LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 138, 7 December 1929, Page 24

LAWN TENNIS

Mr "HukaTHE CHAMPIONSHIPS

NATIONAL MEETING

TO TAKE PLACE AT MffiAMAR

(By "Huka.")

Owing to the wet week there was no grass-court play last Saturday on the association's courts at Miramar. The raia was really a blessing in disguise, as the courts badly needed a thorough soaking, and the benefit will be seen later ou in tho season. The entry forms for the Wellington championship should be in circulation shortly. These events will be played in January, the week before the National Meeting, which is also being played at the association's ground at Miramar. The Wellington Association is not staging a tournament at Christmas-1 time, but the Miramar ground members' championships are to be played this month. The usual five championships will take place, the first round commencing on Saturday, 14th December. Entries close with W. Stirling secretary, 86, Monro street, Seatoun, on Monday, and the draw will be postec in the pavilion next Thursday. Senior Championship. The match between the Brougham Hill and Thorudon senior teams was not played owing to the grass courts not being available. The winner of this particular contest is likely to be the winner of the senior event, and the Brougham Hill Club, the present holders of the event, appears to still have a firm hold of this particular championship. One often wonders if the junior players ever watch the senior players in action with the idea of observing how they make their strokes, and especially as to their footwork. The writer has- of late observed some promising juniors who could improve their strokes almost fifty per cent, provided they studied the play of some of the senior players of Wellington. Quite a number of these juniors stand facing the net, both for fore and back-hand strokes, instead of turning to the right for the forehand and to the left for the backhand. They also invariably stand about a yard inside of the base line to receive the return of service, and if a good length return comes their way they are too far back to volley it and too close in to play it off the ground. National Championships. Big tennis, will be seen on the Wellington Association's ground at Miramar during the latter part of January as the New Zealand championships are to be played there, starting on Monday, 27th January, and continuing for the whole week. It is a trifle early yet to state who will be paired for the doubles, but Noel Wilson will play with Stedman (Auckland), and Sturt, another Aucklander, may play with Angas (Canterbury). The above pairs will • take some beating. The present holders of the men's national doubles are Bartleet and Laurenson. The Maori Association is already on the move in an endeavour to send a good team of both sexes to the gathering. E. Howell, the young Maori ■ champion, is a certainty, and he will play with his brotheir in the doubles. "They won the doubles championship at the last Maori championship meeting. Miss Newton, the present lady champion, and Mrs. Kiri Swan, may also be'available. W. M'Kay, a Eugby three-quarter, who played a great game when the Maori and Pakeha football teams met at Athletic Park during the winter, is also eager to gain experience by playing at the New Zealand championships. Maori players are excellent sports, and play the game for the sheer love 3f playing. They should be a welcome addition to the entries. Big entries are expected for the boys' and girls' New Zealand championships events, and inquiries have already been coming to hand concerning the junior events from many parts of the Dominion. These young players are the most important competitors at the National Meeting, and it is upon them that the governing, body will have to depend for the future of the game, and to the credit of the New Zealand Association. Young players at a New Zealand meeting get tho same consideration as adult players. Budding Champions. Tennis enthusiasts of the Empire City should have no cause for doubt as to the popularity of the sport at the present time, or the scarcity of tennis champions in the future, when the public schools* championships, which aro being run off this, month, are able to draw over one thousand entries. The school children are this year full of enthusiasm, just as school competitors of former years have been, but tfiis season there are more of them. It is interesting to note that the public schools' championships were started twenty-six years ago with just over. 100 entries, which was considered good for the opening tournament. Now it has grown considerably, and the entries are ten times what they were in 1903. Entries are restricted for the present tournament, each school being limited to ten competitors, otherwise the entry list would have been much bigger. Even though limited in this manner,, it is a heavy task for those running the meeting to provide sufficient courts as well as umpires for the opening day, and another 16 hard courts aro urgently needed at Miramar. .If twenty citizens of Wellington would each take up a life membership of £100, those bad-ly-needed courts could be in working order by Easter-time, and what a blessing it would be for public school championships of the future. Mr. Melody and his band of assistants had a big task before them on Saturday, but the courts were kept well filled, and by the time that play was stopped excellent progress had been made with firstround matches, and somo Beeond-round matches were also' disposed of. Some 28 schools were represented, which speaks for itself, and it was a great sight to sec the grounds, crowded with happy children all eager to do their best for their respective schools. The successful running of such tournaments is a big task which requires many helpers. To provide umpires is a job in itself, and tennis players who are able to give the time should go to the ground and oiler their services. Titahi Club. The Titahi Club, which has its ground at Titahi, Bay, has had its three courts top-dressed recently, and the new playing surface has given great satisfaction to members. It is the intention of the committee to hold a mixed doubles competition during the Christmas holidays, Wairarapa Association. The fourth annual general meeting of the Wairarapa Association was held recently. The association -has the same number of clubs as last year, but the committee has made an appeal to tho affiliated clubs that they should use every endeavour to induce non-af-filiatea clubs to join.the association, as by so doing they will not only strengthen tho local association as regards the number of its members, but will give the association additional representation upon the New Zealand Association. This season tho association s teams are due to play Hawkes Bay and Mnnawatu away from homo \\anganui and Wellington teams arc also due to play matches at Masterton against the Wairarapa representatives.