DAVIS CUP PLAYERS ENTERTAINED.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1644, 10 January 1913, Page 6

DAVIS CUP PLAYERS ENTERTAINED.

AT GRAND HOTEL, SOME VERT CORDIAL SPEECHES. Members of the British Iblcb team of tonnis playen, holders of the Davis Cup, jj were entertained by tho New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association at a dinner at 1 the Grand Hotel last night. Mr. G. N. la Pharazyn, president of tho association, ki was in the chair, .and among those pre- Zi sent were his Excellency the Governor w (tho Earl of Liverpool), the Hon. I'. M. II li. Fisher, the Hon. 11. D. Bell, and tho w Very, Kev. Deau M'Kenna. > li The Chairman. . p The chairman, in proposing the toast ~ of . the "Davis Cup Winners, said thnt tho visit of tho British Isles team to ? New Zealand had been a -very great K pleasure to all those associated' with ten- ~ nis, not only to watch, the play of-the ,' visitors, but also to meet them., All " those, who had had the pleasure of meet- f; ing .them, had learned to like them, "ana M their early departure :.was a matter for ® regret. He hoped that on their return to the other Bide ,they would beat the Australians as thoroughly as they had J beaten us. - s . Tho Briti.sh Isles Captain. ! ' a .Mr, C. P. Dixon, captjjjn of tue : Bi-i- 0 tish Isles team, 'in replying to; the toast, \ remarked that the Davis Clip victory C had been something .of -a surprise to the ti team, and . tho credit, of it ivas due—as (t one paper put it—to an "ex- t' traordinary Irisliman." He congratulated t: New_-Zealanders' on their tennis, which, a considering the limited opportunities for Z practice, hiid reaohed a very high; stand- A ard.. He hoped that some of the New . h Zealanders would,go to Wimbledon to t enjoy the practice which the Englishmen b could give them. The present visit would no doubt i be. the forerunner of : others. V Now .that the ice had been broken} other 1 teams,-.would no doubt como to the Do- c minion, quite apart from Davis Cup oon- c tests, and the' visits would have a.'good 1 ■effect in binding tho .countries ..closer to- t gether. On behalf of the team, he thank- a ed Mr. Pharazyn for,making the sfay of, { tho. team at" Hastings ■do pleasant, and c the,Hon.,F.'Jl. B.' Fisher, who had look- c ed after them so - well throughout the J trip. ; Ho had. lievfer left thein. since they x landed, in , Auckland, : and., already- they had dome to. call him "Daddy,'.' Members of the team' had had/a..jolly, good time, and wero loth to; leaved,sUcn jolly, good ' 6portsmen as. they hiid met Jiere.:-;' ;• ; Messrs. J. C. Parke, ;A.; E. 'Beamish, f and.F, ,G. Lowe endorsed the remarks of 1 the previous -speaker. ■ Mr. Lowe .'referred j with pleasure to . tho projected visit of ; Ollivier to' England, arid in touch- J ing' on the' Hon.' Mr,-'^TisherVconnection, ■with the.'sport,'- said that it was' a fine! ! thing to havo a "of the : Crown ■plsnn^teiinis.'--'.....' . .. ■) Mr. H. M. Gore, in proposing'the'toast ' 1 ofi "The Chairman/'' 6poke in high' terms } of; the effprts?,of'Mr. Pharazyn-to make' / the Hastings itournainent the great success . which' proved. ~. , The, chairinau disclaimed- any credit; for > the success of'the-fixtuM,-..which ha'Said ■* had been run principally .by Mr. A. J. 1 the New' Zealand j Association. ' ■ . ' '■ His, Excellency .. the, Governor; referred { ■ in complimentary terms to'; Hon. F. } M.' B. Fisher's association with the sport,- ! remarking what?, an .excellent -thing it was to find a Minister I'playing; tennis' in. the spare, time he; could find., from the . cares of office.-•■' .. . ,• • " ', ' r.. .. Hon. F. M. B. Fisher. ■ The Honi Mr. Fisher.., said that. while ; Australasia'- had, lost. the Davis: Cup, it 'delighted i us to think, that, it;-' still .re-', mained in-the Empire., '/Ule visifeof the British.'.^slcs^team; was going to bring about an. enormous'change in' our'tennis, : 'and, $ri'interchange of'such visits would help,to cement the ities, of - friendship. For-many years the methods of- the'Bri- ■ tishersi'.had .beeni.knqiy;!!' to, : name of , Dixon had been'- ,a j household ■ word among, tennis players here, but now ■ that we had.actu'aily-.sceh the visitors,;it would make all tho; difference, to otfr' young players. Thislvisit'would lay. the • foundation: of -a friendship that , would -' '• last as'long'as we may live. Mr. Fisher,, finally ; called for cheers for Messrs. A. L.. 'Berry and A','J. Pdtherick, for-their hard: ' work in connection with the visit of the '' British team;"• ■ ; During , the evening'musical items'-were ■ supplied; by Messrs. 1 H. Nr Fletcher ("The • First June; Rose"), Alex. Newton, and D. •• J. Kenny. ,- .' 1 i BOUND-;FOR SYDNEY. i ■ THE COMING TEST MATCH. , 1 .-• .. ■ Members of; the British Mes team, who > havo been having a strenuous time'at ten--5 nis, varied the programme yesterday with > a day on tho golf links. They leave for V Australia'to-day; 'and will-play a series V of. matches, in Sydney before leaving Jor ? Home. Concerning'these matches, "Austral," in th«j last issue of 1 "Tho Arrow," T . eays:—. ■ }- ■-. ■»'. " -'The-first. engagement of the Englishl. meti -on their return will- be against tho 5 metropolitan team at Strathiield, on' Jan- . ( uary 15, and this will .be ably- managed V by the energetic Strathfield. Club> .with " .A. H. Bunting at its >head. -The latter r tells me Dr. Sharp , was asked to play, and ? couldn't get into firm. -Bunting tried for ' some' time to g;et liim. to do 60, put' failed ?.. to convinco him. Advanoe bookings-can ■ ibe mado for- this - events with Mr. F. A., B Waller, 107 Pitt Street. The programme 3 is an attractive, one. and, incidentally it. 0 will be interesting to . see how tho bril- " liant colt, Jim Anderson 1 , shapes against ' Lowe,; as they are both baok-line players. p If the colt can even extend him, as no 0 • probably, will,' it" will be a great jJerformi; ance. The doubles will ■bo the best draw. Two . days later, tho big -match will '• start, which is practically the .first tennis ? test match, and as thp urn is gone (tempbrarily, we' hope), wo may win "tho 1 ashes" as a consolation. And if we prove that Australia can -beat- the British Isles ® four aside, that will console us eomer' what, and if Brooke's 'can meet and answer Parke's fierce drives our delight will ° be unbounded. y The latest proposal-is to; extend the match, to threo days, arid mako the rubi bers "best of- five" sets. -If the players cati stand the ' probable - heat, five-set V matohes : are better, ;but in - the heat .of JJ summer it's' a tough'proposition.:.', ... 11 Our team has been narrowed doven to r " five, Brookes, Dunlop, A'. : B. Jones, Heath, r * and H. Rice. That really means-Heath 3 - or Rico as fourth man.. If. Heath were v fit'and well he would go in for certain before Jones, but he is not.;? He 'has had another attack of quinsy , sirice the Davis Cup, and was clearly run .'down Uthen. Evidently ho n6eds 'a 'rest, and . Rico's showing against Dixon has fairly earned him his place, Seeing' that Heath is unwell. ' ■', ■