Athletic Sports.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVIII, Issue II, 11 January 1902, Page 63

Athletic Sports.

LAWN TENNIS.

“Vantage.")

The championship tournament is over and we must now look for othf-r excitement. The Auckland Championship will soon have to be decided, although there is not much likelihood of great interest being taken, |n that event, except amongst thpse who aspire to the position of tjipi-ner-up. The inter-club doubles -xjejll shortly be continued, and finishail, and I am informed that the Mount Eden Lawn Tennis Club intend, to hold a club tournament

Fisher has, I think, the best service of any man now playing in New Zealand. He varies his pace, places well, and gets a lot ol “ work ” on the ball, all points which the average player generally neglects. Watching the players at the late tournament, I could not but be struck by the stereotyped service, of the great majority of them, and in this respect ladies are particularly bad.

“Short of work’ will sufficiently describe the form of most of the players at the tournament just finished. Fisher has had little or no “ grass ” tennis, Peacock was playing so badly that he did not play for over ten days, and only resumed play a week or two before Christmas. The climate prevented Laishley getting as much as he should have had, and many of our local players have suffered similarly. Except in two or three of the championship matches, the form shown this year was, to my mind, very mediocre.

NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT.

FOURTH DAY. The weather was almost perfect when play was resumed on Monday morning. The chief event of the day was the final for the men's singles championship, in which Peacock of Auckland met Laishley of Wellington. Laishley hnd been showing brilliant form during the tournament, especially in his matches against Fisher ana J. M. Marshall, while Peacock, on the other hand, had not been doing too well either before the tournament or during it, so that good judges of the game were inclined to favour Laishley’s chances of success. There was a large attendance or the public by the time the match started, and this increased later on. There must have been nearly five hundred spectators during the later stages of the match. Peacock adopted aggressive tactics from the first. He kept a fine length, placed well, ran in with judgment, and, volleying accurately, had no difficulty in winning- the first set 6 —2. Continuing his aggressive game, Peacock won the next set—--6 a somewhat more evenlycontested set, in which, however, he always had a bit the best of the play. The third set reached five all, when Peacock took the next two games and the single championship of New’ Zealand, the scores being 6—2, 6 —4, 7—5. Peacock played the right game from the start, and gave l.is opponent few chances. tie anticipated well, and when he went up to the net generally scored. Scarcely any one thought that Peacock would win in the hollow fashion in which he did. Laishley is a fine player, but it must be remembered that in Wellington he does not get any one to run in and smother his game as Peacock did in this match. Laishley, unfortunately for him, has not much opportunity of getting practice with better players than himself, and naturally he must suffer for this. Laishley's service is good, being very fast, although somewhat erratic at times, and his sweeping cross-court drive is both graceful and ettective. Peacock has been runner-np for this

event several times, and has at last secured the coveted hoipiur, and in congratulating him on the result I must say that his game was well worthy of the final for the men’s singles championship of New Zealand.

The men's championship doubles were won by Peacock and Fisher, who beat the Marshall, brothers B—6, 6 —4, 6—3. The absence of Southern entries was very much felt in this event, the “field” unquestionably not being of the same class as that of last year's tournament. In the champion combined Fisher and Miss Nunneley beat ,W. S. Sloman and Airs Neville, 6—2, 6—4. Sicilian plays a very good game, and Mrs Neville, considering- her long absence from the game, perform* d wonderfully well. Their match against Peacock and Miss Simpson, in which they put the singles champion and his partner ou(, was .a ygry good effort.

Miss Nunneley put up a record, even for her, I should, think, at this tournament. She was in five events —ladies’ champion singles, ( Jadjes’ champion doubles, combined cliampilonshrp-, ladies’ handicap! singles and doubles —and she pyue through in the whole lot. She won her match against Miss Nicholson very easily, 6 —l, 6—o.

The final for the ladies' championship doubles was won by Misses Nunneley and Van Asch by two love sets to love, their opponents, Misses G.orrie and Scherff, being unable to get a game against them. In this match Miss Van Asch was a model of steadiness. She did not miss anything-, and when Miss Nunneley got a chance the rest generally ended. Several of the handicaps were played off on Tuesday afternoon, when Peacock and Fisher beat Heather and Rice in the men's handicap doubles. Miss D. Udy and Billing beat Miss Nicholson and Paterson in the combined handicap. Miss Nunneley had no difficulty in winning the Indies’ singles, even with her heavy handicap.

On the whole the tournament vvas a decided success. The weather on the opening day looked very bad, and the committee wisely decided not to play any championship matches, as there was a heavy shower or two, but after this there was little, except a shade too much wind, to growl nt. The committee worked well and energetically, the balls were good, and the umpiring, generally speaking, very satisfactory. A special word of praise is due to the hon. secretary, Mr W. B. A. Morrison, who made an ideal secretary, and carried out his by no means light duties in a manner which gave the utmost satisfaction to players and his colleagues. The lawns stood the wear remarkably well, and I must compliment Mr Horace Walker on the result of his care and attention. At the conclusion of Monday’s play Dr. Coates, president of the Association, presented the prizes to the winners of the everts which had been finished.