LAWN TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 639, 16 October 1909, Page 9

LAWN TENNIS.

.'■■-,.■•■':■' (BT.SiiKyjiß.) "..':,',"".'..,.'..' The chief .topic: of'interest'amongst tennis players at present is. the" coming , inter-club competitions.-. At 'a""mectihg" of: the ".'manage, ment committee •; held -last; Tuesday, '■ a; sjibcommittcb brought forward-a-scheme, for the .improvement'of thc'^;matcli<g;:'which' the com-? mittcß has deci<W-to -put before the association at a moe6ng":to: be held next Thursday. . Enquiries fnijed to elicit full information as. to the nature/of the proposed alterations, because the;c'6mmittee: wishes the delegates to-receivo its. proposals , first-hand. As these proposals,. if,;Vadoptc.d,..-may.':affi.'ct,;the.' !entries from sp/ne'-of' the,•clubs,".* has'.';been' .decided to extend the: tihi'e.'for receiving- en-' tries to Monday, Octdber'.2s; : "in':order'::'t'o,'givc' club- committees time.to'consider nny/.'.ajterations that may beniade;. Butvthe majo'ri,ty h pf tho clubs.arc not. likely : t6:'b'e fji any-way affected'by the delcgates.'.decision.. . . Those .who aro looking, forward':- to: part in these matches are. naturally curious' :to know, how manjvo'f;,the.cityumd suburban .clubs aro likely :to enter,- .and/with what strength. . : -.. : .;'.';.,...'■-...-..,.•.. ..... The,,'senior clubs—Wellington, -T-horndon, Brougham Hill, Victoria' Cbllcge,-,':a'iid':'Nbw-: town—may- be counted- on to ■■enter-■ teams for the shield. The teams would be .almost \ar, grade ...higher than those of the other, threei clubs,,,.whose'teamsappear to, be. veiy I .'qveflly i ';'.m"atched;.T.:-".', : ''';':'.':: , In the cup contest,'the'majoritj^of' 1 the.-'en-; tries will come from the-suburban-'clubs.' ; '.Eri-' tries are expected, from:.:, the .Khandallah,: Karo'ri, Hutt, Pctpne, Muritai/-Wellington, •Brougham Hill,' and Victoria' College;.'"NeivV town Club will be weak in men-this season and,, as a result, is not likely to enter .in this contest. After tho first seven men in this club, .there are only two ,up, to cup form, and they would not be,too strong for a pennant team. ■■..'■,.■ Tho Karori, Hutt,. and Pctene teams, 'should bo: of much the same strength as last season. Petone, however, has lost Hawkins and Miss.Penney. '.:-.. . The Khandallah team should bo a strong one, in fket, so strong that.it has been' sugigested by some.of its-members that a shield team should be entered,.kecause by tho club would have the services of Misses Cock and Batham, who will otherwise ploy for other clubs. Brougham . Hill. will not enter , two cup teams this season. The club has a number of players, who" are up'ta cup standard, and its Match "Committee will have no easy task 'in'picking this.team. :,'.-, . ■;..... Should, the Wellington:.-'Clnb -..enter . - two 'shield teams, it is .not. likely. that a cup team 'will be entered'.too.,'. ; ■■••■ ■'.- ■ The. Victoria team ~will,' no\ doubt,; 'show improvement on last,season's fr0m..:... The Muritai Clubi proposes : to enter acup team, and with the-assistance- of. its new members this team will give any. of its opponents a good .match. ... In the pennant contest, entries from the Brougham Hill, Newtown, Muritai, - Bidwill Street, Kilbirnie, : Victoria College, and Khan-. : dallah clubs may. be looked. tor. .'The Brougham Hill, College,-and Khandallahteams shouldbq the strongest, with! eubilgh; tb make the'contest interesting., It has' l>een said.that the Bidwill Street people'aro thinking of entering a cup team, but, although the •senior 1 men in their racket -team''of -last-;sea-sqn.hod fairly, ensy yictories, they should .remember, "that' there are 1 , three 'steps'-'between- . the first hian.'in a 'jacket" team and- the sixth 'man in a cup team. ,Nb team is as strong as 'its strongest member. . •'"•."■'■'.' '■ • ■ It-would require : a genuine prophet, to say 'what .is, likely; to happen' in the-.racket grade. : Clubs i such: as .Wellington and Thorndon take no interest in tho lower grado'contests.'. The juniors: in these clubs are looked upon,: by the committees' in'charge, • as beifg merely 1 members—not players; ' This is not: the case in '• other■ city clubs, every one'of- which is 'sure -'to bB represented in the racket "contest.. The Tfinity.vChu'rch, Kilbifnie, and ;Oricntal clubs will certainly enter.- .:•:■:'.'. ■. \ Most '.of the. younger '.clubs nre. experiencing sonie difficulty' in getting' lady players for-the . several 'grades.' 'In . fact, some of - the • clubs •will'. be,; unable to 'enter.,for;'the' inter-blub: competitions, unless; they. can -induce some, lady players to help them 1 out of their, difficulties.; '!. - '"'■'■ '. ' \' ' " Tho' tenuis, season opens earlier in Australia than-in Now Zealand qri ;account of the hot .summers. .'Last Saturday week.-the Strathfield ' (N.S.W:) . championships commenced with- record entries. ~ Much- interest will bo. taken in the men's singles, .because it 'is very'probable that : the'winner of -this eyqiit; will be selected .'as oho of: the .toani. tiiVre-. jpresent Australasia in;.tho coming Davis Cup match. This-':match is to.-be played' next month in Sydney on the Double Bay courts, Tho iCouncil of 'the Australasian Association has-appointed Mr; Norman. Brookes as selector and captain of the • Australasian team. A. F.'Wilding has gone.: to Perth, -W.A., to competo in the Australasian -championships, and he should have., no difficulty, in getting, right through.' After Perth he-,-will-'go/to-Adelaide ana then-iii' selected—to'./Sydjiey,.'for the'DaVis Cup. The -United. States.will.be; represented by ;.Mpss'rs.M'Laiiglilin'arid :toiig, both young players from.California. Although unknown out .here,'!'they have proved 'themselves to be players ; of'more than ordinary merit, and >may be considered- as wcrtby representatives pf tlio - States; '.-','-.•'. -v . ■■' ' Tenuis players:-in-Jho.;Manawatu Centre ;aro. very, active .at. present.-'.-The committee -appointed', to manaiieitbe:'. Country Cup compe-; titiou is busy, and-: expects' to receivo entries from at least niiib" clubs. A now club is being formed at; Terrace End, and 1 should have no difficulty in getting a full membership of fiity. At.present twenty-five names have been handed in, and good courts have been, secured. At. Rongotea., a . number of enthusiasts have arranged a concert, the proceeds of which will go towards laying.dowh courts on the local school. ground. ~ They ..expect to open this season.-.; ■ The. Shannon Club has affiliated with the Wellington Association. 'This club has-a membership of thirty," and has two courts— one crass and tho other asphalt—nicely; surrounded with flower beds. -Mr. G.H. Schmidt is the .honorary secretary. '..' "."'.""■ .Victoria 'College ..lias, had-.a new-court laid down since last season,; and.,is about to'make; :some ■ necessary alterations -to its three ' old courts, in "'.the", laying-down, of. which, an-allow-.ane'e' was .made, for the'settling df the- "made" ground at the'horth'ehd. This allowance was too liberal, ns-the. courts-show: ; • Tho annual general, meeting. of the'Karori Club was to;have been held last Tuesday, but 'lapsed -forwant'of a.quorum.' It'has how been set down ,for October. 20'..; :The officers of this club .deserve a.- little more .consideration; ,from members than was shown to them last Tuesday'evening. ;.:■...:.•■.':''..; ■ The Oriental Club has affiliated ..with ' the .Wellington, Association; and intends to enter in "the inter-club, competitions.- ••■■•■•■• On Labour Day the Khandallah and Muritai :Clnbs, opened thVir courts.fer the season. Tho weather was-most favourable, and there Wore •large• attendances at both courts.', The opening ceremonies were performed by the. presidents of tlw respective clubs, Mr. G. ..R 1 I!ichnrd6ori for' Khandallah, and., Mr. A. L Herdman, M.P., for Muritai. ,