LAWN TENNIS NOTES

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 8, 22 February 1908, Page 15

LAWN TENNIS NOTES

(By tie Man at the Net.) , There are still two months or, more of the season to run so far as Auckland is concerned. Though the interclub matches are over, the district match with Taranaki, a great event, is yet to come, and the Rotorua tournament (March 4th, sth, 6th) should attract a good deal of attention from local players. The Hawke’s Bay tournament happens at Napier on March 19th and 20th, and during Easter week there will be tournaments and district matches at Blenheim, Wellington, and Christchurch. But these last events are too far away to concern Aucklanders much. As I expected, the Taranaki Association has made every effort to send the strongest team available to do battle with us next Saturday. The players selected are:— Dickie, Wallace, Nicholson, Smith, Griffiths, Batley or Powdrell, Miss . Powdrell, Mrs Payne, Mrs E. Diekie, Mrs E. Jones (better known as Miss Payne), or Miss A. Dickie. I am .rather surprised not to find either of the brothers C’aplen in the team, but I presume they could not get away. Apart from this, it is a very strong combination, and it is all the more unfortunate that our own selection committee, in the opinion of most players here, has not made the best possible use of its opportunities. But I am afraid that it is rather late in the day to make alterations now. As to our prospects of success, I can’t say that they- appear very promising to me. Keith and Grossmann, if they play together, are not at all likely to beat Dickie and Wallace in the Men’s Doubles, nor can we reasonably expect that either Keith, Grossmann or Upton will be able to defeat Wallace'and Dk»kie in the singles. Nicholson has beaten W. A. Brown before, but I fancy the Eden and Epsom man will have his revenge this time if they meet. Then Billing and possibly Turner may win the sth and 6th singles. Possibly Upton and W. A. Brown may secure the second men’s doubles, and Billing and Turner ought to account for the third. But our possible victories here are not by any means sure to balance bur probable defeats. On the ladies’ side, Miss Powdrell may reasonably expect to beat Miss Gray, and I think Miss Udy can safely account for Mrs. Payne, or any other second Taranaki player. Mrs. Cooper should win her match, and Miss Harvey may be beaten in hers, as she is not a strong singles player. In the doubles, Miss Gray and Miss Udy should make a bold bid for victory, and I don’t think that Mrs. Cooper and Miss Harvey are likely to lose to any but Taranaki’s best pair. But when I look at the Combined matches, my hopes sink again. Dickie und Wallace are likely to pull off their combined engagements whoever their partners may be; and while Turner and Mrs. Cooper should win the third combined, and W. A. Brown and Miss Harvey ought to get through in the fourth, 1 don’t think that this leaves enough margin to conje and go on. Probably there won’t be. much difference in the two scores when it comes to the final. But we have to remember that Auckland lias lost the match for two years in succession by one, point only; and it is time that we scored a win. I can only hope for the best. / Whatever the result of the match may be, it is to be hoped that everybody here interested iff' lawn tennis will Inake a point of coming, out to the Eden and Epsom lawns to see the play. The fact: that Miss 1 Powdrell holds the N.Z. Ladies’ Single Cliapipionship, ami that Dickie and Wallficq hoffl the Men’s ' .should be epough to attract a large array of visitors, ■ while , Smith, Griffiths, and Nicholson. Mrs. Payne, Mrs. Jones and Miss Dickie can show play quite equal to, anything we ordinarily see'here: With fine weather, the meeting blight' to be a great, success. ,1 don't thifth, o> a t bnough attention has been drawn .to Miss Nunneley.’s extra, , ordinary performance in winning the New ■ Zealand champ.idffsliip for 13 years in succossion. Such a record os this,ig Ijkely

to stand for a long time to come, and a few details about the invincible lady champion should be interesting. Miss Nunneley has two great advantages in learning the game—she started the game at Home very young, and she played from the first with high-class players. When she came out here she was nearly as good as she has ever been since; in fact, I think her cross court drive from right to left was even more accurate than it is to-day. I clip the following brief summary of her subsequent career from the “Dominion”: Her first win in the Singles was at the meeting held at Wellington in 1895, when she played through, beating Miss Nicholson 6—o, 6 —o, and Miss Lane 6—o, o—l in the final. Miss Lane had beaten Miss Hitchings 6 —3, 6—5 in the semi-final. From then on until 1903 the champion only played in the challenge rounds, and was never extended by any of the challengers. The Singles seldom enticed more than five or six players, but in 1899 twelve players entered.* The entries in the three following years again dropped back, but when the N.Z. Association decided to do away with the challenge round for the 1903 championship, thereby causing Miss Nunneley to play through, a record entry of twenty-three competitors was received. For the first time on record Miss Nunneley lost a set, Miss Powdrell taking the first set, 6—3, in the semifinal, and Miss Gore was only beaten 6—2, 6—4 after a good match in the final. From that year up to the present time Miss Nunneley iias always been extended, and the natural conclusion is that the doing away with the challenge round has taken from her a decided advantage. Everybody who has played much tournament tennis is familiar with the player who cannot ta’ke a beating without finding an excuse for it. But it is not often that the beaten one takes the trouble to write to the papers explaining how and why the game was lost and won. However, Mrs. G. Hillyard, winner of countless trophies and championships, has just established a precedent in this respect that I hope very few lady players will be inclined to follow. Here is her own account of how she lost her single in the last Wimbledon Championships to Miss C. Wilson, a lady who certainly should not under ordinary circumstances have won against her: —“When I arrived at the court it was pouring with rain, and the tarpaulin was on the court. The'referee then told us that he should be glad if we would go on, if we did not mind. I promptly refused. The rain went on steadily falling until 4.30, and then the referee told us he should put on a ladies’ double, as soon as it stopped. At that I went into the tea tent, and at the risk of having to appear vulgar I must tell you what 1 ate, thinking, of course, that all chances of my playing in the championships was over. Two Bath buns. Six or seven slices of bread and butter. Three or four cups of tea. Six or seven biscuit cakes. Two or three slices of other cake. Not satisfied with that, when 1 went up to the ladies’ dressing-room, there were some beautiful strawberries, and I ate three plates of strawberries. Then I lost the match.”