Lawn Tennis.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XXXVI, Issue 6583, 28 December 1899, Page 4

Lawn Tennis.

CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING ANTICIPATIONS. (Auckl ind Herald.) The list of entries for the forthcoming championships at Palmerston, which was published in yesterday's Herald, though not quite complete is yet sufficiently so to wairanta few anticipations as to the probable results. There are 16 competitors for the ohampionship singles, but in my opinion only two players have any real chance to win the event. Hoopar, who won the singles in 1894 and 1897 is, I should think, the moat dangerous man, as be is in rattling good form and hard condition. Cox, the present champion, will doubtless prove a very tough nut for Hooper to orack, but the letter's beautiful placing should to a great extent nullify Cox's volleying, which will prove a serious disadvantage to the ohampion. Cox cannot hope to hold his own with Hooper from the back of the oourt, and will no doubt attempt the rushing taotics whioh were so successful last year against weak backhand play. In the meeting between these two. will centre the principal interest of the ohampionabip, but even if Cox is at his best I will pin my faith to the Aucklander.

Of the outsiders, the Rev, Marshall is probably the best, but he is gradually drifting more and more into a steady handicap player, and seems quite to have lost his famous hard drive wbioh has brought him viotory on more than one ocoasion.

Collins has no stamina, and even in condition I doubt his ability to beat either Hooper or Cox, though both he and Marshall will doubtless make a good fight. Of the others, Fenwiok, Fisbor, the Gore Brothers, and Laishley, are tbe only ones whose chaooee deserve any consideration, and of these I think Fenwick and H. Gore bave deoidedly seen their best days, and Bre not likely to tronble tbe champions much, while C. Gore, Fisher, and Lai«hly, thongh dashing, brilliant, and energetio plavers, are without the experience which is absolutely neaessary to enable any mm to win a big championship. Of the remaining seven competitor*, the less said the better, so far as obampionship form is concerned, though doubtless all of them are good eeoond-class players. They have probtblv en'ered with tbe very laudable desire of helping the exchequer, and oannot expeot to do more than provide a little gentle praotioe for the big guns.

For that most interesting and exciting event, the men's champion doubles, no leas than eight pairs have entered, but of these only three have much of a ehance. Collins and fJox, the present champions, should, on paper, have very little difficulty in retaining their position. The Gdre Brothers and Hooper and Peacock are the most likely pairs to give them trouble, but the others will bo qu'.te outclassed. If Parker had been able to get away to play with Hooper in this event, an exoiting struggle between this pair and Collins and Cox would probably have been witnessed. Long experience ia absolutely OBsentinl before a man can hope to play a realiv clever double, and severity of stroke, both off the ground and on the volley, is a most important feature. Collins and Cox possess both these qualifications in a large degree, but all the other pairs have a weak spot in one or the other respect. We are naturally hoping to see our Auckland pair secure this event, but i am afraid that Hooper's slow accurate drives, being easily volleyed, will militate against their success, and Peaoock, while getting plenty of pace out of his strokes, is too apt to play recklessly, and, moreover, lacks experience. The Gore Brothers are a steady pair, and are hard to beat, and their combination is, moreover, good; but Ido not consider them quite class enough for (he champions. . Like Hooper, H. M. Gore plays too carefully, apd doesn't (core outright off hi? volleys, -though his brother is a very punishing ' player.

The ladies' obampionship singles should lie between Mrs Abraham and Misses Gore. Ramsay. Simpson and Gortie. Of these, I am inclined to think Miss Simpson will win, as she plays a steady .game in good style, keeps a fine length, and is very aotive about the court. She beat Miss Gorrie last year in Dunedin, but if the Auckland lady is in form on the day, I should not be surprised to see the tables turned. Mrs Abraham has a big reputation, and in 1891 she was probably the best lady player in the oolony, bjtlam unable lo gauge her strength flin the absence of any information. None of these ladies would, of course, have any hope of beating Miss Nunneley in the challenge round.

The ladies' ohampionßhip doubles will be a gift to Misses Nunneley and Harman, and here, again, it is a thousand pities that Miss Nicholson, our lady ohampion, oouid not make the trip, as she and Miss Gerrie would have had an extremely good obance of bringing this championship back to Auckland. Miss Nunneley is not extraordinary effecive in a ladies' double, and by playing everything to Miss Harman I really believe the Auckland ptir could have won.

In the combined obampionship there aro several pairs with an outside chance, though Fisher and Miss Nunneley should win without any great difficulty. Cox and Miss Simpson, Hooper and Miss Gorrie, and Marshall and Mrs Abraham will, however, in all probability, g,ive them Bome trouble. It is, of course, difficult, in the absenoe of the draw, to seJeot the ultimate winners but if foreed to mike a piek at this early stage, I should not be surprised to see the events end as follows:— Men's Champion Singles: J. B. Hooper. Men's Champion Doubles: Cox and Collins. Ladies' Ohampion Singles: Miss Nunneley. Ladies' Champion Doubles : Misses Nunneley and Harman. Combined Ohampion Doubles : Misses Nunneley and Fisher. If the events go as I have predicted, the New Zealand championship banner will be held by Canterbury during the coming year.