COVERED COURTS AT STOCKHOLM.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1943, 29 December 1913, Page 6

COVERED COURTS AT STOCKHOLM.

WILDING'S impressions;

The ■ world's covered court lawn tennis championship's (decided recently in Stockholm), wore from every point of ricw most .successful, twites Mr. Anthony Wilding, tho world's champion tennis player {covered, grass, or hard courts), in the Manchester "Guardian," Australasia won tlio singles, England the ladies' singles, and Franco the men's doubles and mixed, The venue was tlio Royal Lawn Tennis Club, which is King Gnstav's pet hobby. In fact, wo can trace most of tho success of this meeting to tho lying, who—though 'nominally an invalid —did not miss a singlo stroke of a single match worthy of tlio' name throughout the week. As a player ho can sal'ely be backed to give any monarch 30 and a beating. But a still bigger feather in his cap is that ho can creditably., hold his end up in. (» firstclass men's ■ "double—not bad for any man' in his fifty-eighth year. The. three chief features of tho tournament were, to mv mind, the indifferent ligiit, the brilliant form displayed by the little Frenchman Germot, and tho nervous, indecisive game of Decugis. Ho was really carried as a passenger by his 1 two partners, Gcrmot and Madame Fenwicke, and tlio team success in cacli case was entirely due to their great _ brilliance. Stockholm's geographical situation is entirely unsuitod for a covered court tennis tournamentin the month of November. Tho days then are prodigiously short—in fact, on many days it did not seem to get properly light at all. Add to this the fact tlinfc tho glass roof does not extend to tho full length of the.court. So the reader can imagine what difficulty the flayers had in seeing, the balls. Tho light waa batter nearer the'net, fine Play by a Swede. To tlio intense delight of . a huge and patriotic gallery—who seemed as it they would never cease yelling—Set'tcnvall, a fino big Swede, defeated Decugis. Although the Frenchman hardly showed a shadow of his true self, nevertheless, Setterwall volleyed consistently well, and won with a good deal in hand. It is worthy of recall that Setterwall defeated ltoper Barrett last year, aiid only just fell a victim to tho. heartbreaking steadiness -of F. 0. Lowe. In the lower half of tlio draw Gcrmot and C. Bergmann were kept busy disposing of young Swedes, who invariably won at least one set-, and showed remarkable promise. But it is a pity that their play is confined almost entirely to cutered courts.. Kiei.lschroth volleyed well in his singlo against me. Setterwall, in tlio semi-final, was a grievous disappointment. to his ■ patriotic following,, who, after his great showing against Decugis, was expected to plav better than lie knew how. I found Kis backhand very weak, so confined myself to giving him every ball on that tiJo. Tho final against Germot was at fairly good match. Germot won the first set at 7 —0, volleying beautifully, and being quito severe and accurate off the ground. Later the p.'ico got a little fast for him, and he grew visibly tired, allowing ma to win tho three last sots, 6-2, 6—3, 6-1.

Gemot has the most finished style of any player living, and if only Nature had been kind enough to build him twice the size, I do not klioiv the player, to beat him. Miss Aitohison came through tho field of seven in the ladies' singles, her top spin drive being too ferocious for tho other competitors. A little Swedish lady, Mrs. Fiek, played her a set-all match, but in the final sotwas tired, and only managed to take one game. Madame Fonwieke was beaten by Miss Aitehison in the final. ■ The English player was clever euotigh to grasp her opponent's weakness at the start, and placed unmercifully to her hack .hand. Thanks to these tactics and Madame Fenwicko's inaccuracy on I this side, tho score was 6 —4. 6 —2 in ' Miss Aiteliisou's favour. An Easy Victory. Tho doubles were a little disappointing. Settenrall and Kemps, the crack Swedish pair, were ridiculously easily beatcii by Kleinschroth. and Bergma im. Kempc was almost entirely w> blame. Moller and Grenfors, two young Swedes, made Dccugis and Germot go every inch of the way in a long match, tho scores reading 7—5, 6—4, 13—17, (5—2. Tho final was remark' able for the brilliant play of Gerfliot, and tho varying fortune of each side alternately. First the Frenchmen looked as if they must win. One set up and a good lead. Then excellent combined play by tho Germans ftnvo them a lend of two sets to one. At this juncture brilliant play by Germot stemmed the tide and' enabled the Frenchmen to tako the aggressive and never look back. The score 7—5, 2—6, 7—o, 6—3, 6—l in tho Fre»eliineivs favour, gives a very fair indication of tho match. Kleinschroth and Bergmann both played good tennis, though slightly patchy and nossibly not finite up to their best-. Dccugis 'was bad. Overhead and his service were up to form, hut everywhere else I thought him hopeless. Germot was tb« horo of the match, and it is doubtful if lip has ever played a better double.The mixed was won by Dccugis and Madame Fmiwicke. They beat Setterwall and Mrs. Fiek 7—5. 12 —10 in tho final. Madame Fenwiekc successfully covered Iter back -haiid and plaved at. the top of her form, At the close of plav Kiiifi Gustav presented the prizes, which were rc-markahly fine. A medal was also presented', to every olayer taking part in the tournament, to commemorate the first world's covered court championships.