LAWN TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 193, 9 May 1908, Page 15

LAWN TENNIS.

- . -(Br , INTKR-Ctnn.) ■ v ■ .< >• Considerable" interest hns boon tak(iii.\ by toui'us players in Miss 11. /Wellwood ainco shoibeat Jliss Nunneloy. tlio Now Zealand : chqiSipion,-at, tho Brougham Hill' Club's . Easter tournament, ~..1twi11., be : rather; in-, teresting to; loo];, Ijack :to where: this , young' lad^;';first attention. Miss Well-' wood , played'at her first Now Zealand cham-: pioiislup meeting in 1903, at Napier.; In : tK4 !,first. round, of /the". cbam}pioifSbip singles . . sh(s;anot Mrs, .ißallantyno, ;.oi,j Christchuroh, and? defeated her C—2, G-r4; : this was no small performance, as '"IXxit Ballantyno was a plaj'er 'ahovo the average." - In the second round . Miss ..Wellwood met -Miss 'Nunnoleyj and: sulfered ' defeat,'" 6—l,' 6—o, but-■ her freestyle and natural back-hand drive gave, ' promise' of. better performances, a promise now'fulfilled. VWith: -26 i points; in„tho handicap; singles this ' young lady got into the semi-final -when , she' was beaten SO—43. by Mies -Nevill: ■; Miss - Wellwood has played con-; stantlyiin touniamonts since then, and each appearahee has' been ■ markedby: immense improvement. .■ ' Tennis ift Wellington is played all tho year, 1 Tound, and so keen aro some of. tho • ; players .that already arrangements are being , madelfor partners for the next New' Zealand ; ■'.'■mooting.. The; 'New'- Zealand ~championship meriting: is ;t'bi be.Jhfild iii -tho 'South Island-at'Christmis-time/ but .the Council has not ■yet delegated it -to'-'-any particular association. Marlborough has been mentioned as v'the - likely Vspot; 'some . nine • or- ten courts • aro obtainable in Blenheim; and,'-as Marlborough has not; yet had ; the meeting it should; ionly, requjro, some,, activity .to be; shown; by the! officials across the . Strait to clinch matters.. ■' '. •r.JlissiWilliamsi'i.'of.v. Wellington,. ;.compet«l • at).the - Canterbury Easter tournament, ' arid local .. players quito; expected; her .. to carry off tho cnampiohship,/singles,: and with Ballaiityno tho championship doubles, while,- ■ with', sUch-a bnilisntVcpmbined player- Tor a partner as : W.' .Goss, --fcfie . combined , championship seemed almost-a,'certainty.J- A Cahr torbury: llady, 'Miss Butterworth, sprang a surprise; by beating .Miss Williams. two. sets straight; This matoh was played late in thoday, andJtho.-Wellington player .showed signs .of.;, tirednbsv r whilst her, opponent ■ appeared : • fresh, and; played : . aVreiiaTkablyfiiio:;game,, driving, well arid showing excellent judgment with . occasional lobs. :'' Sirs. Penny-and 'Miss TimW jwere altogether too good..for Mrs. Ballantyno and MiSs''Williams'/Mrs. ; Penny scoring ..constantly with a swift cross court shot' aiid a sharp-angled volley. '-Ever, that brilliaiiCjbutli erratic player, ' struck fotm in • his match against Goss and Miss , Williams/ • . and.'iretairied. i,t, : being ably supported by,, his pawner Miss v Nicholson.'.'? They/ ran .out ? winners; two'sets A. D. ; C6x de- • featod' Ollivier in the ;final of - tho men's singles- after a;.most interesting game. Tho ; game-was brimful of incident, for each knew ■■ his opponent's game as 'well as .-he*knew- Ins iowny, and_th"e players' devoted' th'eir energies;' to hitting each other off the courts. Both -werjj.,i^auph;;,gQpd',.form:'that, the, spice ,'of. recklessness . added to tho interest. ' Tho' hitting ' off -the, ground was hard, but not-IwitHstandirig;';.wonderfully.-':;'accurate, ,„wbilo botlf- men volleyed, neatly and effectively.-'i ■The'-loser suffered a lapse-in tho second set,,' but i.the ■ concluding -set < was fought out 'to i the„bitter end. y.Cox is (o be'congratulated ■on- his. win.-? rli;.was'<a- r ffitting is -feared will ho his last appearance in Can- ; terbliry: lawn'tennis.for some time,-as he has « been- transferred' to Brisbane.• .•# • H'.■; A.'ivParkof recently, scalded -hw-wnst-ahia6cideht).thai>ih all . pro-' bability will prevent .him from competihg in the - Now-South Walcrxhamjnonship meeting.' It would. : seem : that ■ Norman Brookes, .holderr'of tiMj-AJl'a'England/i-.championship.,) singles, has giver/f-up >tho 'idea< of t going..fo:England to-defend"his title. Thodate - was;feSi^-:y'but--/his l father,;-who,'- has tinioJ • boen'--leaving".a ,'great':deal of/'his! business #ho. cham-. pim/;'expressa® :tbWtpppfet|lho" sKoSfld ; not go; and [/M - : beforn * ■ He!fjßas ; pmd^tl^^en^-np : vi'all-!- '■ thought[, of;.p]ayih'g'.yin' , -IShgland.--" evidently / 'and:; for tho.-: to hayo lost interest in theV gami. * 1