LAWN-TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 92, 15 October 1932, Page 20

LAWN-TENNIS

BY "Drive"

. RANKING GAMES -

THE NET-CORD BATTLE

DAVIS CUP DISPUTE

The new season, beginning so, promisingly last month, is now well launched, and players are limbering up :for the big events which will co^ne. along later in tho piayiug year. In thp meantime it is satisfactory to be able to record that the Wellington. Association at its meeting this week discussed -'the comments in this column last jSatUrday and determined -to reconsider the system of challenge matches for tho Wellington ranking list. No expression of opinion made at the meeting, enabled one to form an idea, of how the committee will finally decide, but it is satisfying to realise that the system is to have the benefit of criticism and that while the association is naturally not unanimous there ar6 members who realise that last year's method was not endorsed by, leading players. /;. .' ■;.;/:;■., Radio Talks. '~.. '■ " ' The pubiicity committee of the Wellington Lawn-Tennis Association,, with considerable promptness, has- arranged! a series of radio talks to be given", byt well-known persons' later in the year.: These are to commence on 26th October i with a lecture by Mr; J. A. B. Howb on "The-Organisation of Clubs;" and will be followed ,at weekly intervals by other lectures. On 2nd NovemberMiss E. Travers, an outstanding pjayer of past years, is to lecture on "Women's Tennis," v and on 9th November Mr. E. C. AVearne will'! talk on "The Eules of Tennis." Oii 16th November Mr. W. J. Melody is to speak on "The History of Tennis and the Davis Cup," and on 23rd November Mr. N. B. C. Wilson, present New Zealand doubles champion and Wellington champion, will describe "Stroke Production." On 30th November Mr. G. N. Groldie, who' recently " toured England, will give an address on "Overseas Tennis and Players."' The subjects, it will be seen, cover/a widei range and will afford instruction to many players. The Net-Cord. ' : Once more the net-cord is under fire. The Australian Lawn Tennis Association and the New Zealand "body have both received circulars from the International Association asking their ! opinion -upon this much-discussjed. matter, and the question will bo considered by the Nejv Zealand Association at its next quarterly meeting. . The attack on. the net-cord Is of German^ origin, arid was made at the last meet-, ing of the International Association, whSre there was some lively discussion but where members felt a natural reluctance/to alter the rules without discovering- the weight of opinion for-or against the move. 1 * "'■■/■•' There is-little doubt that the;.netcord presents a major difficulty in tennis./ It is the greatest element of luck in the game, and_it has a habit of favouring one player / more than another. The man who can play a lifting drive, that is, the player who can hit up the back of the ball applying topspin, will always possess an advantage tover his rivals, -~i or his shots have a tendency to climb over the net band when jliey strike it anywhere near the wire, an,d even run up from the bottom of the band at times when the spin is great enough..' In addition the shot leaves practically no hope of retrieving it, and is a gift to the lucky/, player iyho strikes.'the''baU. . i \. ' '.Jvr ; Bad Effect^- ""■ ''■■ . ' 'o%\ - : iln hard-fought matches the alftcird! can be very unsettling, and wfiett it' happens at game-point it is dlyaStatT , ing in its' effect. Logically^i.^gfEe^ net-cord appears to be unsqun'd^Sfdr *a (service which strikes the net is played I again^ and yet after the ball is in play [a man is free to snick the net as often as luck will let him. \ \ ■ At the same time there.,is,no doubt that the net-cofd: adds some'colour: to the game, and infuses in it that element; of luck which helps to-ma,ke ■ tennis uncertain and its scores extraordinarily varied. For reason one would' regret the passing ,of the net-cord, though conscious that this attitude is born of nothing save conservatism and that ultimately the net-cord is bound to go. '/"■■■ The Davis Cup. ' The battle after the sDavis Cud appears to be as serious as the co"ntest itself. The French, of course,' prepared the way by goiiig back home after seeing Vines in action at -Wimbledon and relaying the whole/surface of the centre court at Eoland Garrod for the sole purpose of slowirig up the American champion's shots. But the uproar which followed the victory of Borotra over' Wilnier Allison quite [drowned any comngnt upon this little : act of sportsmanship. There appears to .be a considerable : volume of opinion that Allison beat I Borotra. The controversy, of course, centres around the famous second service'made by tho' Frenchman when Allison held match point. Allison had outplayed Borotra up to that stage and the Frenchman changed his shoes several times (incidentally infringing the rule that play must be continuous) in the effort to gain a. "foothold which' | would give him confidence. At match point Borotra's service fell outside the": line. Or so Allison thought, and ho struck the ball far beyond the sideline I and turned toward the'line, umpire,| waiting for him'to make the call which would allow the "United States to tie the~score at 2-all, • with-Vines yet to j meet Cochet. But the line umpire did not call, and Allison, robbed of what he thought a deserved victory, crumpled i up. He lost the next point and the match, and went off the court feeling that h© had won, though he refused to comment on the matter. Borotra, asked his opinion, frankly said that 'he thought the'ball was in, and referred-to several doubtful-decisions which had benefited Allison early in the match. But there seemed to be unanimity amongst those on the side to see that the ; .ball had gone over ■■ the line, and one French sporting paper admitted it. That'iincident will be debated for years to come. .* : Training Juniors. When T. S. Williams was appointed coach to the .Wellington Lawn Tennis Association one of the- provisions in the terms drawn up between the association and Williams was that he should devote 20 hours a season to the coaching of promising juniors selected by the association. At the meeting of the management committee of the association this week Mr. J. L. Mac Duff suggested that' the ■ champions of the schools_should be selected for a few hours' coaching each. It was pointed but that six players could bo coached for six hours each. A member „ drew attention ot the fact that there were some promising players in the girls' colleges, and they should be included in the coaching scheme. It was decided .that junjpr players should be selected for coaching.