LAWN TENNIS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 642, 21 December 1932, Page 11

LAWN TENNIS.

How Easy the Game is, Says Ollivier. NOTES BY “ BASELINE.” Geoffrey Ollivier, many times New Zealand champion, played in an exhibition game at the opening of the Waimairi Tennis Club’s pavilion on Saturday. Later he was asked by the president to say a few words on how to play the game. Ollivier said: “ There are three important things in the game. The first is the grips. For the forehand the racquet should not be gripped so that the palm of the hand touches the leather guard on the end. Neither should a short grip be taken. Hold the racquet just so that the hand clears the end guard. Make the grip firm in all shots. The wrist should be slightly behind the handle, and every ball should be struck both forehand and backhand at nearly arm’s length. The backhand grip has the knuckles well forward, the back of the hand, the wrist and the arm in nearly a straight line. The thumb may be used to strengthen the grip, but it is equally good to have the thumb round the handle. “ The second thing is footwork. It is very simple and easy to remember. For the forehand the left foot forward; for the backhand right foot forward. “ The third and most important point is to keep your eye on the ball. Watch the ball. Correct grip, correct footwork and keeping the eye on the ball, and you have good tennis.” In answer to a question as to the best practice for tennis, Ollivier said: “ The best practice is shadow swinging. You do not need a ball. Just swing the racquet as though you are hitting a ball. Swing for your backhand and forehand using the correct footwork, and when you go on the court your swing will be automatic and correct.” X X X It is reported that E. D. Andrews will be playing in the New Zealand championships. X X X Mr W. Hawkins has placed the folr lowing two players on the inter-club ranking list:—B. Duffield and Miss D. Dickey. x 92 L. Hay, wht* won the championship doubles in the primary school tournament, is the third of this New Brighton family to be a school champion. X X X Canterbury players who are thinking of going to Tirnaru need not fear they will be alone. There is a big Christchurch contingent participating. H. A. Barnett defeated W. R. Robinson in a ranking match 6-4, 6-3, and T. W. Patterson defeated D. F. Glanville 8-6, 6-1. H. S. P. Andrews defeated E. E. England 6-2, 6-4, and Miss Fleetwood defeated Miss 1. Morrison 6-1, 6-1. X X X In the United handicaps, Miss Bishop is in the final of the singles, and with Miss Reed she won the final of the doubles. T. Rhodes-Williams, on the "owe 40” mark, is in the final of the men’s event, meeting either H. S. Andrews, A. R. Cant, or E. L. Prebble. Rhodes-Williams and Dymond are in the final of the doubles. They play either Fisher and Searle or Connall and Penlington. 92 92 X The Wilding Shield team will soon be sorted out. Angas and Barnett look assured and Robinson, with the confidence of wins over Patterson and Glanville, will hard to displace. His play may upset the 'Wellington opposition _more raiher stereotyped game of Patterson and Glanville. 92 9& X The draw for the championships is out with a good entry. Angas, Barnett, Seay and Robinson are the seeded players. Miss Nicholls will be in Wellington, but with Misses Wake, Andrew, T. Poole and Rudkin playing, there should be plenty of interest. Angas and Dymond should retain their doubles title, and Miss Wake and Miss Andrew look good for their matches. Seay and Miss Andrew and Rhodes-Wil-liams and Miss Wake should fight out the combineds, with the first-named the victors. j-: There is no such thing as fair handicapping in tennis. There are only two people who have a chance in a handicap. It is either the back-marker or else a young improving player. Whoever heard of an average player winning a handicap? Of every hundred people who enter for handicaps not 5 per cent have the slightest chance. The best they cah hope for is a game or two. The reason is that the range allowed by handicappers is too limited. To a good player " owe 40 ” is no trouble except if he meets one who is improving fast and has been " let in ” lightly. But as long as the average player continues to enter on a hopeless task, so the present system is justified. It is fitting that the young improving player should get a trophy and that the best players should reap the reward of their prowess. But unlike handicaps In all other games, we have no way of giving everyone an equal chance. It cannot be done except with four or five grades. X X X The Avonside-United No. 1 game, which occupied the centre courts at Wilding Park attraetd a good gallery of players The Angas-Seay contest failed to be -interesting, but the doubles between Angas and Dymond (Canterbury champions and Soay and Patterson was a game worth seeing. Throughout the match the volleying was .without a flaw, all four handling the hardest drives from any part of the court. It was anybody’s game. At one period it appeared that both sidvs realised that hard driving was hopeless, and every ball was tossed deep. Then it was seen that while each could lob, only Angas could smash a deep hall, though with a short ball Seay has the copyright of making a smash stay smashed. After it hit the ground it did not land again till it hit the top sweats of the stand. J. W. Arnold, who is now established at the lower end of the Canterbury ladder, put up a good performance against Patterson, fourth man for Canterbury. Arnold’s game is not spectacular. His backhand is laborious, but in his forehand he has great control of the ball, and he has a fine touch for a lob. When hardpressed he can put a lob that will land within a few inches of tlve back line every time. 52 92 52 Canterbury College have some good players coming on, G. N. Knight pressed Sheppard to three sets and 6-all in the last one, R. A. Young took Greenwood to .thirty-seven games, and J. H. Griffiths defeated thte ranking list player, H. G. Searle. Griffiths has a stroke that is all his own, and its simplicity and effectiveness is worthy of note. Many plas'©rs make a smash that ca nfrequently be recovered. Griffiths leans back for a hard smash, and at the last second pokes it slowly over the net. His opponent by that time is making for the back fence. X X 5*5 In the inter-club competition, Linwood. with Cathedral, the only unbeaten team in the A grade, Section 1., had a narrow escape on Saturday from Avonside, Glanville and Manchester are viery good overhead. The Avonside women are a sad trial to their opponents. Most of them are exponents of cuts and chops. 5*5 52 52 Addington defeated St Albans very easily. A newcomer in the Addington team is I. Corich, who recently won a Boys’ High School championship. He has worked his way up the Addington ladder to third placte, defeating W. Thompson recently, 9-4. Addington players say he will take a lot of stopping to prevent him reaching top place, but D. Silvester, who is first player, is equal to a number of those on the Canterbury list. Corich has a natural aptitude for the game, and is capable of out-thinking older players. He combines rock-like steadiness with a fast winning drive when h** has manoeuvred his opponent out of position. In the Canterbury College v. Cashmere game all th* Varsity men won their singles, and all the women lost theirs. Canterbury College won by eight games.

The only surprise in the Elmwood v. Cathedral match was Miss L. Camm’s game against Miss T. Poole. Miss Camni led, 5-3, and it looked as though Miss Poole would have her first defeat' in recent seasons, but the Cathedral playVr rallied and took the next three games. J. Mercer again had a narrow victory. N. Brydges-Jones took him to 8-all, and on Saturday A. Gillies reached the same score. Gillies is a very fine player, and his f*erve and forehand drive are both hard.

Draw for Christmas Tourney.

HANDICAP EVENTS. Following are the draws for the handicap events at the Christmas tournament, which will begin on Saturday. The junior events will begin at 9 a.in. and the senior at 3.30 p.m.:— Men’s Handicap Singles (First Grade). E. S. Dixon plus £ 15 v. E. W. Wade owe 15; W. Hawkins owe 13 v. J. W. Mosley owe 2-6 15; YV. G. Gerard owe 5-6 15 v. D. Martin owe 15£, L. N. Larsen owe 15 4-6 v. E. Biddle owe 1-6 15; J. Mercer owe 15£ v. A. L. Kay owe 2-6 15; B. M. Savill scr v. L. J. Broughton owe 2-6 15. M. S. Bullivant owe 2-6 15 v. H. L. Wise owe 155: C. Rich v 11. S. P. Andrews owe 301; L. Neale v. B. Ayres; D. G. Silvester v. C. Dunlop; S. Moulton v. R. Austin; C. D. Stewart owe 15 v. man; E. D. Broughton scr v. G. Knight B. D. Duffield plus 2-6 15 v. R. G. Beverley plus £ 15; T. G. Anderson plus 2-6 15 v. L. Neale plus 1-6 15; G. Dryden owe 2-6 15 v. R. C. Manchester owe 1-6 15; L. Morris plus J 15 v. J. G. Langrish owe 15£; W. Rumbold scr v A. R. Cant owe 40; F. A. Wilson owe 4-6 15 v. A. C. Felton scr. Men’s Handicap Singles (Second Grade). L. Tait owe 15 2-6 v. A. S. Wislang scr; G. L. Edwards owe £ 15 v. D. J. M’William; G. J. W. Sloane owe 4-6 15 v. V. Clemens; W. M. Aitken owe 4-6 15; J. R. de Lambert owe 30; W. H. Price plus 15; A. A. Pullar owe 15 1-6; W. Thom plus £ 15; J. C. Cadenhead owe 15£; W. P. Sutherland owe 4-6 15; P. V. H. Berry owe 30; P. W. Young owe 15 £; A. S. Mollison owe £ 15 v. G. Dryden; R. P. Andrews owe £ 15 v. D. S. Minson; J. F. Wade owe 1-6 15 v. B. Clarke plus £ 15; S. W. Josland owe £ 15 v. E. R. Darracott owe £ 15. Men’s Handicap Doubles. W. Hawkins and R. Austin owe 15 v. P. V. H. Berry and L. Tait owe 4-6 15; A. R. Cant and H. S. P. Andrews owe 40 v. W. Rumbold and A. Kay scr; B. B. Loughnan and J. R. Johnston owe 40 v. G. Beverley and B. C. Clarke; T. G. Anderson and v. A. Mackay and C. A. Harrow plus 4-6 15; J. G. Langrish and L. N. Larsen owe 15 £ v. E. Biddle and G. Dryden owe £ 15; R. J. Pullar and W. M. Aitken scr v. H. Tillman and C. Rich; D. J. M’William and D. S. Minson v. A. S. Mollison and A. Lester plus 15; D. G. Silvester and V. Clemens v. L. Morris and L. Neale scr; L. J. Broughton and A. C. Felton owe 2-6 15 v. T. W. Patterson and R. Browning owe 40; E. R. Darracott and E. S. Dixon v. G. L. Edwards and J. F. Wade plus 1- 35; L. B. Black and H. L. Wise v. B. M. Savill and W. G. Gerard owe 4- 15; P. Young and C. D. Stewart owe 5- 15 v. E. D. Broughton and J. W. Mosley owe 1-6 15; F. Cramp and D. Meier v. W. H. Price and A. S. Wislang plus 15; C. Evans and W. Thom plus' 4-6 15 v. L. E. Wood and B. Clarke plus 4-6 15; J. Mercer and D. Martin owe 15£ v. F. J. Bennett and L. C. Webb owe 15; W. P. Sutherland and G. J. W. Sloane plus 2-6 15 v. E- W. Wade and M. S. Bullivant owe 15. Women’s Handicap Singles. Miss A. G. N. Reed owe 15 v. Miss A. R. Dixon scr; Miss A. Fox v. Miss P. Metson owe 4-6 15; Miss A. Keighley plus J 15; Miss M. Lance plus £ 15; Miss M. M. Tayler scr; Miss J. Davidson plus 4-6 15; Miss N. Dick owe 30; Miss C. R. Dixon scr; Miss P. Wright owe 3 5 2-6; Miss J. Burt plus 5-6 15: Mrs H. S. Chetwin owe 2-6 15; Miss M. Barr owe 15 4-6: Miss P. Lynskey plus 2- 15; Miss E. Fleetwood owe 30: Miss S. Boyd owe 15 1-6 v. Miss R. Hookham: Miss M. Pyne owe £ 15 v. Miss K. Smith plus 15. Women’s Handicap Doubles. Misses L. Camm and P. Wright owe 15 v. Misses M. Cramp and B. Nelson plus i 15; Miss V. O’Donoghue and Mrs J. Mercer v. Misses W. Hutton and J. Burt scr.; Misses M. Pyne and P. Metson owe 4-6 16 v. Misses J. Burt and M. Blamires plus £ 15; Misses K. Smith and J. Davidson plus 15: Mrs Kibblewhite and Miss N. Reed owe 15; Misses N. Dick and R. Hookham owe 15 2-6 v. Misses V. Flood and A. Fox; Misses C. R. and A. R. Dixon plus 2-6 15 v. Misses E Fleetwood and K. Hoare owe 15 £; Misses M. Lance and v. Mrs F. A. Wilson and Miss C. Dickson owe 15 4-6. Mixed Handicap Doubles. First Grade. Miss A. Fox and T. G. Anderson plus £ 15 v. Miss L. Camm and W. Rumbold owe £ 15; Miss M. Lance and J. Bennett plus 2-6 15 v. Miss K. Hoare and L. B. Black owe 4-6 35; Miss I. Poole and D. Martin owe 30 £ v. Miss M. Logan and B. Norris plus 1-6 15: Miss P. Wright and L. J. Broughton scr; Miss N. Dick and W. Hawkins owe 15 5-6; Mrs Wilson and F. A. Wilson owe 15 £ v. Miss R. Hookham and H. Tillman: Miss A. G. N. Reed and v. Miss S. Boyd and E. Biddle owe 15; Miss T. Poole and J. Mercer owe 40 v. and H. L. Wise. Second Grade. Miss J. Davidson and G. L. Edwards owe 15; Miss P. Lynskey and C. Evans owe £ 15: Miss L. Dickson and D. G. Dickson plus £ 15; Miss V. O’Donoghue and M. H. Mullany owe £ 35: Miss A. Keighley and L. Tait owe 25 £; Miss M. Cramp and F. Cramp plus 15: Miss A. Goodman and A. S. Mollison scr; Miss J. Senior and G. Duncan scr.