LAWN TENNIS

Evening Star, Issue 22465, 9 October 1936, Page 14

LAWN TENNIS

[By Recorder.] Club Openings. Ideal weather conditions prevailed last Saturday afternoon, when the majority of tennis clubs held their official openings. Mr W. R. Sinclair, the association president, had a busy afternoon visiting the various clubs. The Otago Club held a carnival to celebrate its opening and to help raise funds for the dub. Various side-shows and attractions were well patronised by visitors and players, and an enjoyable afternoon was spent by all. St. Kilda Club opened the season with a Yankee mixed doubles tourney, and from a good entry of 20 pairs the winners proved to he A. Lockhart and Miss M. Jolly, who defeated Mr A. Stevenson and Mrs C. J. Rawlinson in the final. Interclub Competition. The draw for the interclub matches has already been published, and a start will be made to-morrow with intermediate, B 1., and C I. competitions, the other grades commencing next Saturday. The following are the number of” teams allotted to the various grades:— A grade (men), 8; A grade (ladies), 7; intermediate section I. 8, section 11. 7; B 1., 10; B 11., 10; O 1., 8; and C 11., 8. Owing to the nominations of players for the Colts’ team not being of a sufficiently promising standard, it has been dropped from this season’s competition. The total number of teams from 25 clubs is 66, against 69 last year, and the Competitions Committee has had a big task in arranging matches for 500 odd players. It is interesting to note that the number of matches per team on home courts has worked out at a fraction less than two matches per team.

Owing to the large entry of 15 teams in the intermediate grade, it was found necessary to divide this grade into two sections. The section winners will play off to decide the shield winner. The main alteration in the rules governing matches is that in future intermediate grade matches will be;—Ladies’ singles, men’s singles, and men’s doubles, best of 17 games; ladies’ doubles and mixed doubles, best of 13 games. The ladies’ singles have thus been increased from best of 13 games to best of 17 games, and the mixed doubles reduced from best of 17 games to best of 13 games. Intermediate matches commence at 1 p.m. , The attention of A grade players is drawn to the following points regarding their matches:—Men’s matches, best of three sets, third set only advantage ; ladies’ matches, best of three sets, all short sets. A grade matches on club courts are to have the use of two courts from 1 .p.m. to 3 p.m., and one court only from 3 p.m. A grade men’s matches at Logan Park to have the use of three courts from 1 to 2.15 p.m. and one court thereafter. Ladies’ A grade matches to commence at 2.15 p.m. on the two courts vacated by the A grade men. Matches in the B and C grades are to commence at 1.30 p.m. In the event of a match being postponed or interrupted on account of bad weather, captains of teams must make mutual arrangements to play or complete the postponed or interrupted match during the following two weeks. In the case of interrupted matches, play shall commence from the point where it was discontinued. Association Ladder. Applications are now , being received from players wishing to go on the association’s provincial ladders, and these will close with Mr Grimsdale, Otago Sports Depot, on Saturday, October 17. The ladder will be open for challenges from Monday, October 19. N.S.W. Hard Court Championships. Vivian M'Grath marked his return to Australia by defeating Jack Crawford in the final of the New South Wales hard court championships. M'Grath’s form during the past sis months has given rise to much criticism in Australia, and most writers consider he has been going back. However, in these championships, M'Grath answered his critics in decisive manner. He never looked like losing, and his two-handed backhand worked beautifully. Crawford started by winning his own service, and then M'Grath took charge and ran out at 6-1. M'Grath continued his devastating form in the second set and immediately ran to 2 love. Craw-: ford, however, was not to be denied, and by brilliant play took the score to 5-4 and had a set point on his own serve in the next game. M'Grath recovered and eventually won out at S-6. A Coming Champion. The United States of America has unearthed another young tennis player who is acclaimed as a future world’s champion. He is Robert Riggs, and is 18 years of age. In the recent American eastern grass court championships, Riggs took Budge to four sets in the final.

“ Riggs, even more than Budge, has all the earmarks of a coming champion,” wwites ‘ American Lawn Tennis.’ “ While he has not the speed of Budge, he has more finesse, a much wider variety of strokes, and an exceptional match temperament. He has more strokes than Tilden had at 26. If he works as hard at perfecting his strokes as Tilden did. he will be a champion long before he is 25.”