LAWN TENNIS

Evening Star, Issue 19799, 24 February 1928, Page 12

LAWN TENNIS

[By Rkcoedeb.]

FIXTURES. February 24.—Wellington t. Canter* bury (Wilding Shield). February 2oth.—Wellington v. Canterbury (interprovincial), Otago r. Southland, at Dunedin. March 3.—Otago v. Canterbury, at Christchurch. March s.—Otago v. South Canterbury, at Timaru. March.—Otago v. North Otago, at Oamaru; North Otago v. Southland, at Dunedin. Easter.—Otago championships, at Dunedin; Canterbury championships, at Christchurch; New Zealand University tournament, at Wellington. The Southland team to play Otago tomorrow is as follows:—Messrs Sumpter, Deaker, Lindsay, Diack, Hughes, and Johnstone, Misses Watson, Melvin, Mrs Williamson, Mrs Latta, Mrs Chatres, and Miss Mahoney. Of the men Sumpter, Deaker, and Lindsay are old friends, who have many times played against Otago. Diack is better known as an Otago and Southland football representative, and is. playing tennis for his province for the first time. Hughes is another newcomer, while Johnstone is another Otago and Southland football representative. Sumpter and Bray should have a good match, and the Southland player will make it very interesting if ho is on his smash. Old opponents will meet when Lindsay goes on to the court against M'Dougall. The Southland man understates his game when he puts himself down as a third-class player and a first-class runner, but it is safe to say that tin Otago man will keep him on the mov< to-morrow. Of the visiting ladies Misses Melvin Mrs Williamson, Mrs Chatres, and Misl Mahoney have played in Dunedin before. Miss Melvin, well known as a hockey player, gave a good exhibition against Otago last year, and also played well against North Otago. Miss Mahoney plays a better double than single, and one expects her to do well in her doubles matches to-morrow. Misses Rein and Guest will be missed from the visitors’ team. The ladies’ games should bo fairly evenly divided, but the Otago men should establish a lead Hi their matches, and this should give victory to the home team._ Bray regained first position on the Otago Club ladder during the week by defeating Fulton in a challenge match, 4-6, C-3, 6-3. _ Misses Y. Nichols, King, and G. Manchester, of the North Otago team, are probable competitors at the Easter tournament.

North Otago hopes to play Southland in Dunedin some time next month. Oamaru won this match last year, and with an excellent ladies’ team this year looks like repeating the performance. If, however, Southland can get her strongest team away, an interesting match should result. Miss Rein (Invercargill), who has not been playing for some months, is reported to bo on the courts again, and hopes to be available for the North Otago match. In tho recent Australian championships G. L. Patterson was expected to extend the Frenchmen, but he retired to Schlesinger in third round, when behind at 2 sets to 1, owing to a blistered heel. Cummings reached the final after a series of long matches, and had the selection of the Davis Cup team been delayed till after the championships he must have stood a chance of inclusion. In the fourth round he defeated Kalins, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 8-6, 6-1, and in the semi-final Schlesinger 6-1. 6-4, 2-6, 8-6. In the final he extended an admittedly weary Borotra to five sets, the Frenchman winning, 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 6-7, 6-3. In the semi-final Borotra beat Crawford in what was described as the finest tennis match seen in Australia in this generation, the visitor winning, 4-6, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, 6-4. “ Auestral,” in tho ‘Referee,’ says that “in Jack Crawford we have, as Borotra has stated, a future champion of the world. If he can, at nineteen, extend the man who has in the last four years worked ms way to the final of the English championship, winning it twice, and to the American championship final, only succumbing to Lacoste, then what may Crawford not do in the next few years. He needs no apology for his defeat. While there was no incident of hard luck against Crawtord, ho got within two points of victory when he reached 54 and deuce in tho fourth set against Borotra. A great passing shot . just missed, otherwise he may have achieved a feat that would have ranked him in the world’s greatest trio. As it is (says “Austral”), he stands fourth m tho world’s ranking lot, and has once more placed Australia in that list, l ine player as Crawford is, the Australian critics are going too far when they say the colt is in the world’s first lour. The three Frenchmen —Lacoste, Coche./, and Borotra —are certainly ahead of him, and it is absurd to think that America possesses no players capable of defeating him. To be classed in the world’s first ten is creditable enougli lor a boy of nineteen. Let us not be blinded by onr enthusiasm for an admittedly wonderful player. . In the doubles the French pair Borotra and Brugnon won comfortably, defeating Willard and Moon in Hie final. The losers had previously eliminated Patterson and Hawkes. Another favored pair in Crawford and Hopman had their colors lowered by Schlesinger a l l Wertheira. An unfortunate incident occurred in tho mixed doubles event, Hawkes and Miss Boyd being forced to scratch in order to catch the Melbourne express. It seems that Borotra had had a hard match in both singles and doubles, and would not play in the mixed doubles event tho previous day. Courtesy to visitors is expected and accorded, but it is going too far to scratch the holders because one of the visitors is too weary to play a match that was set down for a certain time. Borotra and Miss Akhurst won the final from Brugnon and Mrs Harper, 6-0, 3-6, G-3. At the end of this match Borotra rushed up and gallantly kissed the hand of his partner. Immediately afterwards a bevy of boys and girls rusbed the arena and fairly mobbed Borotra for his autograph. Some got it in autograph books, others on scraps of paper, while one lady insisted on using a 10s note. The Frenchman stood signing for ten minutes, smiling gallantly, and did not leave till all were satisfied: then he jumped the fences like a mad schoolboy and off to his long-delayed shower. In the unfinished A grade match between Kaituna and Moana the former club was leading by 8 sots to 7, and needed but four games in tli£ : unplayed mixed double to win the match. Faced with the task of winning 9-3 or better, Gale and Mrs Guy played excellent ten nix to defeat Phillips and Mrs M'Kellar 9-1. Gale dominated the game, both the Kaituna players being unable to keep the ball away from him at the net. Mrs Guy. was very steady, and her sound lobbing tactics gave ’ Phillips few chances to volley. Moana thus* won an interesting match by 3 games, sets being even. As the University terra commence# early in March the unplayed matches! University v. Otago and University v. Valiev will no doubt be played on March 10 and 17 if possible. The University team is so far unbeaten, and if it can get wins in these two matches it will be the winner of the A grade banner for the 1927-28 season. In an Australian paper it was reported that Bohotra in making volley# occasionally rested tho head of the racket on the ground, thereby gaining more control. Though possible, it seem# unlikely that a ! player would do this deliberately, for one does not gain much by it. ! Probably Borotra* m

stretching out for a difficult volley, rested the head of the racket on the ground in his effort, and the critic received the impression that it urns done with a purpose. V. E. Page seems to have played a fine game against Hopman in the Australian championships. Accustomed to attacking the backhand court, Hopman apparently could not change his tactics against the left-hander, and came out worst in many driving duels. Page served finely, but was weak overhead, his ground strokes, however, comparing quite favorably with those of Hopman. If New Zealand is relying on Andrews. Young, and Peacock for representation in the Davis Cup matches then it is a pity an entry was made this year. Unless a singles player can be sent to play second string to Andrews, little good can come of New Zealand’s latest venture into international lawn tennis. A great effort should be made to send Bartleet away if he can spare the time. With Andrews and Bartleet for the singles and Bartleet and Peacock as the doubles combination New Zealand would have practically her strongest team in tho field. On Saturday a team of twelve ladies and gentlemen from tho Balmacewen Tennis Club motored to Waikouaiti to play its sixth annual match against the local'club. Tho day was ideal for tennis. and tho local club (which undoubtedly is an enthusiastic one) put up a very good performance. Two very promising young players in the country club are Misses Carson and Douglas. Roth of these ladies with good attention to the game are capable'of much improvement. The local club, as usual, entertained the visitors in a right royal manner, and Mr M'Millan. on behalf of the visitors, thanked them for their genuine hospitality, congratulated them on their two fine courts, and assured them or a warm welcome on a return match in town. Results of ladies’ challenge matches are as follow:—Miss Hart challenged and beat Miss Finch, 9-7: Miss Ramsay challenged and lost to Miss Anderson, 9-3; Mrs Mills challenged and lost to Mrs M’Kellar, 9-7; Miss Todd challenged and beat Mrs Mills, 9-4; Miss Sherriff challenged and beat Mrs Mills, 9-2; Mesdames Parker and M'Kellar challenged and lost to Mrs Roydhouse and Miss Anderson, 9-5.