LAWN TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 45, 17 November 1926, Page 8

LAWN TENNIS.

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A Ladies’ Ranking. To rank the ladies is a. task more difficult than that of ranking the men. For too long have the associations regarded the ladies as mere 'appendages, and provision for them lias been most perfunctory. Hence it is that no real opportunity has been given for the estimate of the lady players. But still it is possible to get somewhere near the order of merit. Without any hesitation I place Miss M. Spiers (Canterbury) No. 1. In her New Zealand has an extraordinarily fine player. “She plays like a man,” said one ladv in explanation of a defeat at the hands of Miss Spiers. It is so. Canterbury is to be congratulated on the wav that, in recognising in Miss Spiers a potential champion, they saw to it that she was made fit to scale the heights. She plays like a man because she has been made to play against the best men in Christchurch. She is at all times aggressive. What advantage that gives her against the great majority of other lady- players needs no comment. With the same confidence I place Mrs. W. J. Melody (Wellington) No. 2, and would remark that she is perhaps the onlv lady player who, if both were really fit, would have a good chance of beating Miss Spiers. It should not be forgotten that one of the worst umpire decisions it has ever been my- lot to have witnessed robbed Airs. Melody in Wellington of a straight sets victory. Mrs. Melodv, too, plays as a man, and she has even more energy in her play than has Miss Spiers. Now that she has returned from abroad she should be able to play herself into improved form. Were there more pace in Miss Tracy’s (Wellington) shots, I would be prepared to see in her a New Zealand champion. Unfortunately she seems to lack the strength to take her to the position which the class of her tennis undoubtedly warrants. She loses matches to inferior players by too great a consideration for her opponents. It is a weakness it seems impossible for her to overcome. In a word, she would do better to put more ruthlessness into her match play. She is a versatile player equally at home at the net as from the base line. I place her No. 3. The courage to fight on when all seems lost makes Miss Travers (Wellington) one of the most dangerous opponents among the ladies in New Zealand. Her re-entry into championship tennis last season was a magnificent act of sportsmanship. Miss Travers has the hardest forehand drive of any ladyin the Dominion. She is capable at anv time of bringing off the unexpected. No opponent dare hold her too cheaply. I place her No. 4. I am inclined to put Mrs. W. A. Scott (South Canterbury) No. 5. I am quite aware that she is a player who is verv unequal, and I believe she is better in doubles and combined doubles than in singles. In the latter game she is inclined to get excited, and think more on things outside the match than on the match itself. But, for all that, she is a fine allcourt plaver, who when she reaches the net smashes and volleys effectively. In Auckland she most assuredly ought not to have been beaten by Miss Marjorie Macfarlane. Miss Marjorie Macfarlane (Auckland), who I place iNo. 6, is the finest type of purely base line player we have. She will stay on the back line and drive and drive and drive until further orders. Fleet-footedness and dogged perseverance in running after well-nigh impossible balls l.ave raised her to a position which others have attained to with less than half her expenditure of energy. But whatever shortcomings one may find in her tennis, on the court she remains an example of true sportsmanship. I have seen her correct umpires when to have remained silent was to have won the match. Miss B. M. Knight (Auckland), who I place No. 7, is equipppd with strokes the most perfect and extensive of any lady player in New Zealand. She has flashes of brilliance when she plays wonderful tennis that makes her opponents look veritable tyros. She knows what to do, and is always there to do it. But it is never done. It seems as though she is affected by. nerves. She is the champion who never arrives. Miss M. Wake (Canterbury) I put at No. 8. She is a determined fighter, who plays steadily rather than brilliantly, and counts no ball too difficult for her to have .t shot at Miss E. M. Ballantvne (Taranaki), who I place No. 9, is the player she is bv virtue of a splendid fighting spirit, and not through any brilliancy of strokes. She plods steadily along or careers speedily over the base line, returning everything with a peculiar lob drive that is in itself a disconcerting factor to her opponents. She goes in for returning balls rather than striving to place them or go for the winning shot. . Miss Dulcie Nicholls (Auckland) is, I think entitled to No. 10 position. . She is a strongly-built .girl, with a real genius for the game. She plays coolly and strongly, and all that is wanting is more experience. She plays brilliantly a deep shot from corner to corner, thus keeping her opponents always on the move. Tilden’s Defeat. American papers to hand concentrate on the injury to Tilden’s knee in explanation of his defeat at the hands of Lacoste in the Davis Cup and by Cochet in the National Singles. Against Cochet, Tilden, it is stated, was crippled, contending with a physical dis-

A man from the Levant tells the following story to illustrate the race struggle that exists in that region: A Jew, a Greek, and an Armenian went together to pay their respects to tlm bodv of a Turk recently deceased, nnd tho eyes of all three lit up at the sight of a beautiful diamond ring that glistened on the dead man’s linger. When they came outside the Jew remarked: “What a beautiful ring! I wisli it were mine.” "I ’ave it,” said the Greek. “You had it" said the Armenian.

ohiiitv tint was painfully and patheticlf the match bad retutted differently, which it almost did, the end of Tilden’s reign would only 1 ave been put off. He could .not have tone on for two days longer, and probablv not for one. Fo r about three years 1 ildeu has had trouble with his right knee. 'I here is eornethiuu wrong with the cartilage. oXSIy the'hurt is severe More often it is a minor matter. Doctors have disagreed on the probabilities of a- real cure by an operation, and Tilden is not prepared to rim the risk. The latest hurt to lilden s knee, which made certain his losing of the National Singles, was received in his match with Lacoste in the challenge round of the Davis Cup some days prior to the National Singles. lilden first felt his knee was not quite well in the second set. The third set was evenly fought to six all 'lilden was being run by Lacoste’s deep and. wellplaced drives, but be was 10—30 and consequently set point. After running for a shot’to his left court. Tilden stopped suddenly, intending to run to the right. His knee gave way, his face became distorted with pain, and he rolled over on the ground. Lacoste won the set 8-6. Tilden held Ins own for three games in the fourth set, and j ec j 5_4 and 6—5, but the end came when Lacoste drove fast and deep to the corner, and Tilden, running for it, fell again and failed to reach the ball. Against Cochet in the National Singles Tilden started keenly, and all through the five sets employed sustained speed as if intending to win points as quickly as possible, for bis knee was in no condition to allow him to wear down his opponent. Cochet, imperturbable, calm, and confident, nothing loftth, staved back and swapped drives with Tilden. Not until he lost the first set did Cochet regularly storm the net. Finding this a not altogether paving proposition, he began to pick his times, and this was an important factor in the match as it progressed. Tilden started a fight in the third set which was to prove losing, and Cochet produced unforseen wizardry in all departments. The rallies from the back of the court were long, with both men hitting hard. Tilden for once mixed his game in the fourth set with almost flawless strategy and strokes. Cochet led -I—l in the fifth set. Tilden made a dramatic pull up to 4 all and 5 all, and led 6—5. He lost his service and the pair were 6 all. With four marvellous strokes Cochet led 7—6 and took the match. Cochet, says an American writer, was out to win the match, and he employed every legitimate means to do so. He took fuli advantage of Tilden’s inability to run in his usual manner, and of his refusal to run at all on occasion. He kept the ball away from Tilden when he could or when that seemed the better plan. He kept blocking Tilden’s fiercest serves and drives, knowing that sooner or later he was bound to get the better of these exchanges. As Tilden asked no quarter, Cochet gave none._ The Frenchman evidentlv schooled himself to be unmoved by Tilden’s plight, and to win his points whenever and however he could. No one would even think of finding fault with him for so doing, 'lilden nursed his knee in every possible way. In serving and receiving he took up his position with great care, disposing himself so that his weight came on his good led. Whenever it was possible to get in position to make his shot—drive, smash, or volley—he did so, but manv times he had to hit the ball as best he could. At times he ran far and fast, at others he did not run at all. Intcr-club Matches.

“Forehand.”)

The delegates, with no uncertain voice, decided against the “knock-out” scheme for inter-chib matches. The Management Committee of the Wellington Lawn Tennis Association have again taken counsel among themselves and are now calling for entries for a scheme that involves two grades, a senior grade and a third grade, each club team' to play the others. It has been decided that each team shall consist of four men and four ladies and that no club shall enter more than one team in each grade. That in addition to the men’s and ladies’ singles and doubles, combined doubles, will be played if time and circumstances permit. Points will, however, rot count unless the full series are played. Senior grade matches are to be the best of three sets, last set only advantage, -and third grade matches best cf seventeen games, no advantage. It has been decided that the fee for each competing club shall be £1 Is. for the senior grade and 10s. fd. for the third grade. The fee must accompany the eiitrv form, and clubs are i.sited not to enter senior or junior players in the third grade.

Avres’ Tennis Balls have been used at every Davis Cup match played in Australasia. Tn American official matches British Balls are not used. Ayres’ “C.S.” stitchless and plugless balls are idea for hard court play 7 .—Advt.

N.Z. XMAS TENNIS TOURNAMENTS Tennis players will note with interest that Spalding Tennis Balls have been solely adopted by the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association and by the Wellington Association for the Xmas touruainent at Miramar.

Spalding’s were used in the recent American" National Championship and in the Davis Cup contest. Here is proof of Spalding supremacy.—Advt.

Yet another attempt to raise the treasure said to bo contained in the Spanish '’alleon Almirante de Florentia, sunk in ■Tobermory Bay Oban (Scotland), in the year 1588, is shortly to be made by ‘Lieut-Colonel K. M. Poss, the “leaseholder” of the Galloon from the Duke of Argly.v. For h’ 3 forthcoming attempt Lieut-Colonel Foss has designed, a specially constructed diving-bell weighing three tons, with about half a ton of water ballast, and in his task he will be assisted bv a young woman, whom lie bae trained a- deep-sea diver.