LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 62

LAWN TENNIS.

OTAGO LAWN TENNIS ASSOCIATION, ANNUAL REPORT The report of the committee of the Otaga Lawn Tennis Association to be submitted to members says: — In presenting you with the annual report for the season 1908-9 your committee is pleased to be able io congratulate the association on the most successful and prosperous year since its formation. The number of clubs affiliated to the. association during the year was 32 (an increase of four clubs), having an approximate membership of some 1130 players, which is extremely gratifying. The general standard of tennis has been good. Ideal weather was " enjoyed throughout the season, which permitted of a larger amount of tennis being played than usual. The opening of the season was held on the Otago Club's courts on Saturday, October 10, t with the time-honoured Yankee tournament (19 teams competing). The winners were as follow 1 ; — Men's Doubles, Messrs R. S. Brown and A. B. M'Kerrow (Balniacewen) ; Combined Doubles, ■Mr Seelye and Miss Campbell (Kaituna). Refreshments were dispensed, • during the afternoon under the supervision of the .ladies of the Otago Club, to whom the association's thanks are due. -Last season the old interprovincial matches with Canterbury were revived, and on November 9 a match was played with the northern province on the. Otago courts. Although the Otago team (Messrs R. S. Brown, S. N. Brown, C. J. Braithwaite, J. S. Sinclair, H. W. Bundle, and R. Bauchop) were unsuccessful, they gained a lot of experience from the play of the Canterbury players, which should serve them in- good stead in the future. The Grade Banner matchfte.between the various town and suburban clubs were played through the season, and were in every way a pronounced success, being keenly and enthusiastically contested. The ''close results of many of the matches again reflect great credit upon the Match Committee. The following were the successful teams: — A Grade — Kaituna, Otago runners-up; B Grade — Otajro. St. Kilda. runners-up; C Grade — North-East -Valley, Roslyn, Hanover, and Balmacewen all tying for second place. The banners were duly presented to the winners by the president at the conclusion of the Easter tournament. The annual championship and handicap tournament was held in Dunedin during Easter Week on .the Otago, Kaituna, Roslyn, and University courts. This tournament marks an epoch in the annals of lawn tennis in Otago, being by far the most successful venture undei taken by the association, both from a financial as well as from a playing point of view. The great success was in no small measure due to the appearance on the programme of Mr Anthony F. Wilding (a world's champion). Other players, -such as F. Wilding, Ollivier, Marks (Canterbury), Salmond (Wellington), and Pearse (Temuka), also helped to create the unprecedented interest. The various events were contested with keenness, and much excellent tennis was witnessed by large crowds of spectators. The following are the winners : — Men's Championship Singles, Mr A. F. Wilding; Men's Championship Doubles, Messrs F. and A. F. Wilding; Ladies' Championship Singles, Miss F. Campbell; Ladies' Handicap Singles, Miss Lester; Ladies' Handicap Doubles, Misses Campbell and Stevenson; Combined Handicap Doubles, Mr S. N. Brown and Miss Burt; Men's Handicap Doubles, Messrs F. and A. F. Wilding; Men's Handicap Singles (A), Dr J. D. Marks; Men's Handicap Singles (B), Mr D. Pollok. A schools tournament was very successfully run in conjunction with the above tournament, and resulted as under: — Boys' Championship, Master G. Black (Boys' High); Boys' Handicap Singles, Master G. Black (Boys High); Boys' Handicap Doubles, Masters Young and White (Boys' High); Girls' Championship, Miss Gladys Stoneham (Girls' High) ; Girla' Handicap Singles, Miss Gladys Stoneham (Girls' High) : Girls' Handicap Doubles, Misses Stonnham and Keast (Girls' High). Your committee is sanguine that the holding of the schools' tournament cannot fail to increase the interest in the game, at the same time tending to improve the general standard of play. The association's heartiest thanks are due to those officials and umpires who gave their time and services so readily when called upon during the tournament. The New Zealand championship meeting was held at Nelson thi3 year. The distance from Dunedin prevented any entries from Otago. Your president (Mr A. E. Harraway), who is also vice-president of the New Zealand Association, represented this association at Nelson. Your committee is extremely pleased to state that the association enjoys an everincreasing balance at the bonk, which is gratifying. The grateful thanks of the association are due to the various clubs for the use of their courts during the season and to the ladies of those clubs who kindly supplied and assisted with refreshments whenever the occasion offered. Thanks are also due to Messrs Harraway, Dagger, Bauchop, Black, Stilling, and Gray for donations to the p rize f un<l in connection with the Easter tournament. Special thanks are due to the press for the generous way all lawn tennis matters were reported throughout the year, and for the amount of valuable space placed at the disposal of the association Onoe more your committee has to express its pleasure at having Mr W. Hamilton Irvine at the helm. His duties, although onerous during the past season, have been performed with marked ability. Ycur committee is pleased to report that a number of matches with country club-5 were played duiing the season, and would urge each town club in the coming season to make a special effort to play afc least one match with a club outside Dunedin, and thus help to give the country players a more than passing interest in the game. During the year your committee adopted the Sykes ball as the standard ball, but at a subsequent meeting the motion was rescinded. A special general meeting of delegates was subsequently held to upset; the committee's final motion, but failed— the Slazenger ball remaining the adopted ball. The retiring committee, in taking its leave for the year, would like to state that the prospects for the" coming season are very encouraging, and everything points to another record year.