LAWN TENNIS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19237, 26 November 1930, Page 7

LAWN TENNIS

NEWS FROM ALL THE COURTS.

By

H. TILLMAN.

THE RANKING LIST. At start of season. At present. 1. C. Angas C. Angas 2. T. W. Patterson T. W. Patterson 3. D. F. Glanville J. FI. W. Sheppard 4. J. 11. Sheppard D. F. Glanville 5. B. B. Loughnan W. S. Somerville 6. W. S. Somerville J. R. Crawshaw 7. E. 11. Orbell B. B. Loughnan 8. J: R. Crawshaw 11. Dymond 9. 11. Dymond J. R. Johnston 10. D. C. Johnston E. H. Orbell 11. J. R. Johnston D. C. Johnston 12. J. W. D. Fisher J. G. A’Court 13. J. G. A’Court J. W. D. Fisher 14. H. G. Searle A. R. Cant 15. A. Borrows H. G. Searle 16. E. E. England A. Borrows 17- W. Goss, jun. W. Goss, jun. 18. A. R. Cant E. E. England 19. 11. A. Barnett 11. A. Barnett 20. N. Anderson N. Anderson Ft will be seen that Cant has made the most progress, going up four rungs since the start of the season. His game against Searle was played this week, and was a close one, Cant wini ning, 8-6, 5-7, 6-3. Searle might have won if he had been better at the net. He came in at times, but failed. Fie had two set points in the first set, and missed one easy one. Barnett is the other Canterbury “hope,” but he is not doing much challenging. He could beat most of the eighteen above him. Recently he beat A’Court easily, and he was only receiving a shade of odds. In a practice game against Cant on Monday it was Barnett who returned the last ball in the rallies. That is what Barnett specialises in: returning the last ball, and, after all, that is all there is in it. New Shields. The Canterbury Association will have all new shields for its competitions. Mr P. R. Harman’s shield for the senior compettion, a very handsome one, is to hand. There are thirteen shields, so that all teams till 1944 will be sure of a place. Mr J. H. Kirk has given the A grade shield, and there are two others needed. Here is an opportunity to help’ the association out. The suburban shields, together with the junior A and B grade ones, will be hung at Wilding Park pavilion Club Ladder Matches. In how many clubs are the ladder matches few and far between? This not as it should be. The ranking should represent the true level of play. One of the most serious faults with lad. der rules is that only the player immediately above can be challenged This frequently means that some unambitious yet good player holds back good men and allows inferior men to remain in teams long after their usefulness has departed. Sometimes this good player deliberately remains where he is to protect a friend. This only adds to the ill-feeling in the club. Cathedral Club, the leading club in the

inter-club competition, allow a player to challenge either of the two above, and now Sumner have come to light with a still more flexible scheme. Any player below the first twelve can challenge either of the next three above, and only a week is allowed for a match to be got off. One young player named Hardy was put on the bottom of the ladder at Sumner a week or two ago, and now he is about sixth. Fie rose six places the first two nights. In how many other clubs could such progress be made? Inter-Club Ranking. The committee (Messrs W. Flawkins, J. O’Malley and A. R. Merrett) are to be congratulated on the new inter-club ranking list. Not because it is without a mistake, but because there are so few errors. The ranking is at best a compromise, and mercy has tempered justice in regard to some of the old Suburban players. An effort has been made have every club represented, and this has been responsible for many good players being left off. G. Pierce, C. Stewart and A. Petersen, who were on last year’s list, have been crow,ded out, and G. Powlev, J. Arnold and P. Vesty are not playing in the competition. With the ladies, Mrs M’Pherson, Mrs Spicer, Miss Holmes, Miss Vesty, Mrs Forgie, Mrs Holland, Miss Manning, and Miss Martin have not found a place. Of these Mrs Holland, last year’s Sumner champion, and first lady for Beckenham this year, is the most unfortunate. The most fortunate is Miss Williamson, who has ascended from eleventh place last year to fourth place this year. The Inter-Club Competition. Sumner won against Barrington on Saturday. N. Barlow is coming into his best form. lie defeated A. M’Leod, 9-4, and this is M’Leod’s first def.eat for some years in competition matches. Barlow was irresistible. His timing is so good that every stroke is full of pace, and aiming continually for the side lines, he maintains an unvarying pressure. His serve, in addition to its speed, rises high in its bound. G. A. Webb is away on the West Coast, and R. A. Row played in his place. Row is another outstanding player the seaside suburb has dug out. If they can strengthen their ladies they may win the competition. Waimairi were well beaten by Linwood's No. 2 team. Miss Chrissie Dickson, who is first lady for Linwood, has a splendid fast forehand drive, made with an easy action. The first two men are J. Campbell and N. Manchester, newcomers to the competition. They hail from Waimate. Botn hit and smash hard. Addington won all the men’s singles against Cashmere, and lost all but one of the ladies’. The committee placed Mrs Clemens seventh on the interclub

ladder, but Miss E. Johnston, who defeated her on Saturday . 6-3, is not placed. This is a. serious omission. Belfast beat Union by twelve sets to four. Invitation to the West Coast. Mr J. Mercer has received the following letter from Mr M’Carthy, secretary of the West Coast Association: “I have received numerous inquiries from the different clubs on the Coast in regard to the possibility of another visit from your Suburban Association this year along the lines of the one last year. The championship meeting takes place at Westport on January 27, 38 and We like a team to tour and play Hokitika, then Greymouth, and, after a visit to Reefton, the Westport Club will arrange for your transport to Westport. You can be sure that all' the West Coast clubs will do their best to entertain you.” Mr M’Carthy’s reference to the Suburban Association is a mistake on his part. Last year’s team was picked from representatives of the Suburban clubs. This year the team will presumably be picked by the Competitions Committee from the interclub ranking list. Notes. Entries for the championship events at United close on Saturday. Mrs E. Crawshaw, who has been ill, will be playingjagain after Christmas. J* Johnston and Crawshaw beat Fisher and A’Court 6-2, 8-6 last night. In recent ranking matches T. W. Patterson beat J. H. W. Sheppard 6-0, 6-3; W. Goss jun, beat E. E. England 5-7, uo % J - G ‘ A ’ Court beat J. W. Fisher 6-2, 6-2; J. R. Johnston beat E. H. Orbell 6-4, 6-4. Goss has challenged Borrows, Cant Fisher, Andrews Anderson and J: R. Johnston the loser of the bymond-Loughnan match, and Searle the loser of the game between Cant and Fisher. W. S. Somerville last night nearly got m Canterbury’s first four. He led 5-4 and 40-15 in the third set against Glanville, and failed to get either of the match points, though it was his serve. Glanville was playing his usual difficult game, though netting a few on his forehand. It appeared that Somerville knew more about Glanville’s next stroke than Glanville did about Somerville’s. Somerville’s strokes appear to be conceived on the spur of the moment, and Glanville’s game is founded on perfecting the principal strokes of the game. Thus Somerville's game is full of surprises, and makes it interesting to watch. He,.served well. Miss May Andrew has taken her name off the Canterbury Ranking List on account of not being able to get the necessary practice. On Saturday she played with Miss Wake in a doubles match against Mrs Miles and Mrs Peppier, and proved that she only needs a few. games to regain her old form. Miss Andrew will play with I. A. Seay in the combined doubles at the New Zealand championships and defend the ladies’ doubles title with Miss Wake.

The Canterbury ranking list is full of anomalies. Miss Andrew is Canterbury champion and was placed third on the list. The list is a law unto itself. It ignores all other performances than its own. A week or two ago J. R. Johnston defeated J. W. D. Fisher in a ranking list match. The game went to three sets and on Monday the two staged another good contest when they met in the handicap singles at United off the same mark. The game was one of the best driving games seen. The rallies were for the most part long, the length kept good, and hard hitting was the rule. Johnston’s back-hand is quite as good as any in Canterbury and a long way superior to most. He took the first set and led 5-2 in the second, but it took three more stubbornly fought games before he won out. Good progress is being made this year with the handicap events at United. The first two rounds of the men’s and ladies’ singles have been played. In the men’s A grade doubles Sheppard and Dymond meet Anderson and Barnett. The last two defeated Cant and Andrews on Monday night and previously had beaten J. R. Johnston and Crawshaw, but were conceded threesixths. In the bottom half Arnold and Ford meet Allison and Patterson and the winners meet Daly and Armstrong. The result looks open with Anderson and Barnett favourites and Daly and Armstrong possible. Daly has all manner of wonderful shots. Patterson and Allison, on the way to their present place, defeated the Canterbury champions, W. S. Somerville and Tait, in a good three set match. Patterson and Allison did not go too well at times, but they chose the right places to plav badly, whereas Somerville and Tait reserved their worst efforts for the third set. This is the wrong time. Patterson and P. Allison are a new combination. A couple of years ago Patterson could not play a good doubles game, but to-day he volleys and smashes well and makes few mistakes. Allisdn has been described as the best doubles player in Canterbury. This may be wrong, but he plays a doubles game that is a delight to watch. He never hurries (or, at least, never appears to) and seldom hits the ball hard. Yet, so well is the ball placed the return is difficult. His volley is very like Borrows’s, a simple push stroke. There is rarely a crisp stroke and it rather appears that Allison likes a volley duel and hates to spoil it with a too hurried winner. Last night Patterson and Allison played Field and Browning a doubles ladder match and won 6-(f, 6-3. It was half way through the second set before Allison made a mistake, and it was not till the seventh game that Patterson failed to return a serve. Edgeware Club. Club handicap events at Edgeware are all well advanced, the following being first round results:— Ladies’ handicap singles—Mrs G. Archbold (rec 1-6) beat Miss K. Maddren (rec 3-6), 9-0; Miss E. Davey (owe 30) beat Miss O. Jenkins (owe (1-6), 9-6. Ladies’ handicap doubles—Mrs Inwood and Miss Luisetti beat Misses Green and Winnev, 9-4; Mrs Forgie and Miss A. E. Douglas beat Misses Bryan

and Legg, 9-5: Mrs Uren and Miss Mile 9 beat Misses Lysaght and Scott, 9-8: Misses E. and M. Armstrong beat Misses F. and K. Maddren, 9-0; Mrs M’Rae and Mrs Brunton beat Miss Reynolds and Mrs Archbold; 9 1. Men’s handicap singles—E‘>. Davey beat C. Harold, 9-8; A. Inwood beat W Clothier, 9-8: J. Shier beat F. Pennefather, 9-7; W. Forgie beat N. S. Spiers, 9-5: G. Carpenter beat M. Legg, 9-6; J. Tennant beat W. Jarvis, 9-7; J. H. Griffiths beat A. C. Wilson, 9-4. Men's handicap doubles—Griffiths and Kissel beat Hamilton and Davey, 9-7; Harold and M'Queen beat Wilson and Roach. 9-7; Uren and Elam beat Spiers and Mounsey, 9-5; Carpenter and. Legg beat Allan and Cavanagh, 9-8.