Half-Volleys

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 274, 9 February 1928, Page 9

Half- Volleys

New Zealand's entry for this veer's Davis Cup matches was a •urorise to most players. It does not mean, however, that Ollivier, Bartleet, Knott and Sturt will make the trip. * * tk j C. Peacock, New Zealand champion of 1910, and still in the second flight, is taking a England and E. D. Andrews, Dominion champion of 1926, is already there. These two will probably comprise the New Zealand representative team which will meet Portu-

The “grate” for the Auckland championships was £99 8s and entry money amounted to £66 17s, giving a credit balance of £ll6 2s 6d. The C grade events were a frost, however, and the L.T.A. is down 4s on them. tK Further extension of the Dominion championship tourney is suggested. Mr. G. N. Goldie has given notice of motion to the N.Z.L.T.A. “that junior doubles events be included in the projframme" # * Secondary and primary school championships of Auckland will be begun on the morning of Saturday, February IS, and will be continued for the three following Saturday mornings. * * * What’s wrong with Stanley Street? The courts are easily the best in Auckland just now and yet the Auckland L.T.A. cannot get new members. Recently it reduced the subscription to 30s and advertised the fact without getting, a single bite. * * X Remuera should collect the grade pennant this year again by defeating Varsity in the Anal, which is to be played on February 25 at either Stanley Street or Remuera courts. Varsity sprang a big surprise by beating Eden and Epsom in the semi-final. * * * The C grade knock-out semi-Anal will also be played on February 25, between Parnell and Eden and Epsom. The Parnell team had a remarkable win in Saturday’s semi-final. It defaulted in three matches and won the other seven, two women having failed to put in an appearance. * Xk Easter tournaments set down are: North Island championships at Auckland, North Auckland and Maori championships Whangarei; Otago Association tourney; South Island championships at Christchurch; Hawke’s Bay club tourney. * * * The Auckland L.T.A. has given its approval of the Whakatane Club’s open tourney at Easter and the Rodney Association's tourney on March 1, 2 and I. The New Zealand L.T.A. will have to give its consent before the dates are deAnite. * * * The “father and son” tourney of the Auckland L.T.A. was considered on Tuesday night. “What about making it a father and daughter?” suggested Mr. £. W. Griffiths. The idea seemed to be approved. Entries close on February 15 and the games will be played at Stanley Street on February 18. * * * Why should the runner-up in a final get nothing but a hand-clap? Mr. E. W. Griffiths asked the question at the LTA meeting. It was decided that the runner-up in the men’s and women’s singles championships of Auckland should be given trophies valued at £1 Is in future. X * -fc Senorita Alvarez, the vivacious Spanish lawn tennis champion, is writing her memoirs, “Confessions of a Lawn Tennis Player,’’ which promise to expose skeletons in the cupboards of the amateur lawn tennis players. The Spanish “star” is living with her parents in a tiny mountain hotel above Mentone, putting the finishing touches to her book. Her friends say that her “confessions” will be “rather shocking,” In that she will prove that amateur tennis is not so amateur as it seems. NO MORE DRY COURTS SOLVING THE WATER PROBLEM STANLEY STREET IMPROVEMENT Parched courts have inspired one member of the Auckland L.T.A., Mr. D. G. Macfarlane, with the idea of flatting a supply of water from a pond in tho Domain. The scheme was considered by the Mr. E. Hickson giving the details and saying that an engineer had drawn up a plan and the Parks Committee had given its consent to the tapping of the pond. The estimated cost of putting in a two-inch pipe and tanks would not be more than £125. But, said Mr. Hickson, there was no need to put in the tank or to bury the pipes, so that the coat would be reduced to £ 50. Gravitation would give sufficient pressure to flood the court at any time. -The idea was approved and work will Probably be gone ahead with immediately. if it proves a success the L.T.A. courts will be the envy of every club in the city. Patrons who were broiled in the sun during the last championship tourney at the L.T.A. courts, will cordially approve of Mr. E. W. Griffiths's suggestion that the stands should be hooded in. Mr. Hickson said that this involved a Question of finance The money could not come out of the revenue, but out the art union fund which had been Put into debentures. Other improvements to Stanley Street courts will probably be contidered shortly. LAW! TENNIS 'THE SPALDING TWO-PIECE PLUGA LESS AND STITCHLESS TENNIS BALL. Used in the Davis Cup Finals for the last _ eight years. Procurable from all Sporta Dealer*.

BEATEN BY THE WIND

I WILDING SHIELD GAME “CHALLENGE WELLINGTON AGAIN” Convinced that Auckland was beaten by conditions and not by superiority of play in the Wilding Memorial Shield match at Wellington, some members of the L.T.A. would like to see another match between the provinces this season. “Actual tennis was impossible at Miramar,” declared a member of the L.T.A. at its meeting this week. “Would it not have been better to have played the game at Thorndon?” The president, Mr. E. Hickson: Only four courts were needed for the match and it certainly would have been better to play it at Thorndon. “I am convinced that we have a team now which could beat Wellington,” said Mr. E. W. Griffiths, “and before the end of the season we should have another fling at them. Our men who had reached the championship finals were toe tired.” Mr. Hickson: We might be able to persuade Wellington to come up at Easter. Mr. F. J. Ohlson: One challenge a year is enough, but it is no use playing it after the New Zealand championships. We should accept the defeat. Mr. Griffiths: I would agree with Mr. Ohlson if the match had not been played under exceptional conditions. It was not at all fair or a trial of the merits of our team. It was stated that the wind was so strong that Bartleet had to serve underhand to get control of the ball. No action was taken. BROOKES, THE WIZARD HIS RISE TO FAME Norman Everard Brookes may well be called the wizard of tennis, and as far as Australia is concerned, the father of Davis Cup teams. It was his genius which first brought Australian lawn tennis into prominence. During his first visit to England he was playing Roper-Barrett, then one of the world’s greatest players, for the South of England championship. Roper-Barrett was well on the way to

win the third, which would have given him the match. In desperation Norman Brookes realised that something heroic would have to be done to save the match. Behind that sphinx-like countenance a tennis brain was working, and he came to the conclusion that it was in his service he was being beaten. Suddenly he evolved a new service, and with the ingenuity of invention, came the courage to try what was new, and it came off. He left RoperBarrett standing, saved the third set, and won on the next two and the match and the championship. All the world knew that a new tennis star had arrived. Had Norman Brookes not devoted his attention to lawn tennis he might have been an Australian Eleven cricketer, for he was a lefthand bowler of more than ordinary skill, and with the St. Kilda Club .had some remarkable performances. As a golfer, too, he was in the first class. He was the stuff of which champions are made. He had the skill as well as the temperament.