LAWN TENNIS

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 29 January 1908, Page 61

LAWN TENNIS

: : '-^~- - . :-. .-1 , BY RACQUET. \ ]

B GRADE TABLE. ■' '' *" • ~ \\

The Otago Club has just had the bottom .+ court top-dressed". Ifc was opened for r play ' - last Saturday,' and gave every- satisfaction, t This club commenced its club matches, last ' * week. Although Jate in' _the season, still ' ° there is plenty, of lime to -get the rarious "t events, off, provided^ the players give the ( Match Committee . every assistance, "by j?etting" their matches off during the week o days.- The entries -are. very "good ; the „ events - consist" of Ladies'- and" Men's " y Championship Singles, ' Ladies' and 'Men's R ETandicap Singles,- Men-s Handicap Doubles. .' md Combined Handicap "Doubles. - q C R.- Smith caused a great' surprise at B( ECaituna' last week "by defeating J. Best in v jhe* Handicap" Singles- in hollow fashion. £ Best was owing a. trifle, and 1 on reputation mould have, won? but. 'Smith "is^"a hard problem at times tb-reckon" on.. .This .is" lot the first time that he .-has beaten a" nan much_ 'better than himtelf. Otago »B team had a very close „ yin on Saturday, last' against the Valley. F Phey owed 60"* games; and came out-winners ?■ >y- five- games. It' was rather unfortunate " hat the .Valley-we re •" one lady/ short" in a: heir team," as this necessitated their double- s * >anking, which _ie not allowed by ~ the c'e ' •ules, co"nsequently the .events that the abent lady should" hare taken parfr in- were ron by- the Otago dub, by default.^ "It- is V tuestioniable whether the presence ot the ti ady in question would have "made the n [ifferenoe of five games, as the Otago ladies " ai -•3 fairly strongs players. -and. 'judging by h

the results of the other sets would just about have won in any case. ■ s Hjjis'-.a "pity vthat; jihef .Otago^CJlub^id, * not put * two A teams in the field. This • would have done away with the heavy ~ handicapping of - the B, anrd made ' that" . grade much more .even — ■ "1 " J -' The Balmacewen's win against Mosgiel came as a "surprise" to many. - It was quite " expected that the Taieri Club could owe - their opponents 30 ' games, but the, Mosgiel " men failed lamentably' 1 in,] 1 their _ singles',"" which they 'should have won. THe ladies . oftlie losing team did their "share in. winning "all their games. The- Anderson's Bay. Club registered.' another ,win — this /time ag&inst Kaituna^This -club have so far not suffered defeat."*- "- Their meeting with^the Otago will be interesting. ' " - "^ The Bay players took no* risks seainsf Kaituna, playing a careful, consistent game, and getting everything "back with certainty "— and allowing 'their opponents to make mistakes. With the exception of the first" ladies^ doubles and singles all the sets were won by 'Anderson's Bay. ~ A word" or two to teams receiving odds might/ not come- amiss. The team owing odds must -necessarily pay a more careful > game than -they" otherwise would do, and; are afraid to open out. consequently the" - pllayersnn. reoeipi-^f? odds shoulch'take the r "a v ggressive,--'andc "so.\«po'ij -their oppbnenif- . £ame.'* There -- is" no , use in .receiving odd,?--and-playing" carefully /&s ' the better * can¥fclways*win~-afotlyit' game. The garira'^'. ' is "to^break -up the 'careful .play_ and causa • thdm" to make as "tiftany ■ mistakes . as ■ voutK . self;-" " : *-"<- "--.-¥«• *.-•-■-•• •• . . \ ■ . """The'.B/ Grade' match, vi' Haurard.l" which ,- postponed* f ronv ; the - 18th inajfcv'.-bypermission^of/the-Match-Committee, was- , commenced- last — Saturday, "but, - unforti|i-. J riately, % owihg A .~t6'.the -rain K 9uring 'the v aft^r< noon, -was not' finished. • The uncomplete«£- /- seta will be' played -oflL during this week. J . According ,to a, northewi oontempprary, it' is -evident that perfect,, condition/ in' ad^. dition to tennis ability, is -required to attain- success in the New,- Zealand Cham-, pionships. In the meeting just concluded at New .Plymouth Fisher played 125- games in*.:ar.day, Swansqn 121, Parker ,118, A Pea-^ cock "110; wif 1 -^<»t>-d- others" funning into" "high« figures, and -these were all 'in championship events/" „ - -i~'.~ """ Air American journal ' states that a cable had ' been received from England to the eflfeoti .thay H; i L:'; Doherfy . "ha^ . definitel-fi announced "his "intention "of phiying in .'thif All-England !Oliampiomßips' of 1908,*'arid v of " then yisiting the United States for thY ■ championships at Newport. He alsp expressed' his"" 'willingness to _go""to "Australia " for-the^-Pavis Chip , if selected, as did hfrf brother, R. R* Boherty': ,-'..' .v. v ""•'- ' It 18 understood thai A. . F. Wilding will not -go back /to - New Zealand "till th"c end 1 " of v 1908,. as he" has, accepted tin engagement for 'the winter "months as -English tutor tothe "sons o"f Baron" Liptray, in South Huo.gary/ intends once, more to oonw pete for "the English Lawn Tennis Chaim pionship before finally -settling down to tht' - practice -his -professior in Chrjstchurch. '-'■An 1 , exchange' gives the following" syiiop<" -»s» s sis,oi <^ie nerjormances ofrNorman Brooke* during .the :-five. months fhe - was in '-Ens* ' land'Taaf je&r-i-^'^ " "/ - "

The -above- does not % include handicaps. The paragraph concludes: "Alas! that no Englishman/should have Captured a single set' from' "the "Victorian."'- - ' ' In ' tho Wairarapa" - tennis tournament at Masterton the Men's Championship Double* was. "won by Cox and 3f 'Caul. jTbe Com< bined Championship Doubles was won by'C' C.'rCox and Miss "Mi Payton.At a tournament- at •' Dannevirke Parker v _ won th^ Championship ■ Singles,* -Parker andr Swanson the 'Championship Doubles,- Miss Fitzherbert and Collins the.-Combined Handle cap Doubles, * Miss- M. Ryan the Ladies' Handicap- 'Singles, ' Giesen and Rowe the Menis Handicap' Doubles, Misses Eindmarsh and, the >Ladies' Doubles, and D[ Draiaiuond the Men's Handicap Singles.

' Banner. v. - ' " " Played. Won.' Lost. .Points. Ottigo .. .- :. 4. > 4 _■•* -g ■ Anderson's Bay. . . 3 3 I — "6 Koslya .... 3 2 1 4 Hauraro .... 3 2 1 - 4 Kaituna .:, .. 4 Q- 2 4 Balmacewett ..4 1 3 .2 St. Hilda . , .". 3 1 2.-2 Mbsgiel 3 — 3 — Valley .. .. 3 , — t , 3- " —

_- .Matoli«atMa.tclics. Sets. Seta. -». ~ . __ Won. Lpst Won.- Losrt. Singles J ~",:.\ '19 .*,O ' 46 6 Doubles . . 28 6 . 73. 15 Combined... 22 - 1 '45' "4 Total ..69 '6 164 25