LAWN TENNIS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIII, Issue 20, 17 November 1909, Page 9

LAWN TENNIS.

INTERNATIONAL LAWN TENNIS Australasian Team Selected. According to the Davis Cup regular tions, which provide that the home team shall be selected 21 days prior to Che contest, the sole selector (Mr. Norman Brookes) had to declare his quartet by last week. He selected the following:—• NORMAN E. BROOKES (Vie.). ANTHONY F. WILDING (N.Z.). ALFRED W. DUNLOP (Vie.). GRANVILLE G. SHARP (N.S.W.). Last year Brookes, Wilding. Dunlop, and Parker were the team, and it was not anticipated that any radical changes would be made this year; indeed, judging front a conversation with Brookes, the same men would very- likely have been reappointed. But Parker is still in Europe, and at latest advices was playing on Dr. Luling’s private court at the Chateau de Sapicourt, near Rheims, among a very select tennis coterie. Here, in partnership with A. W. Gore, the present champion of England, he defeated Max Decugis (the French champion) and M. Germot —although the losers won. 110 aces against 100— who had on the previous day accounted for O. Froitzheim (champion of Germany) and F. W. Rahe. With Parker out of the way, tire final choice rested between G. G. Sharp (N.S.W.), Horace Rice (N.S.W.), and R. W. Heath (Vie.). Heath is now showing very good form, with which, of course, Brookes is quite familiar, and so the latter made a flying visit to Sydney to watch Sharp and Riee. It was rather unfortunate for Rice that he should have been off colour through a recent illness, for on his return, from the New Zealand trip a decided improvement was noticed in his play. The little champion was naturally very keen on getting a place in the Davis Cup team, as it is about the only remaining honour that the Australasian tennis world has yet to offer him. Sharp, on the other hand, one of the finest all-round men the State has ever. produced, was able to present a good showing, and his selection will be warmly received. A player with a command of many strokes, never overawed by the greatness of an. opponent — as was illustrated by the shaking-up he gave Brookes on the Double Bay Courts in this year’s inter state match-—he plays the game in a fine spirit, and has a demeanour on the court which is an object-lesson. NOTES ABOUT THE PLAYERS. Most people have a general sort of idea as to the individual records, but at this juncture it may not be out of place to outline the performance of the Australasian four, even though the final pair to defend the Cup will, barring accidents, be Brookes and Wilding, who so brilliantly gained and defended it. N. E. BROOKES.—Summed up by his partner, Wilding, as “the best player tha world has ever seen,’’ few would attempt to disguise his claims to the title. The champion is really in a class by himself. His wonderful command of position, his multiplicity of strokes, and his still more remarkable power of executing them, have made the name of Brookes famous. The rocket-like service, alternating with a perplexing screw, the succeeding run to the net, the crisp volleying and accurate placing, are all part and parcel of the tennis artist. Brookes learned his game in Melbourne, and played his first inter-State match for his school against the Sydney Grammar School. After some helpful coaching from Dr. Eaves, he first represented Victoria against New South Wales in 1896, and won his first Victorian singles championship in 1902. Since then his record is one long succession of triumphs, to be crowned in 1907 when not only was the Davis Cup first won for Australia, but Brookes left his mark on the championship records of England by winning the Singles, the Doubles (with Wilding), and the Mixed Doubles (with Mrs. Hillyard), thus annexing the three events open to, un i in that particular year contested by, the very picked eh:unpiotis of every tennis nation. Since then the inost notable match was his defeat by Beals Wright in Melbourne last year, when the Australasian captain, after taking the first two sets as though his opponent was a schoolboy, could not bring enough stamina into play to withstand the fierce attack of Wright, who thus reversed his previous year’s defeat at

Wimbledon. It may be mentioned that Brookes is also a crack billiard player, and one of the best golfers in Victoria. A. F. Wilding.—The New Zealand champion started his career at Christchurch, where he was well coached by his father, Frederick Wilding, himself a seven times double champion of the Dominion. A.F. won the Handicap Singles at the New Zealand Championship meeting when he was only 16, and a year later won the championship of Canterbury. Proceeding to Cambridge University. he was successful in the Freshmen’s Tournament, and represented his University against Oxford at Queens in 1904. Since then his list of successes would fill a column. Wilding is one of the most cosmopolitan of players, having competed at practically every tournament in England and on the Continent, winning championships innumerable. Of the English championship he was doubles champion with Brookes in 1907, and when his partner left for Australia won the same event the following year with M. J. S. Ritchie. taking also in 1908 the covered court doubles and mixed doubles championships. But his greatest performance was to defeat F. B. Alexander in last year's Davis Cup. and, with the whole responsibility on his shoulders, of playing the game of his life and retaining the trophy for Australia. Wilding is also a man of parts; he has played cricket for Canterbury (N.Z.), Trinity College (Cambridge), and Herefordshire; was formerly a lieutenant in the King’s Colonials, and has motor-cycled many hundreds of miles on the Continent, winning in 1908 the gold medal for his ride, Land’s End to John o’Groats. A. W. Dunlop.—Although born at Christchurch (N.Z.) in 1875 —he is thus the eldest of the quartet—Dunlop first picked up the game by playing with his brothers on the confined asphalt courts of the South Melbourne Cricket Ground. He won the captaincy of the M.C'.C. Tennis Club for seven years, and was also a member of the cricket eleven. Dunlop has many times been the holder of the doubles championship of Victoria, •winning it four times in succession; held the singles championship of Victoria in 1899-1900, the doubles and mixed doubles championship of New South Wales, and the New Zealand championship in 1900. In 1905 he played for Australasia in the preliminary rounds of the Davis •Cup of Wimbledon, only to be defeated by America, and the same year won the Northumberland County championship. His best performances were in the last Australasian championships at Sydney, when, partnered by F. B. Alexander, he won the doubles, and in -the final of the ■ingles put up such a splendid fight against Alexander as to quite silence those critics who maintained that he could not shine in singles. G. G. Sharp, who is now appearing for the first time in an international team, is an old Sydney Grammar School boy, ■nd his meeting with Newman in the final of the school championship each year will be remembered by old Sydneyites. Newman, then a very brilliant player, would always take the two first sets, but Sharp made quite sure of the deciding three. Sharp first played for New South Wales against Victoria in 1896; and has retained his position except when absent in England, ever since. He won the singles championship of New Routh Wales in 1903 and 1904, the doubles championship of New South Wales with G. W. Wright in 1903-4-5, the allcomers’ singles at Strathfield in 1902, 1904, and 1909. the all comers’ doubles in 1902 with E. B. Dewhurst, in 1902-3-5 with G W. Wright. The singles championship of the western districts was annexed in 1903. as was also the doubles, with R. M. Kidston, the same year. Sharp has also had a good deal of experience in England, and in 1905, partnered by Brookes, won . the Northern Championship Open Doubles at Newcastle.