LAWN TENNIS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 88, 15 April 1911, Page 14

LAWN TENNIS.

(By "Huka.") Easter is here, but everything is quiet in Wellington — no tournament to keep officials awake at night and harassed by day. Yet, after all, we miss the usual Easter excitement. Mr. Keen is trying to fill the gap by running one-day tournaments at Day's Bay — just little informal affairs to meet the wishes of enthusiasts. Wanganui, Eotorua, Dunedin, and Christchurch are busy with their meetings, but very few Wellington players have entered for any of the gatherings. NEWTOWN CLUB. The final of the Newtown Club's handicap (combined) was won by Miss Veitch and Morris (rec. 8), who beat Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay (scratch). ELECTEIC LIGHT TOURNAMENT. The second electric light tournament run by the Brougham Hill Tennis Club on Tuesday night was a big success. Nearly all the competitors were in fancy dress. Miss Pearson (harem skirt) took the ladies' prize for best costume, and Mr. Butcher (wild Scotchman) the gentlemen's prize. The win of little Miss Davis and Mr. Arden was most popular. They receive 10 points out of 15, but had to work hard for their wins right through. Some of the costumes were very good — Harem skirt, Japanese ladies, Irish colleen, "Night," Dutch girls, fortune-teller, "good news," "magpie," "Merry Widow," nurses. 'The Post and a little "supplement" were noticeable amongst the ladies, whilst some of the men were good in the following characters : — A wild Scotchman, a Chinese Consul, a masher, nigger minstrels, footballers, boundary rider, baby (very good), and others. WELLINGTON CLUB. Th© final of the ladies' handicap singles of the Wellington Club was played during the week. Miss E. Williams (rec. 5) beat Mrs. Goldie (rec. 7), 50 — 33. When the handicaps came out, and after Miss Travers had retired, j the winner was tipped by the writer to wii? the event easily. Still, Miss WilJ liams showed splendid form in the final, whereas her opponent hardly played as well as usual. The men's event rests between M'Caui and Eothenberg. At time of writing it is not known when the final will be played. THORNDON CLUB. The final of the ladies' handicap doubles was won by Misses Nunneley and Butterworth (owe 40). The first set was a complete runaway for the scratch pair— in fact, the losers only scored four or five strokes. Miss Nunneley has played most consistently, not only in her club events, but generally this season. In the handicap events of the Thorndon Club she has been owing heavily at all times, but handicappers should bear in mind that owing odds does not trouble a good player nearly so much as having to meet an opponent who is receiving odds. With, say, a champion player owing 30, and another player on scratch, the champion may win every time, but place the champion on scratch and the other player at receive 30, then the other player has a much better chance. The writer does not believe in the owed odds; it would be much better to make separate classes for the players, and play the winners off in senior and junior classes — if originally there were more than two classes — doing away with the owed odds as much as possible. With a player like Miss Nunneley, owed odds matters little, as the writer has seen her win 20 strokes and over in succession against an ordinary player, she knowing full well that her opponent could not make the necessary points to win. But place the ordinary player on -a mark that is within easy distance for winning, and then- champion players cannot risk a single shot, whereas the ordinary player can go for hVr shot every time, or should do so if she wishes to win. It is hard to bring a champion player and ,the ordinary player together with any real fair chance to both, in a handicap. The writer remembers well once handicapping a champion player and another, giving the latter such a start that she only had to win three strokes for game. As it turned out, the champion player was beaten by one poinv, the stroke that did it being a net-cord one. Yet on such handicapping players would say, •"Just fancy giving a player such a start; only had to get three strokes to win." But if that player had had a point less she would have lost. So what is a handicapper to do, when all players are expected to get an equal chance? HUTT CLUB .EVENTS. The final of the Hutt Club ladies' champion singles has for the second time in succession been won by Mrs. Wagg, who beat Miss G. Foster, 9—6, in the final last week. Mrs. Wagg (scratch) was also successful in the handicap singles, beating Miss G. Foster (rec. 5), '50—38, in the final. WINTER INTEREST. Now that the clubs are siowjy, but surely, getting the champion events off, it would not be a bad idea to try and bring about a champion of champions event. It could be run in two classes, the winners to play off. It would keep the interest up during the winter, and, if the men will not try it, the ladies might set the example. If such cannot be brought about, perhaps some go-ahead club will hold an invitation singles and doubles during the winter. A dozen good ladies could be brought together, and the exhibition would be of benefit to the less proficient players. FISHER AT ADELAIDE. Although F. M. B. Fisher had two successes at the Adelaide tournament winning the men's .doubles with H. A. Parker and the combined with Miss Stewart — it would almost appear that his partners pulled him through. An Adelaide exchange says : — "Fisher's form was execrable in the first four sets against Addison and Barnard, and Parker practically had to play both Victorians by himself. He did "this successfully enough to carry the scores to two sets all, and then Fisher roused himself. Parker and he beat the tired Victorians 6^-2 in the fifth set. After one of Fisher's weak returns, when he hit the ball under the net, Parker was heard to address him thus : 'Heavens, man, don't hit the ball along the ground. We're -playing tennis here, not croquet,' and Fisher deserved the admonition." One can just fancy seeing Fisher doing as described, for he is a player who comes with a great burst of brilliancy, and then fades away, and gives a most appalling display of poor tennis. In fact, local players, failing to aptly describe Fisher's erracticalness, have coined a new tennis term by describing his peculiar in-and-out play as absolutely 'pussie." Addison and Barnard played Bowen and Barrett on the Friday, and th© match was adjourned, owing to fading light, with th© scores standing at 5—7, 11—9, 6—3, 4—6, and 6 all m the final. The whole match was re-played on the Saturday, wffen the former pair won, 6—4, 14 — 16, 6—2, 6—o. After that they had to meet Parker and Fisher, and in the fourth set were withm an ace of victory by three sets to one, but sheer exhaustion kept them out. and the set was saved by Parker at B—6. But for the hard semi-final, it is more than probable that the Victorian pair would have won the final. ITEMS. Mka Williams, of the Wellington

Club, has gone South to play in the Canterbury championships. She has Mrs. Ballantyne for a partner in, the doubles and W Gees in the combined. She should win the singles, the doubles, and the combined championship. "Austral," in the Referee, of Sydney, has been challenged by Mr. G. A. Hury '*°i. Vf lin s ton - regarding the statement that Jast year's New Zealand Management Committee was defeated for offace. "Austral" replies that he repeated word for word information given him from what he still thinks was a most reliable source. He also adds that the information did not come from a Canterbury supporter or resident. Who eaid it did ( After getting Mr. Hurley's information that the members of the old committee were not defeated, as they declined nomination, "Austral" prefers to stand by his "still most reliable source. Austral" surely cannot call his source reliable when he has been supplied with absolutely fake information. He should clear the matter up, and will be challenged to do so. If "Austral" can obtain the permission of this mysterious person of such reliability to publish his name under the statement given "Austral." then the writer and no doubt all of those who were members of that committee, will be prepared to prove that the person supplied false information. "Huka" challenges "Austral" straight out on the question. The person who gave "Austral" the information should now come out and let one and all know who he is. Will he do so? He will if he is a sport. Now, who is he? One would be glad to hear that at any rate he is not- a New Zealander—much lees a Wellingtonian. Last, and not least, what motive had "Austral's" informant in supplying him with false information? INTER-ASSOCIATION MATCH. Southland played its first inter-as-sociation match just lately againsij Ot'ago, and won by 12 matches to 7; 30 ssts to 18; 246 games to 209. The match was played at Invercargill, and although the visiting team did not Tepresent the full playing strength of Otago, yet the win of the younger association was full of merit. The teams were each composed of four ladies and six men — singles, doubles," and combined being played. It is quite -likely that a return match will b& played, when, as Mr. Eustace Russell, the president of the Southland Association, remarked, "Otago would be given a chance to recover the 'ashes.' "