveted title of singles championship of England at Wimbledon is still fame enough for any player even though tho title of world’s champion has been shorn from it. “ This year it appears probable that J. O. Anderson will succeed in winning tho coveted title. Ho tried once before, in 1922, but went down to his team mate Gerald Patterson, but he was at the time of the match already affected by the severe cold that did not leave 'him till lie was very nearly laid up in America with pneumonia. Patterson went on to win tho event that year, beating Kingseoto by fine play and proving that the estimate of j their relative merits by Tilden and Johnston was erroneous. ‘ ‘ Since then Anderson has greatly improved. Ho defeated Johnston himself in 1923 by more severe driving than even that player could produce. / and since then Anderson has improved j very greatly’ indeed, till to-day lie is | probably the greatest driver in tho j world on his forehand, and while his backhand is steady and severe and ! only* suffers by comparison with his tremendous forehand. “ Lacoste’s team mates Borotra and Cochet have little chance of defeating Anderson, though ranked as strong as La cos to in the final, after Richard* won the English championship from Lacosto in the final, after Richards ■and R. N. Williams, of the U.S.A., had been defeated by them. But it has been shown since then that the Americans were below their form in England, and Richards, in Paris, avenged their defeat by winning the hard court championships at tho Park St Cloud, Paris. Cochet is ranked equal to Borotra and Lacosto, but he is too temperamental and even at his best could have little chance against Anderson. The American contingent this vear is weak and lacks all the great champions. Washer, of Belgium, who beat Norman Brookes last year by’ severe driving, recently beat Cochet, and for the third time reached the final of the bald court championships, going clown ! to Richards after a hard fight. As a i good driver he may extend Anderson, 1 but it is not likely. None of the other j Europeans or the Indian players, who have shown great improvement this year, aro likely to extend Anderson. Kingscote, in his old form might, but at his best in 1919 he could only’ just beat Anderson, and one could not compare Anderson of to-day with tho one lie beat then. Anderson should, fit and well, win tho event which commences about the end of this month. Far greater ihan his improvement in strokes, however, is his improvement, in match temperament. He goes on to the court to-day, justifiably and firmly convinved that lie can defeat any player in the world save Tilden himself and one is not so sure that he does not expect to make even the world’s champion- .sit up and take notice, and perhaps suffer defeat. His is the self-confidence of a great champion who knows exactly what lie can do and never gets flustered even under the surprise of impending defeat.” *1 here is quite a lot more in the same strain, but one must admit that the reading of much of it leaves one gasping for air. Judging from Anderson’s near defeat from one of those Indians “none °f whom are likely’ to extend Anderson," one should imagine that Anderson’s self-confidence (or is it “Austral’s?”) would slump a bit. However, we are close enough to Australia to hope that he does win the championship at Wimbledon. Having no champions ourselves, have an interest in your neighbour’s is the next best thing. The time to enthuse and go into raptures will be after the winning of the great AMERICAN NOTES. “American Lawn Tennis,” just to hand, contains some matter of interest to Australian and New Zealand readers. First and foremost is the official * and very definite statement that Tilden will play tennis in America this year. When the cup matches loom nearer on the horizon “Big Bill” will be very’ much on the spot. “Little Bill” Johnston is very fit and is playing very finely’. He is very’ keen to do well this year, and is apparently desirous of regaining his place in the America:; Davis Cup team—and what a wonderful player he is, and what a strong team the i States must have if they can afford to leave him out of it! Tilden’s expressed opinion of Johnston still holds good and is reiterated, “that he is the second best player in the States.” Robert and Howard Kinsey, whom it is hoped to sec in Australia in 1926, should America send a team there if she retains the cup, are at present touring in the Orient. They are evidently keen on seeing as much of the world and playing tennis in as many foreign lands as possible. During March Tilden won the Palm Beach championships, beating Manuel Alonso in the final, losing only the second set to him at 8-10. Alonso had j previously beaten Vincent Richards in straight sets— v ut Richards had just returned from a holiday’ and was, according to report, carrying 121 b overweight. Later in the same month at Jacksonville Tilden won another championship, J the South-Eastern, beating Ric hards in the final three sets straight. There appears to be little doubt on the score of the fitness and good form of Tilden.

Played Wor Lost Pts Opawa . • .4*4 0 4* Avonside . . 4 4 0 4 Suburban . . 4 2 2 2 Cashmere . . 4 2 2 2 St Albans . 4 2 2 2 Canterbury College 3 1 2 1 Lin wood 3 0 0 New Brighton . 4 0 ■1 u