LAWN TENNIS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 258, 1 November 1939, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS

SEASON OPEN FOR ALL CLUBS

MATCHES WILL BE THE NEXT CONSIDERATION

(By A. N. Campbell)

The Wanganui Lawn Tennis Club officially opened its season on Saturday, when 130 players took part in a yankee tournament, which was won by M. Waters and Mrs. E. Ogier. The president of the club, Mr. D. W. Earle, and Mrs. Earle, hosts at afternoon tea, and Mr. G. P. Williamson, president of the W.L.T.A., was present to declare the season duly open. Few of the members seem to realise that the Wanganui Club is one of the oldest clubs m the world and first commenced two years after tennis, as we know it, came into being. As lias been stated in notes before, officers stationed at the Wanganui Garrison brought the game to the town and as tne garrison was a very large one the sport took a deep hold and has never lost its popularity. Members of the Wanganui Lawn Tennis Club should be proud to belong to such a club, and although we in l\ew Zealand are celebrating our centenary shortly and are a young country, tradition is a wonderful factor in our lives and tennis players should not lose sight of that fact. Judging from the enthusiasm shown at recent club openings, Wanganui tennis should have a most successful season. Players are certainly keener and restrictions both financially and otherwise have more or Jess forced many to return to tennis. Fortunately we have in Wanganui 22 tennis clubs and all of them are centrally situated and serving the needs of the population in the city and suburbs. A few minutes usually suffices to reach a club and for this reason travelling is reduced to a minimum. Several clubs are semi-private, but if you wish to take a count add up the following clubs:—Wanganui, Si. John’s, Wanganui East, Gonville, Caius, Eastern, Aramoho, Durie Hill, Technical Old Students, Knox, Aramoho, Fordell, Matarawa, Okoia, Westmere, St. Pauls, Wesley, Christ Church, Trinity, Castlccliff, Makirikiri. These are a few and nearly every church has its small club. They say that comparisons are odious, but Palmerston North, that city of great promise that is always being compared with Wanganui to our detriment, contains no more than five or six clubs. We can, therefore, pride ourselves on the fact that in Wanganui we are very sport minded, tennis in particular. Tennis among the young boys and girls is improving rapidly, due no doubt to increased playing facilities and encouragement received from older players. During the week-end 1 noticed two youngsters in particular, Don Free, aged 12, and Elwyn Coull, aged 11. Don Free is very short, but he hits a perfectly flat forehand and hits it hard. His action is all one could wish and service and backhand are produced in orthodox manner and without effort. He appears a natural player. Elywn Coull is a left-hander and also the possessor of a free style.

She hits all her shots hard and her forehand carries the pace of a piayer twice her age. Players would do well to watch the progress of these two young enthusiasts for they undoubtedly have a future, and from what I know of their parents they are not likely to be allowed to get swollen fibaded or blase. Monty Adamson is one ot St. John’s coming players playing a forceful game witn all strokes. His overhead smash is excellent and he rarely misses, but he is the world's worst footfaulter. He throws the ball too high for the service and consequently has to wait too long to hit it. This causes him to fall rorward, and one foot, the right, is always well inside the court at tne moment ot impact. If he could eradicate this fault his tennis would improve rapidly lor he is apt at present to lose all nis service games.

* * * * In these notes recently, mention has be-n made of ciub officials making up games on Saturday afternoons and a similar system is the rotor plan. In recent seasons many of the larger lawn tennis clubs in New Zealand have instituted rotor systems, which ensure that on club afternoons each player has a fair share of play. A blackboard is used; the cluo oiiicia. in charge for the day writes dowr the names of four players for each event, and then rings a bell. Those on the courts walk off and those whose names arc on the board step on to the courts indicated. Among the older club members who for year; have played with a few persona, friends there is often opposition te the introduction of a rotor system, but there is not the slightest doubt thal such a system adds to the popularity of any large lawn tennis cluo. m such organisations the formation o “cliques” is inevitable, but theii existence is apt to discourage the intending new member. Without nev members no club would survive foi long—-a fact which in past, seasons hat impressed itself on many club com mittees. Hence the introduction o. the rotor system, which has turnec some of our biggest clubs back towarc prosperity. If players who arrive in f strange town know that entry into £ tennis ciub there will bring then many friends and acquaintances th( new players will not hesitate to pro duce subscriptions, but if the clubs an i reputed to be “cliquey” subscription. I will not be forthcoming. The St. John’s Club is early in the field for club events and entries for al | events close next Saturday. It wouk pay all clubs to follow suit and foi ! once to try and get as many matche: I off before Christmas as possible. Al ' ways too much is left for Februar ! and March and any bad weather ther can hold up competition of events in definitely, as was the case last season