PYLE’S PROFESSIONAL TENNIS STARS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18012, 24 November 1926, Page 6

PYLE’S PROFESSIONAL TENNIS STARS.

but Mrs Godfree—Miss Kitty M’Jvane that was—has improved wonderfully this last year. She toured South Africa with an English team early in the year. Other improved players I saw were Miss Joan Fry, who is about nineteen and hits very hard, and Miss Betty Nut tall, a player with still greater pos-" sibilities, as she is but fifteen. Of the promising men I saw Austin impressed me. Gregory I only saw in his doubles, “ I saw the French Davis Cup players, and they are wonderfully keen, and there is no doubt their success is due to the fact that in France they have hard courts to play on. In England hard courts are rare, and the English summer, mostly a wet one, does not allow the turf to be spelled until it is lit for play. The consequence is that outside Wimbledon and one or two private clubs it is rare to find a good surface, ai:d one really fit to play good tennis on.

“ To a large extent this difficulty will be overcome in the near future. It is now recognised that the hard court is the most suitable to allow of play over a long period of the year. Also, it makes for a faster game. At the present time a surface with a clay foundation and dyed green is being experimented. with and is likely to be successful.

“In regard to how Miss Speirs would compare with the leading English players, unfortunately I will not be able to see Miss Speirs play, although 1 was to have played with Tier to-day ! (Saturday), the wet weather prevent- | ing it. Still, from what 1 have heard, I am quite convinced she would hold her own with England's best. “If Miss Speirs were able to come to England and compete I am sure she would receive every kindness from the officials and everyone. The English, although they arfc slow to make friends and have their many interests, yet they are really most hospitable, and I am sure that if New Zealand’s first lady tvent Home she would be most welcome. “ I would like to tell Christchurch people also that in the grounds at United they have courts that, outside 'Wimbledon, can not be equalled in England.” tt GLANVILLE AGAIN AVOXSIDE CHAMPION. Last year D. F. Glanville beat the more brilliant Don France in straight sets for the AA-onside championship, and this year’s match was but a repetition of the previous year's. AH round .steadiness, an ability to place the ball anywhere needed, and a disconcerting habit of returning impossible shots, are the weapons he uses, and on Saturday they were successful in bringing him out from an apparently hopeless position, to a win in straight sets from B. B. Loughnan, 7-5, 6-3. Seldom does a game fluctuate to such an extent as this one. In the first six games there was only one in it. For sheer brilliance Loughnan’s game could hardly be beaten. He drove deep and following in. time after time, finished the rally with a beautiful volley. At 5 1 in his favour, just when it appeared that Gianville’s chances were hopeless. a change came, and the next seven Btmes went to “Dan, ’ and although ede showed occasional brilliancy yet. the match was soon Oyer. Apart from a hard backhand drive at times, Glanville was content to let his opponent attack, and seldom came to the net. However, his ability as a player was revealed in his return of Loughnan’s service. Few players can handle it so well.

Browning, who won from Field, 3 —6, 6—4, 6—l. The first set saw Field erratic, losing the first three games. He got the next six however. The next set saw Browning start off with a 4 —l lead and 5 —3, and although Field got the next, yet the following saw the set lost and in the next set he only got one game. Recent challenges are Wilding to Sheppard for 6 position; Browning to loser of A. B. Loughnan—Robinson

match. Angas to Field, and Miss Perrier to Miss Partridge. Last night Glanville beat Patterson in straight sets. 6 —4. 6.-—l. The game was marked by few patches of brilliance, and appeared to be Glanville’sall through. A DDINGTOX ~ ’ VP. The handicaps —v.:. ’ club I doubles, and a r ..’ ‘ i interest is the range of handicaps. Few are made stiff enough to keep the scratch players out of it. but at Addington while some pairs are “owe 40.” others “receive 30 2-6.” If the scratch pair win. then good luck to them. JUNIOR A COMPETITION. The position of the teams in regard to the Junior A matches is hard to follow on account cf some -of the. games played away from Wilding Park not having been sent to the newspapers. St Albans is now in the lead, but has to play some hard matches so that any team that has lost'but one. match lias still a good chance. In Saturday's match between St Albans and Addington the result could not have been closer, for the games were 95 all. Just , one game stood between Addington and victory on several occasions. Poison led B—4 only to go clown, Wise led 7—2 and went under, and in the combined doubles, Robbins and Miss Wade led 5—3 and lost as did Poison and Miss Jack front s—-4. Did St Albans carry a mascot? The play throughout was of a high standard in the men’s singles and in, one of the ladies’ doubles the play was particularly bright. NEXT SATURDAY’S MATCHES.

Junior A grade: Addington v. S. Christchurch, at Addington; St Albans- v. Edgeware ,at W.P., 1 and 2; Linwood A v. Elmwood, at W.P., 3 and 4; Cashmere v. Sumner, at W.P.. 5 and 6; Opawa v._ St Stephen’s, at W.P. 7 and 8. In regard to the Avonside-Lin-wood match set down for Linwood courts. Mr K. Browning received a letter from the Avonside Club stating that owing to the difficulty in getting together players the club would withdraw from the competition. The match comrtaittee Of the association, to which the letter was referred, passed a resOi lution regretting that a club such as Avonside should find this course necessary. Suburban matches, A grade ;-~Riccarton v. Belfast at Riccarton; Paparua v. Kaiapoi, at' Kaiapoi; Halswell

v. Woolston, at Halswell; Rangiora v Red cliffs at W.P., 9 and 10. at R.l L J, y r,arua V. Belfast W.P.. 13 and 14 '• W °°lston, at Woohton C '~Ri alS "’f n V - Wootaton. at v\ coiston, Riccarton v. Snrevdon at ham' at'lVestT Becken Te^pSon Prebbleton SUBURBAN COMPETITION On Saturday under a grey skV the ; , f"'™. ‘cams again met. 'Cathedral showed improved form in beating Sprevdon A. grood performance was i; S ' ’ o. oorl swm against Miss Williamson. Riccarton 11. won from Heathcote. The Hesley-Te Wbaka match was ? A P ?. nPd . on account of it raining in Uyttelton m the morning. The St Paul s-.Xorth Beach match was also postponed. An interesting and very close match '' V p i?- ve d in the B grade and which probably has a bearing on the holderp‘ P , ° f p th , e ? sh,rld - Shirley and St aul s B. both without a previous defeat met on Wilding Park and when ; the last set went on, the games were equal. However the Shirley pair M Higgins and Miss’ Johnston won the set 6-_. and the match by 4 games. A number of the singles were hardfought and in both teams “last ditchers were common. The match between k. bmith and N, Baggs Avas closer than the score indicated and ri^, pl «?L- ng was exceptionally good. \Vith bhirle\-, however, too many of the men rely on a cut drive. G. Thomas is the' exception. It is doubtful if, in the whole competition, a better style than his could be found. He smashes well from any part of the court, and his backhand is a treat to watch. On Saturday Henfy s constant approach t P Si*. , net and ’volfeys disconcerted the Shirley man. I. A. Henry plays attractive tennis. He comes to the net and covers the court **ll. Mrs M’Kav Shirley's first lady, is good. She hits the ball hard and her second service is almost as difficult to get up as her first. A good recovery was Miss M’Donald s m her singles. With the score 5-3 against her, ths St Paul’s plaver brought off a good win 6-5. Mrs Baynes and Miss Tait also played fine games. If Australia will accept Tilden in the dual roles of actor and tennis player, the former national tennis champion may visit the Commonwealth after his contemplated invasion of Europe next year (says a New York cable to Sydney). LEARNING TO PLAY.

(SEVENTH ARTICLE). It was thought that the service stroke had been quite exhaustively gone into, but a chance cpnversation showed that this was not so, for the method of making the shot had not been dealt with, although the principles governing the stroke had been explained. Mr R. D. Harman needs no introduction to most playfers, but to the younger ones it may be briefly stated that he was for a great number of years Canterbury’s best player, and since then has closely followed the game. Mis adyice is sought by many of our leading players, and he has built and is building up the foundation of the game of the young people by acting as honorary coach in the schools. "The serve,” says Mr Harman, “needs to be a fuA stroke. In golf, in bowling, at cricket, in boxing, it is quite apparent that a half swing has less force than a full one. but at tennis this point is lost .sight of, and it is found among several of our leading players that their service is weakened bv a faulty body swing.” “The start of the stroke should be made with the racket held well up in front of the body. It is brought down slowly but with gathering momentum, and brought up behind the bod}', and then overhead striking the ball as high as the racket can reach. This must be one continuous movement, and the weight of the body in. turn placed on the left foot at the start of the stroke, and the right foot as the racket ascends and then as the blow is to be struck the weight is in transition to the left foot.'" “The stance should be sidewavs to the. net with the right foot if anything slightly behind the left. This enables the body to pivot easily and to prevent the movement being cramped." “One. trouble learners and others [ have in making the stroke is the tim- » ing of throwing up the ball. If it is 1 thrown in the air at the start of the stroke the action becomes too hurried to be effective. Tht? right time is just after the racket has started on its upwards journe}’" behind the body. The ball should be tossed about two feet higher than the point, of impact., and must be well overhead and not thrown forward or it. will be found that the action of reaching over td hit will carry the. ball- into the net.” “Of Canterbury'6 best, senes I think A. B. Ldughnan has pfobablv the befct, but his brother Bede. Allan Wood, and Frank Wilding are all good. Of other New 2ealand players, Page has one of the finest serves.” “On Saturday at United out of all the men playing that day I saw none to equal Miss May Speirs in the effectiveness of the swing into the serve.”