LAWN TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1611, 30 November 1912, Page 12

LAWN TENNIS.

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Davis Cup Challenge Bound (British. Isles v. Australasia)— Melbourne, To-day. New Zealand Championships—Hastings, December 26, 27, 28. Australasian Championships—Hastings, December SO, 31, January 1. Hastings Club's Championship and Han, dicaps—To follow Australasian meeting. Pahiatua Club's Championships and Handicaps—Pahiatua, January 1 and 2. Hawke's Bay Championships and Dannevirke Club's Handicaps—Dannevirke, January 4, 5, and 7. Wairarapa Open Championships and Masterton Club's /Handicaps—Masterton, January 22, 23, and 24.

Notes on Local Play. Last Saturday, for a wonder, turned out remarkably fine, and all matches set down for that day were decided. This is really the first occasion on which we can really say that tho matches have .propisrly 'started. Let us hope that there will be no more postponements. Two matches each in the men's and ladies' senior gTades were decided. For the men, Victoria College and Wellington. came out winners, and for the ladies Wellington A and Brougham Hill were victorious.'-'

Playing for Victoria College, Beere was not quite up to Hunter, but, with this exception, all the College team won their singles. Cleghorn and Parker were the two most conspicuous' players, beating H. V. Howe and. J. A. B. Howe respectively. This result is hardly to be. wondered at. Youth and vigorous style will always tell some day, and they thoroughly' deserve their win. Playing together in the doubles, they again proved their superiority. Possessed as they are .of good free aotion, their tactics and foroe were too much for the How Bros., who are not used to hard hitting. Beere and Smith in the doubles were allowed no chances, and just fell victims by 3 games to Hunter and Roberta.

Wellington were too strong ■ far Newtown, although Crewes and Low (Newtown) each won'their singles. Crewes can always be relied upon to put up a good game, and when playing well is safe. Low, too, is an attractive player, using his knowledge of the gaine to advantage. Brown and Eller are a . good pair, and finished off Bedward and Crewes In no mean style. Hard , hitting and telling "kills"- were their chief methods. The Newtown courts are just right for stinging games. • In the ladies' matches, Wellington A, the strongest team in the competition, had no trouble with their opponents. Miss Travers walked over Miss Robinson, to tho extent of 12 games to 2, and in the doubles, playing with Mrs. Goldie, had a comfortable win over Misses Robinson and Dempsey. Miss Travers is etill improving, and should again annex the ladies' championship at Hastings in December. Playing for. Wellington B against Brougham Hill, Mrs. Grady was not quite in form in her single, while her opponent, Miss Davis, was playing exceedingly well. In the' doubles, however, playing with Miss Amy Webb, she found form, and both' showed good capabilities. Miss Amy Webb did well in defeating Mrs. W. E. Howe in the singles. In the junior competition there was nothing very exciting to arouse comment. The winning team in each case had handsome margins. Fathers, playing for Victoria College A, provwl that ho is capable of good tennis, : in beating Lewis, of Rona Bay, who is always "fresh." In the doubles, however,' Lewis came out on top and hi«l his revenge.

The Play for the Davis Cup, By the time that these notes appear we shall have learned by oablogram mbst of the results of tho Davis Cup matches; although not all. By the play in. the inter-State tournament at Melbourne, it wou'ld appear 'that, good as'the"'Britishers undoubtedly are,-they'are not quite up to tho Australian representatives. For the good of the sport, however, it would be welcome news to hear that the cup was to be taken, back once more to England. Brookes apparently is better than ever —practically faultless by this time. His keen eye; and nerve are remarkable, and those who had the pleasure of seeing him play . in ' Christchurch last season must know that, with the exception of' H'Loughlin, he is unapproachable. No man to-day could say with liny certainty that there is a better exponent in the world, and it indeed would be a tremendous surprise to ke»r of his downfall in the cup matches. The English players apparently are more at home on somewhat slower and heavier courts than, the Australians. The shining light on their side, so far, has been Parke, who has remarkable brilliancy. Strong and active,, he seems to get into better form each day. By the: time tho Britishers como over to New Zealand, we shall know more about them, but their coining will prove of great interest, and, providing the weather is favourable, they are sure to regard thoir visit as one 01 the happiest experiences in their tour.

•New Zealanders in Cup Team. In answer to a long article written in New Zealand putting: forth the claims of Ollivier, Christchurch, for inclusion in the defending cup team, and referring to some seemingly apparent slight to Ollivier, "Austral"' has some interesting comments. He writes:— 1 I know of no such slighting of Ollivier's chances of inclusion, and I will show how be was;• considered later, .but in the first place I want to point out that Ollivier could have entered at the Strathfield Tournament at w J hich ho was a spectator, and there tested and proved his ability. In the next place, the best players in Australasia are. to be chosen not a best .player from each State or Dominion. No one oavilled when last year four yictorians were first chosen. - The writer takes upon himself to speak as to New Zealand s views. Who authorised them to do so?, is a fair retort to his own - remark. . ..

However, I will not confine myself to that, but will get: to facts. In the New Zealand championships last December Ollivier had great difficulty and some luck in beating Kidston, of New South Wales. Undoubtedly there, were at that time 12 players at least in Australia who would have beaten Kidston '.with no such difficulty. One of them, Campbell, did so last Saturday. What was the field of which Ollivier disposed? The best were Peacock, Fisher, and O'Hara Wood, and only Kidston extended him, but O'Hara Wood was there for a holiday, and was in form then, and is undoubtedly better than Kidston. . But it may lie said Ollivier has improved. ' What evidence is there of that? I find evidence that perhaps points the other way. Sydney practically every day Ollivier was beaten by H. Rice, easily, and by Marsh an.d Joe Blair. In Melbourne he has been beaten many times by Marsh, and the latter decisively by O'Hara Wood. But theso it may well bo answered are only practice results. Just so, and it is 011i r vier's own choice that he had no match results to offer for consideration. Is not Swanston of New Zealand a better player? -I personally think that Ollivier has in him tho makings of a fine player, but he has clear defects in style and method, and the Davis Cup team is not a trying out for possible players. Men who have proved themselves by repeated match performances must be chosen, and as Brookes said last Saturday ii> Melbourne, A. B. Jones is one of the finest players in Australasia. To discuss Dunlop or Heath would be ridiculous. They are there by playing their last-Davis Cup match. To use tho expression coined to his own disadvantage by the writer, , a self-imposed critic in New Zealand has no mission to express that eountry's.feeling as to metlK ! od of criticism that is in my opinion a cock-shy that he himself has raised so as to put. up something to be knocked down. Therefore, to New Zealand and Mr. Ollivier, I apologise that they should be dragged into discussion, but when nilauthorised innuendoes are thrown ont of New Zealand retiring from the allianco with Australia, it is a time for plain speaking, for fear that the. uninformed may imagine that New Zealand is' herself objecting. Ollivier has really a long way to go to become one of the world's best players, and that is what Davis Cup teams should lie composed of. Parke ran away from 1 him in his single in Melbourne. Of course, in a few years, with ripo experience and many hard-fought matches, ho will no doubt receive recognition. Tc attain this, 'however, ho must needs leave our shores on account of climatic conditions .Ulld the scarcity of firntxilftea play.ol3 lor praotico in Now Zealand,