LAWN TENNIS NOTES

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 12, 21 March 1908, Page 15

LAWN TENNIS NOTES

(By tke Man at the Net.) FIXTURES. March 19th and 20th —Hawke's Bay Championships and Handicap Tournament at Napier. March—Ashburton School Championships. March—Christchurch School Championships April 17th, 18th, and 20th—Brougham Hill Open Championship and Handicap Tournament, at Brougham Hill courts, Wellington. April 17th, 18th, and 20th—Gisborne Open Championship and Handicap Tournament, at Kaiti,, Gisborne. April 17 th, 18th, and 20th—Canterbury Championships and Handicap Tournament, at Linwood Club's courts, Christchurch. April 18th and 20th—Hamilton Club’s Open Championship and Handicap Tournament. Hamilton. April 18th and 21st—Inter-University Championships, at Kaituna Club’s courts, Dunedin. April 17th, 18th, and 20th—Otago Championships and Handicap Tournament, at Otago, Kaituna and adjacent courts, Dunedin. Easter Week — Marlborough Championships, at Blenheim. The break in the weather last Saturday effectually disposed of any chance of getting on with the local club handicaps and championships. The rain appeared to clear off during the week, but at this season of the year there is no knowing what a day may bring forth, and it behoves the committees of all the clubs to keep players up to the mark and insist upon getting through the various rounds in time, if the club matches are not to stretch on into the days of soft courts and bad light and slippery grass. Nothing ruins a grass tennis contest so effectually as the necessity for playing in bad weather, and I hope that those concerned will accept this sudden break in the season as a timely warning.

The recent Wellington-Canterbury match seems to have been rather a “day out” for several of the older players. I have mentioned R. D. Harman’s achievements already. H. M. Gore beat G. Ollivier by superior experience and cleverness, though he was playing- in first-class tennis probably before Ollivier was born. And yet there are some critics in 'Wellington who have described Gore as a “has been”! Then Kiver—-I may be forgiven for classing him as a veteran—had a wonderful win from Wilson, who, though not the strongest player in the Wellington team, is no easy man to beat. Here is the Wellington “Post” account of the match:-—

“Wilson had hard luck in meeting Kiver going at his very best, with heaps of luck thrown in. Kiver is an in-and-out player, but woe betide the man that catches him on top of his game. Wilson did, and got it hot. Kiver would have given even Fisher all he wanted. His forehand and backhand shots off the ground were clinkers, and besides he smashed with steady effect. His services—just as fast as Laishley’s best—nearly all eame off. All his net cord strokes, some ten or twelve, scored, whereas the two that Wilson made fell back on his side of the net. The Wellington player stuck to his work’to the last stroke.”

Again in the mixed doubles Goss another player, who was supposed to be in his prime ten or. twelve years ago, showed line form and generalship. Thus the “Post” again: — "Gore and Miss Nunneley were all out to win from Gass and Miss Hay. Goss knows how to play a combined, and had Miss Nunneley worried from start to finish. He stood on his partner’s Bide of the court when she served, and forced Miss Nunneley from her favourite drive —much to that lady’s dismay. Miss Nunneley, forced to play a different game to her usual, was not accurate and netted more strokes than she has probably ever done in her life in any match.”

All this helps to show, as I have so often argued, that experience goes for more in lawn tennis than in almost any other game that was ever invented. It doesn’t matter much how long a man has been playing, he can still hold his own at tjiis game against the rising generation, so long as he is still sound in wind and limb.

Tennis players throughout the world, and more especially in Australasia, are now looking forward to the coming contest for the Davis Cup. It should be played some time about the end of this year or the beginning of next, ami though the field of battle, will probably be Melbourne, nothing definite has been settled about it. As Brookes is a Victorian, none of the other centres is likely to dispute Melbourne’s claim. Only two challenges have been received —from England and America; and it is quite possible that the two challengers may' play off at Home, and that the winners only will come out to Australia for the “challenge rounds.” However, the Australasian Association several months ago expressed the hope that all the matches played in the Cup contest would take place in Australia; and I hope, in the interests of the game, that this will be arranged. The tight between America and England would be an object-lesson in tennis that most of us would walk half round the world to see.

The question of the choice of tennis balls has been raised again in rather an acute form in Australia. The Commonwealth Association has asked the State Associations to express an opinion as to rhe relative merits of “Ayers ’ and “Slazenger.” The New South Wales and Westralian Associations have already declared in favour of “Ayers”; though I must say I can’t see why. Norman Brookes has just stated that the “Slazenger” ball is rather better for Australian use, because of the heavier rubber of which it is made. The “Ayers” ball may possibly wear better than the “Slazenger,” but it costs more, and being softer it bounds quite differently, and needs special practice to get accustomed to it. Last season a requisition was sent to 21 of the leading British players, asking them to name the best tennis ball, and 19 of them—unless ,my memory is at fault—declared for “Slazenger?’ At the price I don’t think there is much doubt that “Slazenger” is as good a ball as you can find. I see that the “Sykes” ball is now being pushed in New Zealand, and it may to some extent strike popular favour. It is a little softer than the “Slazenger,’ and beautifully sewn, and my experience of it after playing a good many sets is that it wears remarkably well. However, until the “Slazenger’ is superseded by the chief associations by some other ball for use at tournaments', I hardly expert that “Ayers” or “Sykes” will make much impression upon the tennis playing public in these colonies. !