LAWN TENNIS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 16, 15 April 1908, Page 14

LAWN TENNIS.

By the Man at the Net. April 18th and 20th —Hamilton Club's Open Championship aud Handicap Tour, nament, Hamilton. April 18th and 21st—Inter-Univorsity Championships, at Kaituna Club's courts, Dunedin. " April 17. 18 iwid- 20 — Otago Championships and Handicap Tournament, at Otago. Kaituna, aud adjacent courts, Dunedin. April 17, 18, and 20 — West Coast Championships and Handicap Tournament, at Hokitika. May 4 to 9 — N.S.W. Championships, at Sydney. The season practically closed this week so far as Auckland courts are concerned. Last Saturday, in weather as favourable as could be expected, a fair amount of play was got through. The following, from the “Star,” supplies some details of last Saturday’s tennis:— At Eden and Epsom courts the annual “Bachelors’ Day” was held, and the afternoon was devoted to progressive tennis. At West End courts, in the Men's Handicap Singles, Morpeth (one 15 4-6) beat. Marshall (owe 2-16 15) by two sets to one. Marshall played very steadily, volleying well, and placing with good judgment. Morpeth might have volleyed a great deal more, but was much more severe off the ground than Marshall, and won largely through his greater experience of the game. Morpeth has ndw to play Goldie, and the winner will play Dr. Keith in the final. In the Ladies’ Handicap Doubles, Misses V.’iind G. Bagnall (owe 15) beat Misses Nicholson (owe 30 3-6) by two sets: 6— 4, B—6. This was a fine and closely-contested match. Miss A. Nicholson served well, and her back-hand strokes were particularly strong. But the. Misses Bagnull were very steady, and with the help of a liberal handicap, finally wore their opponents down, and scored a popular jvin. Thera was general disappointment

when it waft, known that Upton had decided not to meet Dr. Keith in the championship, but had scratched to Paterson. As Upton holds ' the district championship, it is unfortunate that the season should close without another trial of strength between him and the holder of the west End championship, especially as Dr. Keith was so palpably out of condition when they met last. On this last subject, I have only to add that I think Upton made an error in judgment in allowing anything but very serious business' to prevent him from meeting Dr. Keith. It is generally regarded as the duty of anybody holding a championship to" meet anybody else who has a fair claim to challenge him, ami I think it is a pity that in contests of this sort anything should be allowed to go by default. Parnell Club has worked off its Single Championships' during the week. Mrs. Freeman beat Mrs. Parsons in the final of the Ladies’ Singles, after a hard light —4 —-6, 7 —5, B—6. The fact that the last two sets were vantage sets shows how close the struggle was, but Mrs. Freeman is rather the steadier of the two players, and her perseverance was naturally rewarded in. the . Long .run.

The final of the Men’s Singles was won by E. B. Simpson, who beat Mowbray —6—l, 6—4, G—4.. I must say that 1 certainly expected Mowbray to do better than this; but on a soft court almost anything-may happen. However, I must do Simpson the justice of saying that he seems to have played remarkably well. He placed his drives accurately, and was quite active enough to get most of Mowbray’s returns, and when his opponent came up to the net he lobbed very well. I still vaink that Wowbray has the makings of a first-class man, but he wT.I have to volley harder and develop more hitting strokes. This is the second year in succession that Simpson has beaten Mowbray in the final of the Men’s Singles.

I omitted last week to call attention to H. A. Parker’s latest successes on “the other side.” At Adelaide a week back he won the South Australian Singles’ Championship for the fourth time, beating Bowen in' the final: 3 —6, 10—8, 6 —2, 6 —o. The score shows’ thaij Parker, as usually happens, wore his opponent down, till in the last- two sets Bowen had very little fight left in him. Parker also won the Men’s Handicap Singles from some phenomenal position behind scratch. I don’t know where they put him this year, but as he has won the handicap singles from “owe 50” at Brisbane and elsewhere, he is evidently treated with immense respect as a handicap player. He got to the final of the Men’s Champion Doubles at Adelaide, but was beaten on the fifth set; and in the Mixed Doubles’ Championship the unfortunate accident to his partner; Miss Payne, which stopped her play for the tournament, robbed Parker of what was practically another certain win. 1 don’t know how long H.A.P. can go on at this rate, but his championship must very nearly break the record by this time.

According to the “Evening Post” the prospects of the Brougham Hill Tournament, to be held at Easter, are particularly bright. One elub alone, says “Huka,” has already sent in 60 entries. The quality of the players will also be good. Fisher and- Cox, Swanston and Peacock, Dickie and Wallace, besides others of repute, will be playing in the doubles championship, and as the above players are also in the singles the contents will be especially brilliant. Misses Wellwood and Trayers >and Mrs. Hiekson

and Miss Ward have paired, as have Mrs. Goldie and Miss Van Staveren. E. D. Wybourne, the yourig Taranaki player, is already in Wellington, and intends to get some good solid practice on the hard courts before Eastey ( He will be playing with his brother in the doubles. Young Wybourne gave great promise last year, but was not seen to advantage on the asphalt at the Easter meeting, as it was his first experience on harjl courts. His play is distinctly good on grass, and he promises to be a player above the

ordinary. With Misses Nunneley, Travers. Ward, and Van Staveren, Mrs. Hiekson. Miss Powdrcll, and possibly Mrs Payne, besides other good lady players, the Ladies’ Chaippionship Single will prove a very exciting event. The suburban clubs—Petone, Muritai. Kilbirnie, Karori, Khandalla, and Johnsonville—are entering well for the handicap events, but not so well for the championships, which, perhaps, is accounted for by somo of the players being too modest to enter for the classical events. All that is now

required is fine weather to allow the public to see real first-class play by some of the finest players in the Dominion. It seems that there is likely to be some trouble over the preliminary rounds of the Davis Cup contest, on which subject I quote the following from the tennis columns of a Southern paper:—The official organ of the Lawn Tennis Association of England has it that there is nothing in the rules - which govern the international contest for the Davis Cup -to prevent America and the British Isles from fighting out the preliminary tie in or America, provided that both challenge Australasia under the conditions laid down. It- also states that, “of course, the winner would be called upon to make the journey to Australia—(why Australia more than New Zealand?)—presumably in the same year, but it is worth while emphasising the fact that preliminary ties need not necessarily be contested in the country of the champions, and in the -rase of Australasia, probably never would be.” The last par. coming as it does, practically from the Lawn Tennis Association of England, is most astonishing, and only shows that Australasia is not to be allowed to get all the feast of “gates,” as far as the Davis Cup Competition is concerned. For three years in succession Australasia has competed in England in the International Contest, but as soon as she wins it the news is given that we are not to get any benefit from the preliminary tie. If Australasia could send a team to England for three years in succession, surely America and the British Isles’might easily follow that example, and send their teams “down under” for the first year at any rate. Evidently, the writer of that paragraph in the official paper feels—now the Davis Cup has come out this way —that the All England Championship will suffer next year; by the absence of the American, and possibly Australasian, players —especially Brookes —and writes gently showing that America will be invited to play the British Isles at Wimbledon as per usual. Should the Davis Cup be taken from Australasia, the association should remember this little selfish dodge—.£ s. d. being at the bottom of it all. no doubt—and challenge the holders. with the object in having the preliminary tie played in Australasia.