LAWN TENNIS

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20464, 2 April 1938, Page 22 (Supplement)

LAWN TENNIS

(By "Cross-Court")

SEASON DRAWS TO CLOSE D. C. COOMBE LOSEB GROUND SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN’S TEAM <& Wellington paper ranks the New Zealand tennis players this season as follows: 1. A. C. Stedman, Auckland; 2. A. D. Brown. Auckland; 3, C. A. Angus. Canterbury; 4, h. A. Barnett, Canterbury; 5, j. t. Mavson, Auckland: 6. J. W. Gunn, Auckland: 7, N. G. Sturt, Auckland; 8, D. G. France, Wellington; 9. N. Edwards, Wellington; 10, N. F. Bedford, Wellington; 11, E. A. Roussell, Wellington; 12, D. C. Coombe, Wellington. A feature of the list is the placing of Coombe, former New Zealand Davis Cup player and national champion in 1937, in twelfth position, and relegating N. G. Sturt to No. 7 place. Without a doubt, Coombes’ poor showing in tournaments this year has influenced the writer in placing him at the foot of the lisand if this appears severe criticism of last year’s champion it is justified. On the other hand, Sturt does net appear to have been given his due, when it Is remembered that after a comparatively light season in -1936-37 he came out this year to win the Wellington championship against a strong field and was runnerup to Brown in the North Island championships at New Plymouth. It is hard to understand how Gunn can. be ranked above him, as the latter, apart from doubles play, was not conspicuous in tournaments this year. The Wellington writer can certainly not be accused of parochianism, as Wellington representatives do not rank above eighth place, although they fill the four positions thence downward. This will give a true impression of the comparative standard of tennis in Wellington this year, there having been no dearth of average talent, but an absence of any real champion. Though Barnett did well in the Wilding Shield games and was runner-up to Brown in the Canterbury singles, he has hardly earned ..No. 4 position, which would be more properly occupied by Sturt or Mavson. £3900 from Championships The Australian Lawn Tennis Association will receive a profit of approximately £I6OO. and the South Australian Association one of £I2OO from the Australian championships and the Test between America and Australia at Memorial Drive. Total gate receipts for the championships was £3900. and for the Test £560. Receipts and expenditure will about balance. Season Ends The Hamilton Lawn Tennis Club’s season ended to-day, after one of the most successful years for a very long tithe, from the point of view of weather, at least. After the' fine showing of several club members in the Wilding Shield and Nunnerley Casket competitions last year it was confidently expected that the club would be represented prominently at major tournaments. To some extent this hope was fulfilled by the victories of D. Livingstone in the Rotoura and Bay of Plenty championships and of J. Roach and Livingstone in the doubles at Rotorua, and of L. Roach and Matuschka in the doubles at Tauranga. Perhaps the greatest disappointment felt by club members was at the failure of J. Roach, who, after playing brilliant tennis early in the season, suffered a lapse at the critical stage and did not reproduce his best form at either the Auckland or the New Zealand tournament. Team fop Wimbledon Mrs J. H. Fitzgerald, secretary of the South African Lawn Tennis Union, Is to manage the team of four to go to England to compete at Wimbledon, possibly in the French championships. Mrs Bobbie Heine-Miller, the South j African champion, will be a member lof the team. Mrs Miller was last in j England in 1929, when, as Bobbie | Heine, she won the British hardcourts championship at Bournemouth.