OVER THE NET

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 938, 3 April 1930, Page 15

OVER THE NET

By

DEUCE

Club Championships By defeating Stedman on Saturday last Bartleet regained the Remuera Club championship. He has now held the title four times during the last five years. The plaj’ers arranged -to count the match as a challenge for first place on the association ladder and Bartleet therefore again takes No. 1 position. In view of Stedman’s recent victories over the Australians, Donohoe and Teague, it wa sexpected that he would be more than a match for Bartleet, who has not been producing his old form. On Saturday, however, Bartleet was at his best and it is doubtful whether he has ever been seen to better advantage. His service invariably had Stedman in trouble, especially on his backhand. Stedman gave a brilliant exhibition of driving and forced the pace throughout the match. He missed one or two openings at critical stages of the game. Bartleet varied the length and pace of his shots very effectively and seei t d to realise it was no use trying to beat Stedman in a straight-out driving duel from the base line. From now' on it would appear that Bartleet will have increasing difficulty in staving off Steaman’s bid for first place in Auckland tennis and it is only a matter of time when ycuth ! must be served.

The B grade championship was won by I. MacArthur, who defeated D. G. Macfarlane in the final in three ! straight sets. MacArthur proved rather a “dark horse” in this event. 'He is a new member and being an unknown quantity some of the older members were taken by surprise with the high standard of his game. lie plays a very sound all-round game, his "Volleying being very sure. He only needs to speed up his shots a little and lie will be a thorn in the side of ! the A grade players. •T. Gregory did well to beat R. fc>. i Milne in the semi-final of the junior singles after a great tussle in the third j set, which Gregory won 9—7. He “Was beaten in the final, 8— 10—3, by the promising junior, B. W. Brownlee. The tennis was most spectacular. both players going for their shots all the time. Gregory has a very free hard hitting style. He should concentrate on endeavouring to cultivate more control over his shots even at the expense of a little pace. Bartleet and Robson beat J. Stedman and Thomson in the semi-final of the men’s doubles, and now meet A. C.

Stedman and Sturt in the final. The old combination will be up agai»ist it when they play the present holders of the Auckland championship. Mrs. Scott-Watson put up a fight against Miss Macfarlane in. the, semi-final of the women’s champion- j ship singles, the score being B—6, £>— 6 i in Miss Macfarlane’s favour. In the, other semi-final Miss Ramsay beat j Miss Marion Macfarlane by two aets | to one. Miss Macfarlane will naed j to be at her best to beat Miss Ram*'.y ; in the final. The playing .conditions, are not good at the present time aod j will suit Miss Ramsay’s steady ganje, of “chops” and “slices” much mom than Miss Macfarlane’s ha;rd j line driving. * * Parnell Club k Lamb won the club championship! once again, beating Chalmers in the • final in three straight sets. Chaim - ij ers was outplayed in the first ana \\ third sets, but made a great fight for the second set, which he lost only after six-all had been called. Lamb plavs a very clean, hard-hitting game, and has a good temperament for match play. A little more accuracy would vastly improve his game. Coates and Chalmers had a long match against Aldred and Stallworthy in the semi-final of the men’s doubles championship, being beaten in the fifth set, 6—4. Aldred has been playing good tennis lately, his best performance to date being against Teague in the recent invitation tournament, when; he ran the Australian to two advan- t tage sets. # m Mrs. Herrick and Miss Frankham j had a fairly easy win in the final or j the women’s doubles, beating Misses j Potter and Fearnley, G —3, 6—l. Schools Tournament The standard of play in the conclude j ing rounds of the schools’ championships augurs well for the future of ' Auckland tennis. McDonald won all his matches, with a good margin to spare, and he was j \ outstanding among the competitors in i the boys’ open singles. Stevens had | easy victories in the junior event, and ! showed great promise. He also won | the doubles with Douglas. another , young plavers who is shaping well. ! Miss B. Griffiths put up a good uphill fight against Miss Nixon ir. the semi-final of the primary schoolgirls’ championship. The other semi-final between Miss Conway and Miss Gardner was a very even game, Miss Conwav winning. 9—6. The doubles match between Misses Griffiths and Conway and Misses Nixon ? and Adams was one of the best and ’ hardest-fought contests of the tournament. The former pair were the slightly better combination in the concluding stages of the match antf eventually won, 9 —6. * * * Tilden’s Great Record For the tenth year in succession Tilden has been graded number one player in the official ranking of U.S A. j players. He was first raised U> this • position in 1919, and has retained this

coveted honour ever since. He won the U.S.A. national championship for the first time in 1919, and won it again last year for the seventh time in his tennis career. Tilden is now 3G. He *s sometimes referred to as “the fading veteran,” but this title would appear to be a little premature. It is interesting to note that it was not unil lie reached the- age of 26 that he attained top place in American tennis. This should encourago younger players who do not meet with much success in the early stages of their tennis career. Tilden recently stated that one of the main reasons why he had gone back in his tennis was the dying down of the flaming will to win. which he claims carried him through to fame. He is retiring from American official team plav. Davis Cup or otherwise. and states that all his tennis in future will be purely personal. Tilden’s outlook in the game seems to have been affected to some extent by what he calls “the petty annoyances that official interference with the playing policy forces on players at the moment of their greatest trial.” * =* * Unfair Criticism by Tennis Critics Constructive criticism based on corj rect facts is essential for the progress lof the game. Poo often, liowev- r. I critics who should know better base j their remarks on hearsay, and proceed i to voice an opinion without acquaint- , ing themselves of the true facts. Only : recently at least two Southern writers (in criticising Bartleet’s inclusion in the New Zealand team, which played against the Australians, prefaced their remarks and sought to justify their opinions by stating that he had no recent performances *to his credit to merit inclusion. They further stated tViat he had been beaten in the Auckland championships at Christmas bv a# second grade player, and that. <-n recent performances. Sturt and Stedn&n should have been considered bef,B'e him. Had these writers known the t Bartleet actually won the Auckland championship. at which Sturt and Stedman were competing, and that Bacfteet beat Sturt in the Remuera CluHh championship. 4—6, 6—.3. 6-—2. 6 —T* immediately before th*- New j Zeatzmd team was selected, their opin- ! ions . might have been of some value, i As i£ was. their criticisms must have j certainly created a wrong impression j amoife? Southern readers, who were not conversant with the true facts, end j placed the selectors in a false light i with tf le Southern public. MARCHES FOR SATURDAY » The following matches will be pplayed &n Saturday next at the Stanley Street .courts, under the control Lof the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association : C< arts »' s "' s. 1. -••- : 1 A 7: A'• ! - team v. JHauraki Plains Lawn Tennis Associaticmi , . ~ Courts a-'os. 4, o, and 9. —Campbell i Park, wiiuuers of B grnde competition, v. | Papa toe toe* winners of outer suburban -natch in the n grade final, between Pukeroa and Campbell Park, will lte played early on No. u court I ami on cm -jn.Jetion of thi- No. -* croui f will then bo* used for the Campbell Park !v. Papatoe; oe match.