LAWN TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 51, 24 November 1926, Page 8

LAWN TENNIS.

(By

“Forehand.”)

Inter=Club Matches. The senior grade iuter-club matches will commence on the association grounds at Miramar next Saturday. Already tlie personnel, of some teams is known. Brougham Hill Club will be represented by L. France, D. France, D. Dobie, and T. S. Williams (or T. Ward), and Misses M. Tracy, A. Howe, F. North, and Mrs. Penlington. Miramar Club will be represented by F. B. W. Smyth, Noel Wilson, and O. K. Stevens, and one other, and Mesdames Heald, Campbell, Brown, and Miss A. Tucker. Lyall Bay will be represented by Matheson, Swinburne, Clark, and Burns, and Mcsdames Marshall, Campbell, Heald, and Burns. Newtown will be represented by L. Richardson, W. E. Hollings, W. P. Hollings, and E. Bringezu, and Misses East. d'Emden. Brady, and Mrs. Wilson. The Thorndon, Wellington, and ’Varsity Clubs’ teams are yet to be made known. It is probable that the Thorndon Club team will be J. C. Peacock, C. Malfrov, L. Mavo, and N. A. Foden. Peacock is at present uncertain, but endeavours are being made to prevail on him to play It will be noted that the same players appear, in some instances, in the Miramar Club and in some other club. This is the result of a certain amount of confusion due to players belonging to a city club, and to the newly-formed club at Miramar. This is a matter that will have to be sorted out. In this connection it is worthy of note that all the men players of the Miramar Chib are Brougham Hill Club members, with the exception of Smyth, who until this season, was a member of Brougham Hill for a number of years. The position of Wilson, Stevens, Mrs Brown, and Miss T. Tucker ’s peculiar, as by the rules of the Brougham Hill Club, players who play for other clubs in inter-club matches or in tournaments, although they are at the same time members of the Brougham Hill Club, are debarred from competing in the Brougham Hill Club championships. The Newtown Club insists that except it be a grass court club its members shall belong exclusively to the Newtown Club. They will not accept as members players who are also members of another club or clubs. Seventeen dubs have entered teams tor the third grade matches, commencing on Saturdav week. The clubs are: Brougham Hill, Hataitai-, Highland Park, Karori, Lower Hutt, Khaiidallah, Lvall Bnv, Muritai, Miramar, Newtown, Roseneath, St. Peter’s, Taita, University Victoria, Wellington, Rongotai, Salamanca is problematical. Thirty-Two Chibs Affiliated.

There are now thirty-two clubs in and around the city of Wellington affiliated to the Wellington Provincial Lawn 'Tennis Association, the most recent additions being Kelburn, Plitnmerton, Berhampore, Talavera, and Rongotai. Exhibition Matches.

■ Two of Wellington’s most prominent tenuis players have offered their services to the association for the purpose of giving exhibition matches before the various clubs. It was suggested that the clubs pay a small fee to -nc association for the privilege. Ike two players' services would of course be given voluntarily. ' The management committee oi the association has not turned the offer down altogether, but has deferred it for a while, the reason given being that the association has so much on hand at the present time that it would scarcely be wise to overload with anything else that would involve much organisation. , , The offer appears to be a good otic. An itinerary could be drawn up for each o. the clubs agreeing to me proposal, and the matches to be plaved it one, or it some cases, even i t two of the clubs on a Saturday after Joon at .1 time or times to be mutually agreed upon While the matches were being played club members, I am sure, would be only too glad t cease from nlav on the other courts. Ihe effect should be most beneficial, for more may be learned fro.n watching good players than from the mere reading of text books, however excellently written or well illustrated they may be. The onlv organisation that need devolve oh the association is the preparation of the itinerary The chibs themselves should be most anxious to encourage exhibition matches by outstanding players. a

Getting a Hold on Clubs. The fact that some club championships are extended into another season before completion seems a reason whv the association should endeavour to formulate some scheme that would give it some definite hold over all clubs, bevond that of merely preventing affiliated club players playing tn unaffiliated club tournaments. At present tlie hold of the association inside clubs themselves is a negligible quantitv. it should not*.be difficult for some rule to be framed that would make it compulsorv far clubs to finish their championships in the season that they are supposed to be for. Ihe penalty for failure to observe this rule should be the cancellation of the championship for that vear. To see that this rule is given effect 1 to it should be made obligatory on all clubs on conclusion cf their championship events to forward to the association a notification of the result together with copies of the completed result sheets. This latter would provide an invaluable guide to the association in assessing handicaps at its ■ tournaments, and also for determining the grade of a plai’er in inter-club matches. Failure to notify the association of the completion of a championship in the season for which it is supposed to be played for should be assumed by the association a breach of the rule and a reason for the secretary of the association getting into immediate communication with the defaulting club with a please explain. Also, if a club wanted to play a series of friendly matches with miother club it should have first to- obtain the permission of Hie association. A National Ranking.

A writer in the “Christchurch Press” has the following remarks on my recent endeavours to form some semblance of a national ranking for the men:—“A Wellington writer has drawn up a list of his own. His placing.? are somewhat inexplicable, and he has placed too much reliance on form shown at the last New Zealand championships. His placings are:— G. Ollivicr, 1; E. D. Andrews, 2; E. B. W. Smyth, 3; L. Trance, 4; D. Trance, 5; A. W. Sims, 6; Dr, J. T. Laurenson, 7; J. C. Peacock, 8; I. A. Seay, 9; E. L Bartleet, 10; N. Wilson, 11. Little fault can be found with the first three men, although Smvth seems to be a little too well placed, but when one comes to L. Trance, at fourth position, the placing appears bad. Prance is certainly a very headv player, but he has not shown form to entitle him to be. placed above seventh or eighth D. Trance is almost correctly placed, but he would certainly have to go down be-

low Sims and Laurenson. The Wellington writer has taken a risk in placing either of these men on the list as there is little form to go on, owing to these ex-Dominion champions having played little during the last two seasons. But it chev are placed thev must certainly be higher than sixth' and eighth, as with a little practice either of them would easily defeat Smyth or the two Frances, who are placed above them. Next comes J. C. Peacock, who, at seventh is flattered a trifle, as although ’he displayed surprising form last season, he is now at the stage where he cannot bold his place with the best of the younger players. I. A. Seav comes next, and the Canterbury colt seems to be a bit too far down on the list, although it would be rather difficult to place him higher. Now comes the surprise of the list, E. L. Bartleet, Auckland’s champion, is placed as low as tenth. Bartleet, who has defeated Olliver and all the leading players, and who on his day is the hardest man in the Dominion to defeat, is placed tenth. Some people go as far as describing Bartleet as the best plaver in New Zealand now but while that is, perhaps, a bit exaggerated, he should certainly be in the first five or six. A suggested list would be: Ollivier, 1; Andrews, 2; Sims, 3; Laurenson, 4; Smyth, 5; Bartleet, 6; D. France, 7; Seay, 8; L. France, 9; Peacock, 10; Page, 11; Wilson/ 12. Tn the above list D. France and Seay have been given credit for their youth and brilliancy, while Page has not been placed higher because of his having competed at few really first-class tournaments. There are many other names worthy at placing, notably Malfrov, Johns, Donovan, Lampe, Wallace, Loughnan, Greenwood, etc., but twelve is a big enough list for ranking purposes.

New Zealand Championships. The programme of events tor the 37th New Zealand Championship meeting to be held at the Auckland Association courts at Stanley Street, Auckland, on December 27 to 31, and following da vs if necessary is now out. The events comprise men and ladies’ singles, men and ladies’ doubles, mixed doubles, championships, and the boys’ junior singles and the girls’ junior singles championships. Ayres “championship” balls are to be used. The junior events are open to' boys and girls under 18 years of age at the date of the application, and who are bona fide pupils attending any primary or secondary school, college or university. Tn all matches the maximum interval between sets is not to exceed three minutes. Entries must reach the secretary not later than Wednesday, De cemlier 15, and the draw will be made in secretary’s office, 219 Lambton Quay, Wellington, on Friday, December 17, at 8 p.m. Night Tennis.

Considering the possibilities of night tennis, the Christchurch City Council has decided to equip a court for purposes of demonstrations, puvidH the Canterbury Lawn Tennis. Association will pay for the installation, if satisfactory. Some such scheme might profitr.clv he carried out here on the ccr.ts at Miramar, or nt one of the city clubs. There must be pltutv of enthusiasts in Wellington win would be willing to pay the fairly high fees that wc t.ld have to be paid for the use of sich a court fo- night or part of a night Ollivier and Expenses. G. Ollivier, the singles champion of New Zealand, has delivered his ultimatum. Ollivier states he will only go to Auckland if the Wilding Shield matches are played before the championships. If this is agreed to by the authorities it will be creating a dangerous precedent, for no player should be allowed to dictate what shall or shall not be done.

At the same time, Ollivier lias served to emphasise an aspect of tennis that must, in the very near future, be carefully considered by the provincial associations and by the N.Z. L.T.A.—namely, the aspect, of expenses. It must be obvious to anv observer that the game of tennis is even more expensive than it ought to be, and that the cost is increasing, and not decreasing, or remaining stationary. Provincial associations haxe expected their leading players to travel to other parts of the Dominion for friendlv contests, and have left the selected players to pay their own expenses. This is a mistake. If it is symptomatic of financial distress on the part of the various associations, then it is bad business. By no other sports bodv are representative players expected to pay their own legitimate travelling and boarding expenses. AU revenue derived from tennis clubs or tennis matches should be jealously guarded, and elaborate entertaining of visiting teams should be rigidlv excluded. If players and public alike are made to realise that tennis is to be the first and last thing for which the fixtures are made, there will not. I am sure, be any complaint at the lack of festivities.

With only one exception, Ayres’ “Championship” Tennis Balls have been adopted this season by every N.Z. provincial association Quality must tell. Perfect in flight. Use Ayres’ "C.S.” Ball for hard courts.— Advt.