LAWN TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1889, 25 October 1913, Page 12

LAWN TENNIS.

*-$ — [By Backhand.]

INTER-TATE CHAMPIONSHIPS,

Dec. 2G, 27, 29, and 30. —Now Zealand Championships, at Eden and Epsom Courts, Auckland. It is announced that tho Northern Association is going to hold a handicap tournament immediately upon the conclusion of tlio Now Zealand championships, which take place at Auckland on December 2G, 27, 29, and 30. A most attractive programme of events has been drawn up, and this should draw a very largo entry. Tho New South Wales-Victorian contest, which takes placo at Melbourne next month, promises to bo particularly interesting this yoar. ill past contests New South Wales is just 0110 to tho bad, and has been behind since i 1891. Iter chances of drawing love! this season do not appear to bo particularly bright. A Sydney writer suggests tho probable team as Doust, A. B. Jones, liice, Parker, and the brothers Todd. This would undoubtedly be a very strong half-down, but scarcely good enough to win from llrookos, Dmilop, Heath, Lycotfc, and tho brothers O'Hara-Wood.

Raolng Man, who Played Tonnls, Mr. 0. W. Cropper, seoretary of tho Australian Joclcsy Club, is an old tennis player, and played for New South Wales against Victoria in the interstate lawn tonnis matches from 1885 to 1890 inchisivo, witH the exception of one year, the teams winning alternately. In partnership with Mr. 0. T. Metcalfe, he won the doubles championship of New South Wales. Mr. Metcalfe, a noted amateur runner of the period, was the half-mile champion of tho Motiier State, and for that distance held a record for some time. An allround athlete. Air. Metcalfe, represented Sydney University against Melbourno University in the cricket match, and was also a successful member of tho 'Varsity Rugby football team,_ Very few men in Australia to-day win such distinction in so many different forms of sport. Parker's Doadly Oartalnty. H. A. Parker, tho ex-New Zealander, continues in fine form in Sydney. Speaking of the third day's play in the Metropolitan Championships, an Australian writer says:—lt was thought that Bolia young New Zealand playot now resident in Sydney, would extend Parker, for lie has been playing very well in practice. The rallies were long and frequent, and! Bonnington seemed to a casual glance to bo holding' Ilia own, but he could make no real impression on Parker. 'Hie latter had regamed all tho old deadly certainty which for years ranked him with Rice and second only to Brookes in Australasia. Bonnington hits every ball in just tho way that Parker does, and with the same extraordinary forehand grip of tho racket, but he nooß not get the .same overspin on. Parker won,' o—o, 6-0. ' Miss Payten'a Flno Rsoord. I must confess I never till now quite realised (says "Austral" in the Sydney "Referee ') how indelibly Miss Payten's superb performances stand written oil the records. Singles' five times in succession, then an internal of retirement, and another win; doubles, seven years without a break; mixed doubles, four years, a retirement of two years, and another win. It is excelled only in length by Miss Nunneley's New Zealand successes (18 years' straight in singles, eight straight in ladies' doubles, and seven straight in mixed); but Miss Nunneloy was hot so fine a player as Miss Payton—indeed, Australasia has never seen her equal.