Half- Volleys

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 250, 12 January 1928, Page 11

Half- Volleys

Entries for the Auckland championships close on January 20 with the secretary, L. W. Swan. When France meets New Zealand at Miramar, 75 per cent, of the Dominion side will be Aucklanders! * * * Grass courts will have a chip surface in a week or two if the dry spell continues. Already on some courts there are dust storms when the wind blows. “Russia has totally disappeared from the tennis world. What became of Count Sumarokoff, Russia’s premier player and a well-known figure in the * * * C. Angas (Christchurch) won the Timaru men’s singles championship for the second time, and Mrs. W. A. Scott took the women’s title. ** * * tennis world in the years 1910-13? What of Count Alinizien, Russia’s second ranking player?”—“American Lawn Tennis.” A young hurricane'swept the Miramar courts while the Wilding Shield match was being played. Once a heavy umpire’s stand was blown over and blazers, coats and even rackets were strewn over the court at intervals. No wonder the Aucklanders failed.

A. C. Stedman, who mad© M. L. Lampe, the Wahganui champion run at Taranaki, beat him in two sets at Palmerston North. Stedman holds first place on the Auckland junior ladder, and is looked on as the most promising youngster here. * * * . The first professional lawn tennis contest in America was held at Newport, R. 1., on August 29, 1889. The players were George Kerr, the Irish professional, and Thomas Pettit, the court tennis champion. Kerr won the first match by a score of 6 —3, 6—l, 6 — l. The Papatoetoe Club is unfortunate in losing the services of two of the men who represent the club in the C grade competitions, C. Franklin and E. Burton, and it is probable that B. Brown will be transferred South. * * * One of the amazing things in New Zealand tennis is that a champion pair should have come out of the hamlet of Waverley. C. J. Dickie and A. G. Wallace, partners in business and in tennis, took th© Dominion title in 1907 and in 1913, but they did not play together at Christchurch this year. However, they won the Taranaki doubles by defeating Bartleet and Griffiths in five sets. REMUERA EVENTS Remuera club events'are not far forward yet. In?the men’s singles championship, the only third round matches played are those in which Entwistle beat Christmas, 6—l, 6 —3, and N. Sturt beat F. Sturt, 6 —l, 6 —2. Players who have survived two matches are Tonks, A. C. Stedman, Worledge, Robson (who just beat H. O. Thomson, 7—5. B—6),8 —6), E. W. Griffiths, Brinsden, G. Martin, Watkins, C. J. Hunter, and S. Robinson. Bartleet has to play R. B. Hunt in the second round. In the third round of the men’s doubles are the following pairs: Griffiths and Brinsden, Partridge and Robson, Stedman brothers, N. Sturt and Lucas, Brownlee and Watkins, Davies and Harowell, Colegrove and F. Sturt, Bartleet and Robson have yet to play the second 'round match. The women’s Junior championship is reduced to the final, in which Miss L. Roberton meets Miss N. Colbeck. The women’s singles is lagging. In the third round Miss J. Ramsay, last year’s champion, meets Miss M. Napier, and Mrs. Scott-Watson will play the winner of the Miss D. Wilson v. Miss Colebrook match. Players still left in are Misses Briar Witherow, Jean Macindoe, Dulcie Nicholls, and Richardson, who beat Miss N. Colbeck, 6 —2, 6 —o, in the second round. Miss Marjorie Macfarlane meets Miss J. Mclntosh in the second round, and the ex-Auckland champion should take the event again. The second round of the women's doubles is complete. In the third round Misses Macfarlane and Nicholls will play Mrs. Robson and Miss Brookes, and Misses Sturt and Asser will meet Misses Napier and Richardson, who had a hard game with Misses Wilson and Sloman, the score being B—6,8 —6, 7—5. Misses Ramsay and With an, who beat Mrs. Clay and Miss J. Macindoe, 6— l, 6—3. will meet Mrs. Tonks and Mrs. Buttle. The other players in the event are Misses Ferguson and Stewart, who will meet Mrs. Scott-Watson and Miss Colebrook. In the men’s junior singles three players have come into the third round. N. Sturt, who stands a fair chance of gaining the senior title, R. Speer, and A. C. Stedman. E. W. Griffiths, S. Robinson, and R. B. Lusk have got into the third round of the men’s singles handicap, A grade.