LAWN TENNIS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 123, 22 February 1928, Page 8

LAWN TENNIS

(By

"Forehand.”)

TENNIS CONTROL WHAT TO AVOID. The circumstances which brought about tho retirement of Aliss Al. Speirs and Miss E. I'ariridge in the final oi the ladles’ doubles at the New Zealand championship tournament at Christchurch when air. \V. Goss intruded on the court; the rests allowed Miss Speirs between games by the umpire in her mutch with mass AfaVciarlaue; tho incompetence oi certain line umpires, some of whose decisions deprived Aliss Alacfarlauo ol most vital points at critical times; the charges made against the management ol the tournameut in connection with the time Aliss Speirs was put on to play the final of Hie ladies’ doubles (ovei; two hours after tho finish of her stnbles match with Aliss Alacfarlane); and substantially tjie same charges in connection with Dr. J. Laurenson’s and E. L. Bartleet’s doubles match following closely on Laurenson’s singles game with Bartleet, are matters of national importance. They concern not only the tennis public, lint people who are interested in all forms of sport. Mr. D. Al. Kean, manager and reieree of the tournament, and secretary of the N.Z.L.T.A., has done well to make an official reply. This reply constitutes a most important document, and is as much the enunciation of a future policy as a defence against what is described as "fantastic allegations.” It is not my intention to traverse needlessly the ground so well covered by Air. Kean, but there are certain ob-

servations one is impelled to make in the interests of future tournaments. 1 was present at the tournament, and saw every move in th“ Aliss Speirs-Miss Alacfarlane match, the ladies’ doubles final, from which Miss Speirs and Miss E. Partridge retired, and the match between Dr. J. Laurenson and E. L. Bartleet, and the former’s subsequent retirement after having lost the first two sets and being down 4—l in the third. Laurenson was party to an agreement with Bartleet to play their singles at 1 o’clock, and had also arranged with J. C. Peacock, who, with N. R. C. Wilson was to play Bartleet and Laurenson, to play the doubles match at a certain time (stated) after the singles. That arrangement was well understoor. Laurenson chose to break it by coming 55 minutes late. Surely after that he deserved no consideration. A tournament is not run for one man, and Laurenson by arriving late put lai fixtures made on the basis that his match would be played to time, out. It is one of the cardinal rules of any sport that the contestants be on time.

The question whether or no Laurenson was fit to take the court against Bartleet, or, with Bartleet in the doubles against Peacock and Wilson, was no concern of tho management. Players who enter tournaments of this class are expected to be .fit. If they are not, and have no desire to make exhibitions of themselves, then they ought to scratch. Laurenson chose to play his singles and deny Bartleet the victory by retiring after having kept him waiting nearly an hour over the time appointed to start. It does not require much thought to see on whom censure should fall.

No tournament can afford tq have a repetition of the Laurenson incident, and it is to be hoped the management will exercise its power of scratching if a player holds up the tournament aS Laurenson did on that day. In tho Miss Speirs-Miss Alacfarlane match the umpire (as I had no hesitation in telling him so afterwards) was far too lenient in his control of the game, and Aliss Speirs availed herself of that leniency to retire to a line umpire’s box (he got up to allow her to sit down) and wash her face and hands, and take refreshment, while .Miss Afacfariaue waited on the backline either to serve or receive service. I was not surprised when Air. Kean camo and informed the umpire that those tactics were not permissible under the lules. His intervention had only a temporary benefit. I say definitely that the umpire would have been quite justified in disqualifying her, as the rule "play shall be continuous” was not being observed by her. At the championships umpires cannot bo too strict. They are, however, inclined to be too tolerant, and, very often, the greater the player the greater the tolerance. The rules are strict enough, but it is the lack of courage to apply them in their legitimate strictness that the fault; lies. No umpire should for a single instant allow a player to keep an opponent waiting as Aliss Macfarlane was kept waiting. The delays even between points were noticeably long. This match also raises tho question of line umpiring. I have said that vital points were lost to Aliss Alacfarlane at critical times by incompetent linesmen. That was also admitted to me by the umpire in a conversation with him. "I saw the balls wore well out over the sideline,” ho said, “but in the absence of a call from my line umpires, I could not give the ball other than good.” Surely this is a position calling for some plain dealing. It certainly savours of tho Quixotic if a central umpire can record a ball good which he knows to be well out, because an incompetent linesman has not 'called. Incredible as it may seem, it was yet true that chalk flew up many times on the service line on service, and the service lines man called it a fault. “I knew the ball was good,” said the umpire to me, “but I could not call against my linesman.” It was subsequently ascertained that the linesman thought that all balls to be good had to fall inside the line. For the appointment of such intelligent umpires as these the Canterbury Association is blameworthy. Never again must there be a repetition of this sort of umpiring and line umpiring; not; must the rest be allowed to extend beyond the allotted ten minutes until it reaches to almost twenty minutes. In this respect I do not intend to try and apportion the blame as between the two ladies. .Suffice to say neither was ready at the end of the ten minutes. , Now, as to the ladies’ doubles. Miss Speirs had quite two and a half hours’ interval between the end of her singles match and the start of the final of the ladies’ doubles. That surely is a sufficiently long interval for anyone competing in championship tennis where physical fitness counts for so much. It is important to remember in connection with this final match that it was Aliss .Partridge and not Aliss Speirs xvlio was making most of tho mistakes which enabled Airs. R. P. Adams and Aliss Al. Tracy to win the first set and lead in the second before Air. AV. Goss interfered and spoke to Miss Speirs. It is pertinent to observe that Air. Goss did not ask permission of the umpire, nor did ho volunteer any explanation to him, or apologise to Mrs. Adams and Miss Tracy. Nor did ho wait to the end of a game. His interefereuce came, in the middle of a game, which Canterbury ultimately last, giving the Wellington pair a 2—l lead Mr. Goss, after speaking to Aliss Speirs. retired towards the corner, where he and a group of men had been standing while the players changed ends. Before a ball iii the new game had boon served. Mr. Goss ran down along the side of (ho court, and a second time spoke _to Aliss Speirs. He. Miss Speirs, and Afiss artridge went to the net, and there they were joined by Airs. Adams and Miss. Tracv. A few minutes later Mr. ({. N. Goldie arrived on the scene. His arrival was most opportune. He ' ,: d not co down until he had no other option. Mis recognised position in Wellington tennis admiriistralio corned him the right to see that fair play was assured to the Wellington pair. He tiiade it known that if tho Canterbury pair left the court at that stage, then il must bo for good. General handshakes next followed, and nlayers and men retired from flic court. The possibility of an incident such as this recurring must be effectively guarded against for the future. No spectator (and that is what Mr. Goss was at that time) has anv right to interfere with tho nrogress of a match. Tho question of fitness, as I have already stated, is one for the players theuiselves.

Miss Speirs at the time cf the retirement was very active, and was playing a better game than Miss Partridge. These unpleasant incidents could have been avoided, but they can in no way be laid at the door of the management as represented by Air. D. AL. Kean. The facts as to times are correct, and can be verified (as I have verified them) from Ids record sheets. People may see what, courts were most, used on each day, who played ou them, and when each match started and finished. In not one single instance can it be said that a player was rushed from one court to another. Tho shortest interval was Laurenson’s, and that was due to bis own fault in arriving so late. Tho greatest courtesy and consideration to all players, and, T might add, the Press representatives, was shown by Mr. Kean right throughout. Players and public, and critics must realise that a tennis championship means the survival of the fittest, quite as much in a physical sense as in any other sense. SENIOR GRADE INTERCLUB MATCHES Outstanding incidents in the seniorgrade inter-club matches on Saturday were— T. Rhodes Williams’s revenge over G. N. T. Goldie lor a defeat sustained in the provincial trial matches. On Saturday Williams won 6—l, 6—2. W. G. Morgan’s decisive win over C. E. Scott, 6—l, 6—l, amt W. J. Hay’s victory over Forbes, 6—4, 6 —4. All the Victorian University ladies were beaten in singles and doubles. A noteworthy effort was N. R. C. Wilson's defeat of A. L. France after France won the first set 6—o and led 3 —o in tho second set. It would seem as though Wilson's enforced rest from tennis, first because of an injured ankle, and then in camp, has been beneficial to his tennis. D. G. France gave J. AlcGill little quarter. T. Ward must consider himself as having done well in taking the first set off N. A. Foden and forcing him to 7 —5 in tho third set. Brougham Hill ladies completely outclassed Miramar Ground ladies in singles and doubles. In a total of four singles matches the Brougham Hill ladies lost only five games, Airs. Penlington getting only one game from Aliss Tracy, Airs. Campbell three from Airs. Adams. Mrs. Brown none from Aliss North, and Aliss Tucker one from Miss Williams. Aliss Tracy and Airs. Adams lost the first set in ’ the doubles match against Afcsdames Penlington and Campbell. Foden and AlcGill forced D. G. France and D. Dobie to B—6 in the third set of the men’s doubles after winning the first set. Except that C. Collins took a set of H. Burns, Wellington men were no match for Thorndon men. and with the exception that Aliss Sheppard beat Aliss St Preedy, the same was true of tlie ladies in their singles. It was a good performance of Airs. Murphy and Afiss Carr to take players of the 'quality of Aliss Whyte and Miss Alnntell to 6—5, 6—5. Thorndon lost only one match of the 16 played. The Trial Matches. Tn my last week’s notes on the trial matches an error was made in recording that Aliss F. North beat Aliss AL Williams, 6—3, B—G. This ought to have read Aliss F. North beat Airs. G. Penlington. 6—3. B—6. The corrected results thus show that Airs. Penlington played in three trial matches, and lost all three. Lacoste on Borotra and Footfaults. When the French tennis team was here, I made reference to Borotra’s habit of footfaulting, and was informed in certain quarters that I ought to have overlooked his failing in view of the leniency with which footfaulting is treated in the Continent of Europe. Aly remarks, I was told, although they would have been just and proper did they have reference to Englishmen, Australians, or Now Zealanders, were "in bad taste,” when the subject of the structures were “our French visitors.”

Lacoste has made some illuminating remarks on Borotra’s service, and his habit of footfaulting. "Borotra," he says, "starts with a series of fatiguing movements that do not tend to put the weight of his body on the ball, and with nearly a full stance. Both his service and that of Cochet resemble much more a plain smash with tho racket. It must, however, he said that, in fact, Borotra’s service, which looks relatively weak, is much more effective than one would expect it to be. “The most annoying and depressing form of (service) fault is the footfault. To drag or swing your foot too soon across tlie line seems an exasperatingly small mistake for you to use your whole stroke as the result of it. Yet, if properly considered, it is evident that a footfault is as serious as any other form of fault. If it were not for the rule against footfaults, a server might advance to a position so close to the net that it would make return of service impossible. The rule, therefore, is necessary, and. like all rules, should, in the interests of the game, be strictly applied. . . . • Since every player knows that the rule against footfaulting exists, and ought to be applied, it is a little difficult to understand why footfault should be made at all. . . . The only players, in fact, who are in danger of footfaulting are those whose object is to get to the net immediately after service, like Borotra, or those who, in serving, lift the right foot, like Mlle. Lenglen; although in her case the danger is much less and the occurrence far more rare. . . The only constant danger of footfaulting is in the player who, in his eagerness to get forward as soon as possible, moves his position during service. “This is what Borotra does. He starts on his left foot, then moves to his right, then to his left again,, drawing his feet forward with every movement. That is to say, while serving he takes n step forward and therefore always risks footfaulting. The number of footfaults called against him during his match with me in the final at Wimbledon (192 G aroused comment in England, but he was in reality very much more hampered in this way in 1924 in America. "The only substantial difficulty connected with footfaulting lies in the application of the rule against it. This would be speedily overcome if the rule were uniformly applied in different countries and in all matches. So long as umpires and linesmen allow excessive latitude to a prominent player on his home courts, or in the earlier matches of a tournament where he is playing opponents that everyone knows he is bound to beat, friction will occur when the footfault rule is put into practice against him elsewhere, or iu a critical match. He will then have got into the habit of taking an undue risk of footfaulting, and will probably feel aggrieved when he is pulled up for going over the line. His grievance is a genuine one, but it is a grievance against the frequently lax application of a necessary rule. "I do not myself believe_ there is so much difficulty as is sometimes alleged in determining whether a footfault has been committed or not. Tho best plan is probably the appointment, common in America, of a special footfault umpire, who crosses the court with lhe service and does nothing else but watch for footfaults. This ensures the rule being evenly applied to both players in a match, ami eliminates the possibility of caprice or faddiness tn particular linesmen.” It. will bo noted that the assumption is that, in England and on the Continent footfaulting is the province of tho linesmen, as it is hero in New Zealand.

Wilding Shield Teams. To-morrow and Friday Wellington will defend the Wilding Shield, which they won from Canterbury last year by the narrow margin of two sets, against a Canterbury challenge. Canterbury is sending its strongest teaffl, in ap jtf-

fort to regain the shield. The teams are annouliced as:— Wellington.—D. G. France, C. E. Alalfroy, A. L. France, N. R. C. Wilson. Canterbury.—G. Ollivier, 1. A. Seay, C. Angas, K. J. Walker. All the members of the Wellington team, with the exception of Alalfroy, have represented New Zealand. Alalfroy, however, was selected as the best junior in New Zealand to play C. Boussus, the best French junior, when the French team, J. Borotra, J. Brugnon, and C. Boussus, were in the Dominion. Of the Canterbury team both G. Ollivier (seven times New Zealand champion) and I. A. Seay have represented New Zealand. Seay beat A. L. France in the Wellington provincial championship, but was decisively defeated by D. G. France in the final. In the New Zealand championships N. G. Sturt beat him. Alalfroy beat S'eay in the New Zealand championships at Auckland in 1926, amt this year has victories over Bartleet and Sims in Wilding Shield matches, and took Bartleet to five sets in Christchurch during last New Zealand chumpionships. D. G. France is now playing at the top of his form, whereas when he met Ollivier at Christchurch he was suffering from influenza. A. L. France played a gruelling fiveset match with J. Laurenson in the New Zealand championships, but has had little opportunities for really con sistent hard practice since then. Last Saturday he was beaten by N. R. C. Wilson in the senior grade interclub matches. N. R. C. Wilson has had an erratic season. Ho was defeated in the New Zealand championships by N. G. Sturt (Auckland), and in the New Zealand Plate final by Angas after ho had beaten Knott. In the Wilding Shield match against Auckland he was beaten by Sturt, and he beat Knott. In the Taranaki chainpionships ho unfortunately injured his ankle when playing in the final against Bartleet. Ollivier has seldom been a very reliable performer in Wilding Shield matches, although last year ho beat both Andrews and Wilson when Canterbury unsuccessfully defended the shield. C. Angas is a junior who is finding his way quickly into the front rank. He is still unable to displace Seay, who now plays a very cool and steady game. K. J. Walker is a hard-hitting fighter who always forces the issue. Money From Tennis. The total revenue provided bv the Eastbourne tennis courts which are run by the Eastbourne Borough Council is £l9l 4s. 9d. to date, stated the Mayor (Mr. H. At. Jones) ou Afonday night. The revenue for the same period last year was ~£lBB. The courts will remain open for another six weeks.