Half- Volleys

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 210, 24 November 1927, Page 8

Half- Volleys

Canterbury may not have to play Wellington lor the Wilding Shield, as Auckland’s challenge will have to # be decided first. The dates suggested are Junuanry 2 and 3. ♦ » * This year an additional event has been added to the New Zealand championship programme. It is styled the New Zealand Plate, and will be open to those who are defeated in the first and second rounds of the men’s singles championship. A similar event is played at the Wimbledon tournaments s.nd it has proved very popular in the Old Country. ** 0 * Nine matches to one was the beatini;- inflicted on Remuera 11. by Varsity in the A grade on Saturday, but wind and chip courts helped. it was the steadiness of that unorthodox player Nicholson which beat H. W. Griffiths in straight sets. Hubble fought Entwistle to a finish. ♦ * * It was touch and go with the women’s singles, the Misses Miller managing to win in three-set fights against Miss Briar Witherow and 7 iss M. Richardson. Occasional cyclones stirred up the dust in swirls during the play. -c Remucra’s only win of the day was result of heady play by Miss Witherow and Miss Wilson, who defeated Misses Mueller and Whitelaw in two sets with comparative ease.

Without the strength of Miss B. Knight and A. W. Sims, Eden and Epsopcfs first team outclassed Onehunga. V. Johns and Knott had two set wins in the singles.

Miss Rafiisay was steady and accurate, but the other singles player. Miss Francis, went down to the hard-hitting Mifs J. Taylor. In the doubles Misses latten aJid Taylor upset the Eden and Epsom pair.

Parnell was too strong for Eden and Epsom’s second strings. Both the Parnell women. Miss Potter and Miss Edna Craig, had two-set wins in the singles. In tine men’s singles Lamb lost to Morrison, after a. three-set tussle.

» "• * ~ * Varsity’s B grade.. team. vvililch would have playdtt A grade if allowed to, was unlucky fco go down to Oneliunga by one set. The college players were three matach.es to one in the singles, but they lost both mixed doubles, and one of each of the other divisions.

The Wellington Lawn Tennis Association has adopted a suggestion that the combing be played first in the grade competitions, after which the women are allowed one court on which to complete their matches, the men to have the other court. The new order of play provides for continuity, and results in a great saving of time. 9

• • * J?. G. Lum, the young Melbourne pi dyer who represented. China At the Far East Olympic contests, pnt up sojno very line performances. He was largely responsible for the victory of China in the tennis section, and his most notable achievement was his defeat of Ouda, Japanese Davis Cup representative, and he should return to Melbourne a greatly-improved player. Ncrt* that arrangements have been completed for the visit to the Dominions of the French lawn tennis team, the New Zealand Association is considering arrangements for matches to be played in Wellington and Auckland. The first match will be played at Wellington, and the second at Auckland. The contests will be in the nature of an exhibition, and it is believed that three of the Dominion’s leading players will be asked to play with the Frenchmen. The Otago Lawn Tennis Association’s men’s singles and doubles ranking ladders are as follow*:—Singles: Kr&y 1, Moody 2, Guy 3, S. McDougall 4. Chisholm 5, Cleghorn 6. Gale 7, Duthie 8, Fulton 9. Doubles: Bray and Cleghorn 1. Duthie and Guy 2, McDougall and Fulton 3, Tregear and Denker 4. Jensen and Bell 5, Macpherson and Pollock 6, Rawlinson brothers 7. C. McDougall and Webling 8.

Lawn tennis players all over the world have been protesting against the price of balls, and, subsequent to continued agitation in the Old Country, the English Association has asked that the price of balls be reduced. In reply, the ball-manufacturing firms point out that any reduction in price will result in a less perfect ball being put on the market. While it is well known that the expense of balls is holding the game back, the last thing desired is a falling-off in the quality of the balls-to be used. At the same time it is hard to believe that no re»dnotion can be made. It is, of course, quite fair that firms should join in an arrangement as to price.