TENNIS NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20231, 15 February 1934, Page 11

TENNIS NOTES.

Some Curiosities of the Game.

(By

“BASELINE.”)

In Sydney recently a ball collided with the ball from an adjoining court and they both rebounded into play. For this to happen one ball was obviously going out. What would you have done if you had been umpire? Tennis is considered to be a game free from risks, yet S. Lyttelton Rogers, the Irish giant, at the Buxton (England) tournament a month or two ago, hit a fast ball and knocked out I. 11. Wheatcroft. It was some time before Wheatcroft recovered consciousness. There was the case of a match at Ashburton that lasted all one afternoon and continued next day; the opposite was a match between one of the Renshaws and H. L. Lawford in the early days of the game. W. Renshaw beat Lawford 6-0 in six minutes. However, this is not the record shortest set. The worst beating on record befel Tilden in 1925. In the final round of the Pennsylvania championships R. N. Williams defeated Tilden in the first set, 6-0, in five minutes. Tilden secured five points, four of them earned, thus Williams only made one error. Tilden, however, won, 0-6, 6-2, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4. Tilden could hit, but he could also keep the ball in play. In a match against Lacoste the ball crossed the net 1155 times. There were a numke£of rallies of over twenty strokes. The greatest number of long rallies the writer ever saw was in the final 5? ™ omen ’ s singles at the Dunedin Exhibition tournament between Mrs Scott and Mrs Beale (then Miss Muirson). On two occasions the ball crossed the net 51 and 52 times. From memory Mrs Beale won. „ tournaments the “ chopping block players often go down 6-0, 6-0, but a few strokes are always taken by the opposition. A set where one did not get a single stroke is recorded. The winner was E. Partridge, a well-known schoolmaster and tennis player. At the time he was a member of the Paparua (Hornby) Club thv, "J. 3 match J or the club championShip he won the 24 strokes on end. "wards Partridge went to the West sh£f fin"? bought out many championship finals with Gooch. Partridge is now in the North Island One other curiosity. What is the highest price paid for a racquet? The raco W u e et IS J 92 u Mi .“ Be ‘ty Nuthali’s her wm in the American T he £°“ h,p ’ " as put up for auction. Ine money went to charity. Placed T “ w« H e |" P B; trSXuVtIT “ToueP nan has returned to form He w nan wo I n C^ Shin ?., on ,!asy shots, ifoughwas an h rallles "'hen the pressure

nl^v S thA a vn ddy mor £ in » the team to y thl h toi EU ® sm ? re Sub-Union waited for the rain to clear and filled in time ringing up to find out if the match w2S down h„t/ t ' S S!!i lr ,' h the rain P®lted aown, but at Motukarara it was fine At Leeston it was also fine and the Ellesmere team arrived at Waihora and wondered. why the Christchurch players had not arrived. Mr Gray captain of the Ellesmere team, then Squire, who collected the f 1" ,® nd they arrived at Motukarara at 1.30 p.m. The roads were dry as ;L so "~f. re the courts. Everything ‘lookA , fine luncheon was served and then—down came the rain. It was £*** ra L n - In^,^ h , e city everyone would ha\e been disheartened. Not the Ellesmere players. They mustered the woi h ® ld a d ance in the h fH* afternoon was spent dancing Evidently the players had all taken Geoff. Ollivier’s advice about dancing improving tennis. Speeches were made by Mr Mercer and Mr Gray, and at five o’clock the teams left for their homes. The following analysis of the positions of the leading teams in each of the lower grades has been prepared by SQUI , r J* In . B e ra de. section 1, Spray don <five wins) have lost to Wesley beaten St Mary's, and have not met Riccarton. Wesley, also with five wins, have beaten Spreydon, lost to Riccarton and have yet to meet St Mary’s Riccarton (four wins) beat Wesley, but have not met Spreydon or St Mary’s. St Mary s, with four wins, have lost to Spreydon and have met neither Wesley nor Riccarton. C. Grade, section I—Cathedral (five wins) have not met Opawa or Heathcote, have beaten Elmwood and lost to Shirley. Opawa (five wins) have beaten Heathcote, lost to Elmw-ood, and not met Cathedral or Shirley. Shirlev (five wins) have beaten Cathedral and Heathcote and have lost to Elmwood and not met Opawa. Elmwood and Heathcote have four wins each. B Grade, section 2—Opawa (six wins) have beaten Aulsebrook’s and Edgeware, but have yet to meet Elmwood. Aulsebrook’s (five wins) have lost to Opawa, and have not met Edgeware or Elmwood. Edgeware (five wins) have beaten Elmwood and lost to Opawa. They have yet to meet Aulsebrook’s. Elmwood (five wins) have lost to Edgeware and have yet to meet Opawa and Aulsebrook’s. C Grade, section 2—Opawa (six wins) have beaten Avonside Church and have yet to play St James’. Avonside Church (five wins) have lost to Opawa and have not met St James’. St James’ (five wins) have lost to Riccarton and have n °f met Opawa or Avonside Church. D Grade—St Mary’s (four wins) have lost to Yaldhurst and not met Spreydon or St John's. Spreydon (four wins) have beaten St John’s, lost to Yaldhurst and not met St Mary’s. Yaldhurst (four wins) have beaten St Mary’s and Spreydon and lost to St John’s. Good entries have been received for the Canterbury championships. The matches should be full of interest. :: All tennis players will regret that Mr Haile has given up the position of groundsman at Wilding Park. It seems impossible to imagine that anyone else will put in the amount of time Mr Haile has done or have the interests of the park so much at heart. Mrs Haile shared her husband’s popularity. 5$ M Ranking Matches—B. A. Barrer (challenger) beat W. R. Robinson for fifth place, 8-2, 6-4; P. D. Hall (challenger) beat J. W. D. Fisher for seventeenth place, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3; Miss B. Gould beat Miss I. Morrison (challenger) for seventh place, 6-0, 6-2.

Something of the task the Competitions Committee set its secretary (Mr J. Squire) in compiling a register may be judged from the following figures: The number of players registered is 1155. made up of 922 (inter-club competition), 52 (seniors) and 36 (women’s competition). There are 600 results filed away. One team (Canterbury College B) has actually used 24 different players to complete its team. Only four teams have used the same men and women throughout. It will be noticed that they have all done well— Opawa B, Opawa C2, St John’s D and Yaldhurst D.

In spite of the inclement Weather. a matches have been played at United. In the handicaps, Mrs Kibblewhite (owe 40) beat Miss Herdman (owe 30). 6-2, 6-2; Miss Mortimer (owe 3-6) beat Miss Hall (Scr), 6-5, 4-6. lb the A gi*ade, Miss Sherris (owe 30) reached the final, beating Miss Rudkin (owe 40), 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Miss Sherris meets Miss Bishop in the final.

Championship—B. A. Barrer beat J. 6-0, 6-0 6-0; H. Dymond beat B. D. Duffleld, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1; W. R. Robinson beat C. Penfold. 6-2, 6-2. 6-4; E. beat P. M’Lauchlan, 6-2. 3-6. 4-6, 7-0, 6-2; R. L. Sowden beat INI. G. Somerville 6-2, 6-3. 6-3. Doubles: Rhodes-Williams and Dymond beat Hall and Reeves, 6-2. 6-2, 6-1. In the women s doubles. Misses Wake and Rudkin beat Misses Kane and Munns. Junior Association. A meeting- of secondary school delei"l as held recent ly to arrange the nnuaj touinainent. It was decided that schools be limited to six entries for each of the following events: Senior championship singles, junior championship singles, championship doubles senior handicap doubles and junior handicap doubles (boys and girls). Entries tLv in t l ie hands of the secretary Th * draw will be pubnsned on February 26. The first round will be played at Wilding Park (girls) S" ?« tU r, day ’ March 3, and Lin wood courts (boys). Misses A. King (St Margaret's). G. Gray (Rangi-Ruru) N K?r«ri tl /r» Girls * Htgh School), Messrs 1,. Kissel (Boys’ High School), V. Thwattes caT Coiwf’i a, \ d R i Car{ner CTechrfical college) are in charge of the hanagaZ P l n if , ? Ir H ' G - Wake, who w?s, dffeaaw C ad u ni , anager ' appealed to the aejegates to help in obtaining umpires..