LAWN TENNIS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVI, Issue XVIII, 4 May 1901, Page 827

LAWN TENNIS.

(By

“Vantage.")

The Eden and Epsom Lawn Tennis Club closed their season last Saturday. The afternoon was anything but an ideal one for tennis, yet all the courts were occupied. The rain held off until late In the afternoon, and some interesting games ware played. Among the visiting players X noticed Mr A. L.

Sheppard, who, it will be remembered with Mr Vaile won the Man's Doubles at the Club’s 95-W6 tournament Mr Sheppard. wiafi very little practice, will play a strong game. He volleys well aud u»es his head to good advantage, whieh latter point is considerably neglected by our younger players.

One of the greatest mistakes made by players is in their position on the baseline. It is quite a common thing —looking along a row of baselines - to see the players all standing inside or on the baseline. In this position almost any good length return will either beat a player or at best be weakly returned. It is almost an axiom of lawn tennis that a player should not be in the three - quarter court. He should either be a yard or two outside the baseline or else up in a volleying position.

“Twister,” in the “Weekly Press." is diligently carrying on the work of “analysing." Speaking of Miss Nunneley, he says:—An instance of Miss Nunneley's remarkable scoring power is that of her game with Miss A. Van Asch, the champion owed 40, and Miss Van Asch received 15 l-6th. In the first set Miss Nunneley scored 59 points to 18, winning the set by 6 games to 5. The second set resulted 51 points to 20 and 6 —-3, a total of 110 points to 38. There is probably no man in New Zealand coutld owe points like this lady, and her rate of scoring and low proportion of mistakes is marvellous. In Auckland in 1897 she defeated Miss Whitelaw, receive 30. and actually put up the prodigious record of scoring 176 points to 40. This, of course, may be correct, but it must be remembered that Miss Van Asch depends on safety rather than brilliancy to win; in other words, her opponent’s mistakes are her scores, and her game would just suit Miss Nunneley. Speaking of Miss Nunneley’s win against Miss Simpson, he says:—But the fact was fully demonstrated during this match that the average lady's stroke does not, and never will, avail against the game of Miss Nunneley. Until some lady comes forward who can hit hard with a fair amount of accuracy, the present champion need have no fear. This, no doubt, is a perfectly accurate statement as far as it goes. In my opinion, something more is required. We have a few ladies who can hit with a fair amount of pace and also play pretty accurately, as, for instance. Miss Nicholson and Miss Stella Rice, but what is wanted against Miss Nunneley is a lady who can volley. It is a remarkable thing that so able a player as Miss Nunneley can neither lob nor volley effectively. Her deficiency in volleying is all the more remarkable, as her service is a strong over-head delivery, with a distinctly “mannish" touch. If some of our ladies can develop a volleying game and get into good enough condition to play it they will “bustle” the lady champion more than any number of lady hitters. While I am on the subject of ladies volleying I must mention the marked improvement which I have noticed lately in some of the Auckland ladies' play. Miss Annie Stewart has taken to overhead volleying in a most energetic manner. She hits the ball fairly, and gets a good amount of pace on it. So far it is principally arm work, but she will soon learn to transfer her weight from the right to the left foot as the stroke is made, and she will then be a really good over-head lady volleyer. She will then probably adopt the overhead service, at least for her first service.

Miss Biss, as I have mentioned before, plays her low volleys almost from any part of the court very effectively. Miss Stewart is not so good on low shots as she is with overhead work, but these two ladies have distinctly shown that there is no reason why ladies should not use the volley practically in the same manner as men do, and I hope that some budding champion will combine their strokes and show ns what a really good lady volleyer can do—possibly at next championship tournament.

Eden and Epsom are already making preparations for next N.Z. championship meeting. Top dressing is to start at ones, and many other improvements are to be made. This olub has a great advantage over the other Auckland eluba. Inasmuch as it

has through the kindness of Mr R. Vdy, the use of his spacious and beautiful grounds wherein to leave their horses, vehicles, etc. This has proved not only a great practical convenience to many members, but has lent an additional charm to the beautiful grounds of the club.

I give in full “Twister’s** conclusion, after having laboured through the analysis of ladies' “points,” and it t peaks well for his endurance that it is so fid! of vigorous commonsense. I commend his remarks to the Auckland Association: —Conclusion. In concluding thi> analysis which will, it is hoped, prove an interesting and somewhat novel method of treating a '•hampionship meeting, perhaps a fewwords on the system of managing a championship, and securing satisfactory umpires, may not be out of place. The next tournament will Im* held ut the ILden and Epsom Lawns, some two or three miles out of Auckland City. 11 the Auckland Association wishes to improve on the arrangements made in Christchurch, they might first of all give their attention to obtaining some intelligent and energetic “ball boys.” Tor a player during a trying struggle to have to “fag” for himself is almost heart-breaking, and when the generou- public takes a hand in the ‘Tagging,” and with the best intention bangs an adjacent ball with a •‘nobbly-headed’* walkingstick quite in the wrong direction, smiles and “begs yyiii pardon.*’ the height of exasperation is reached, and despair begins to creep along. It is a detail, but it is inipcrtnr.i. These details are like projecting nails inside the sole of a boot tiny are unpleasant and must be remov< d.

Aiudhei “detail** is that of scoring boards. Probably Mr Paton has the boards belonging to the \ew Zealand Association stowed away at New Plymouth. Anyhow it is a necessary “det. il** which the public miss, and Avcl land should try to provide its audiences with what they want. The “details” in connection with umpiring are numerous. Apart from a man who understands the game and has sufficiently keen eyesight to se<> what is going on. he must be good enough tn inform the players of what is going on also. Therefore, ho h»* should be able to call the scores cleir’y. distinctly, and regularly. He mu-? know also how to score, and in hand my in his sheets to the secretary should see that the event, the set Ist, 2nd. or 3id as the case may be. the handicap, and the players’ names in full are inserted.

Jho umpiring is a most important feature of a match, and an ex-cham-pion on one occasion actually was so npsid with an obviously wrong decision that he went all to pieces, and never recovered » game. With the hard, fast play of men such as Parker and Peacock the necessity of an umpire or. every line is apparent, and even then mistakes will occur.

However, every trust can be placed in the Auckland Association, and pos*dbl< after the next championship a. more inti renting analysis of the score sheets will be placed before our readers than the one concluded above. It is to be hoped that the Auckland Association will get in touch with Victoria and New South Wales, and offer sufficient inducement for a strong team to |*av us a visit. The benefits of si ch a course of action lire incalculable.

J can heartily emlor-e his remarks as to ball boys. The ball boys at Lancaster Park were little stupids, with iron shod bluchers, who scuttled like rabbits across the courts at inconvenient periods, and took “pot shots” at the players on most unseasonable occasions. 1 well remember one firing at Parker just as he was about to serve in the big double. .Judging by the look he got, I am sure it was well for him that the general public was present. An effort should be made Io get ball boys who understand the game. No others can perforin the duty satisfactorily.

’l’hr position of matters in connection with the final for the Girls' Championship is still in statu quo. Mr Biss. who. 1 presume, is acting for Miss Constance Biss, has stated definitely that he does not now intend to press Lis subtle technicality. 1 cannot understand what all the nonsense is about. It seems Mr Bias is under the ftnprc«sion that some evil minded person* might think there was a desire on his part to have the game replayed, and on that account lie wanted the

game to stand as the tinal. The simplest and least theatrical way to remove such an impression would have been and is by a “bye.” This should have l>een given long ago, or us the competitors both acted by mistake, the final should have been played as directed. I am sure that episodes such ns this will not tend to encourage gentlemen to devote their time and money to fostering sport.