LAWN TENNIS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 279, 24 November 1937, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS

LEARN THE RI LES. (By A. N. Capbell.) I have noticed lately that very few players are cognisant with the rules of the game and it would be to their advantage to learn them thoroughly. How many are aware that after the toss for service, if the winner chooses the side then the opponent can take the service or be the receiver. He does not have to be the server. The winner of the toss may, if he prefer it, require his opponent to make first choice. Although many of us change ends at the end of four games, or keep an end for one complete set, the rules definitely state that the players must change ends at the end of the first, third, and every subsequent alternate game of each set. Football players must change ends after half time and they cannot get out of it so why should tennis players avoid the rules of the game.

A glance at any rule book for guidance on footfault dclinitions would more than repay the enthusiast.

L. Smaller accounted for T. Thompson in two straight sets at St. John's on Saturday when the latter challenged for second place on the ladder. It was a fast game and Thompson made some marvellous recoveries and his rallies were crisp and well placed, but he made to many errors and Smaller took advantage of them. Another good match was that in which P. Millen defeated Don Evans for fifth position. Millen is definitely a stylist and if he could settle down to his game more, he would be very hard to beat. He fe apt to get a little impatient with himself if his game does not proceed smoothly it upsets his stroking.

"Tennis Tactics" is the title of Fred Perry's first tennis short which is to be screened at the Majestic Theatre this week-end. Perry will appear in a series of tennis instructional pictures and every player should make a point of witnessing them. In this picture Perry demonstrates his wide range of strokes including forehand and backhand, volleying, serving and smashing, and then standing on the base line he places balls through a car tyre at the end of the court. Further demonstrating control as he stands on the base line he drives a ball to the opponents service line striking the bulb of a motor horn and sounding the horn.

In another example of control he hits two six-inch targets placed at the net. while he stands on the base line. Tennis can be greatly assisted by such pictures as these as it shows in fast and slow motion how the ball is hit, the spin of the ball, footwork and body position. If more players took the trouble to watch leading players it would improve their tennis greatly. Many a leading exponent has a perfect shot that could he well copied and the idea for beginners would be to select from some player one outstanding stroke and model his or her game on the roposite player.

The Wanganui Championships commence at the Wanganui Club courts on Saturday, January 1 next and will continue on January 3, 4 and 5. Be early and enter now.

AU grass courts whether club owned or private are very much parched at present and are not wearing at all well. The rain of last week was quite beneficial and permitted lawns to be well rolled, but subsequent heavy winds have dried them up again. Flooding of club courts is quite helpful, but only the baselines can be so treated and rolling can be carried out, but it does not cause the grass to grow and I am afraid that we shall have to put up with bare courts but that is no hardship if the courts are level. Grass court clubs were open for play last Saturday and at St. John's and Wanganui Club handicap events were commenced. It is quite evident that clubs do not intend to allow competitions to drag this year and it is certainly' a wise move to complete two or three rounds before the Christmas vacation.

R. Slater is a player who would do much better at the game if he discarded many of his elaborate racquet flourishes and settled down to the job of hitting the ball. He is apt to lose control of the ball. With his service the preliminary "wiggle” robs it of a great deal of pace. His footwork, however, is good and he should be able to cure his faults by plenty of practice. Playing a handicap match against Hay Campbell during the wtek-end Slater scored a win 9—*. Hay Campbell owed 50 in every game and Slater was on the receive 15 mark but it was a close contest and the rallies, were long and carefully planned. Slater will find further serirus opposition in his next game, but this time against a player of his own calibre.

Quite a few ladder games were played last week-end at the Eastern Tennis Club. Gould defeated Bishop 9-8 in a very good set. Longstaff defeated Bollons 9-8 after having a lead of 8-4. Mrs Lister defeated Miss Rosemergy 7-1 and Mrs Callaghan defeated Mrs Eliott 7-5. Mrs Callaghan is playing very well this season and will give Miss Bishop a good game for the top position on the ladder. The club handicaps are now under way and members will assist the match committee by attending on the week-ends to enable the games to be got off.

Saturday last at Wanganui East was match day and several games in the initial rounds were concluded. The courts were a little heavy after the rain but played quite fast. In the

men’s handicap singles, Carmody (owe 15 3/6) defeated Fisher (owe 15 3/6), 9-7; Caldwell (owe 30 4/6) lost to Tremaine (scr.), 4-9; Webster (owe 15 5/6) beat Lowe (owe 30), 9-8; E.. Munro (owe 15 2/6) lost to J. Johnstone (owe 30), 7-9; Andrews (owe 30 2/6) beat Jones (owe 15 3/6), 9-5; L. Tippens (owe 40) lost to L. Mailman (owe 40), 3-9; A. Walker (owe 40) beat R. Tisch (owe 15 4/6), 9-1. Mailman, J. Johnstone, Tremaine and A. Walker had fairly easy wins, but the varying wind made matters difficult at times. In the ladies’ handicap singles, Miss N. Lail (scr.) lost to Miss Wilks (15 1/6), 5-7; Miss Jackson (15) lost to Miss Skelton (owe 40), 6-7. In the second section, Miss Mullens lost to Miss Spicer, 2-7; Miss Bell beat Miss Stevens, 7-1; Miss Hardy beat Miss Brown, 7-4.

The Gonville Club has made such good progress with its handicap matches that it has been decided that all first-round matches must be played

by this week-end otherwise player* will be scratched. This is not a hardship on any players as the events have been under way for nearly four weeks and if players are not yet in form they will not find their touch this year. The membership of this club is steadily increasing and intending members should enrol before the lists are closed.