PLAINS, TENNIS TOURNAMENT.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4839, 8 June 1925, Page 2

PLAINS, TENNIS TOURNAMENT.

(To the Editor.) Sir—Now that the tennis tournaments on the Hauraki Plains are over 1 would like to give the experience of two Patetonga ladies who had to meet two Turua ladies in the final e.f the handicap doubles. We journeyed down to Turua to find the courts like; a duck pond, and wondered why we did not get a telephone message to save us the journey. After some argument it was decided to go to Hopai (the court belongs to the secretary of the Hauraki Plains Tennis Association, so he informed us), and to our dismay we found they played with invisible back lines. But worse was to follow. The secretary. went on to the box to, referee the match, and apopinted the husbands of the Turua ladies to look after the invisible back lines—and I bet one of them wished he had an ex-ray to help him.

Play had not long started when we found out that there was another referee sitting on a kerosene tin not far from the man in the box, for when a ball landed inside the out line he called out, and we wondered what was wrong. But when a ball landed half-way between the single and double lines he again called out Of course that was too barefaced, and the referee had to say it was right and the man on the tin had to make some excuse, so he said “I thought they were playing singles'!” So as not to take up too much space I will give you some of the decisions which were contrary to tennis rules: (1) When back-line umpire called right and none of the players attempted to play it, as it was thought he said “out’’—the rule says "the only calls for linesman are out or fault.” (2) When back linesman called that he did not know how it w r as, the referee at. the net said it was right. I do not know what the-line umpire thought, as there was no line to tell whether it was in or out. The rule says “under no circumstance may a player, umpire, or referee over-rule the decision of a linesman on a question of fact ; he should make his decision and stick to it.” (3) When the ball landed a foot in from the back line and to find the line umpire not at his post. Although one of the Turua players said it was in, that did not convince, the referee. He must have taken pity on the umprie, as the Patetonga ladies were 11 points ahead and the hubby thought it meant defeat. The rule says “a linesman once seated must not leave without permission from the referee or until another linesman has been put hi his place.” (4) When lad? hit» a ball and runs into the net and referee orders to be measured on account of impact. Rule 4 : “A player loses the point if he or his racquet in his hand or anything which he wears or carries touches the net or posts when striking at the ball or at any time while in play.”

So it is seen how a match can be lost on the referee having no knowledge of rules or not wishing to have such knowledge. Although they won by 50 points to 45 or 46 points, if Patetonga had been allowed a few of the strokes that were theirs by right they would have won by what they were supposed to have.been beaten by.

ONE CONCERNED.