OVER THE NET

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 950, 17 April 1930, Page 7

OVER THE NET

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"DEUCE"

Easter Tournaments Tennis players be \yell catered for tills Easter in the way of tournaments. Auckland players will be seeking honours at the South Auckland meeting to be held at Hamilton and also at the tournaments which are being held by the Birkenhead and Northcote. Te Aroha and Whangarei Clubs. In addition groat interest will centre on the inter-university tournament to be held ~t Stanley Street. The keen rivalry which exists between the different colleges is sure to produce some first-Class tennis. Onehunga Club Matches The men’s singles championship was avoii by J. T. Harrison, who beat C. K. Harrison in the final 6—4, 6—l. 6—3. Tba winner had the advantage in experience and this, combined with great steadiness, carried him through against a more youthful opponent who possesses a good variety of shots and who is sure to show great improvement with more experience in match play. Miss Bitten bent Miss Hnydon 6 6—2 in tli*- final of the women’s championship singles. Miss llayden lias show u great improvement this season and had she been able to handle Miss ihtten's cut shots a little better the match might easily have gone the other Ha*rison brothers defeated Davenport brothers in the final of the men’s championship doubles G—2, 6— 2. This is their seventh successive win in this event They have developed good combination and owing to their excellent reach are a formidable pair to pass once they reach the net. Mrs. Campbell and Miss McCrea won the women's doubles championship, beating Misses Bitten and Grove 4 — i». (j— 1, ti —3. The combined doubles were won by ,1. T. Harrison and Miss McCrae. who beat I*. Harrison and Miss Worm 11 H—l, G—4. Miss Worm 11 found great difficulty in keeping the ball away from J. T. Harrison, who aced many of her drives from the net. • * * Ladder Competitions Reviewed There has been exceptional activity in the ladder competitions this season and there has been a prolific number of challenges compared with previous years. It is unlikely that any further challenges will be issued before the competitions close and it is interesting to note the present positions of the players which are as follow:

Women’s Doubles Ladder No. 1. Misses Macfarlane. Xo. 2. Miss Knight and Mrs. Shroff. Xo. 3. Misses Miller. Xo. 4. Miss Ramsay and Mrs. Xapier. Xo. 5. Mrs. Herrick and Miss Frankham . No. 6. Miss Potter and Miss Fearnley. Xo. 7. Mrs. Warren and Mrs. Worsop. Xo. 8. Miss North and Mrs. E. Griffin. No. 9. Miss R. Taylor and Miss Whitelaw. Xo. 10. Miss D. Newton and Miss Rukutai. * * * Junior Boys* Singles Ladder No. 1. E. S. Bowden. Xo. 2. M. Wilson. Xo. 3. J. S. Gregory. Xo. 4. A. Hooper. Xo. 5. V. W. Brownlee. Xo. G. O. Bushill. Xo. 7. J. Stevens. Xo. 8. R. Wharfe. Xo. 9. C. A. Potter. No. 10. C. G. Marshall. • * * Men’s Doubles Ladder Xo. 1. Messrs. Barleet and Robson. Xo. 2. Messrs. Rowlands and Morrison. Xo. 3. Messrs. Turner and Hubble. Xo. 4. Messrs. John Brothers. Xo. 5. Messrs. Griffiths and Brinsden. Xo. 6. Messrs. Entwlstle and Martin. Xo. 7. Messrs. Lamb and Clay. Xo. 8. Messrs. Potter and McKeown. Xo. 9. Messrs. Harrison Brothers. Xo. 10. Messrs. Watkins and Hughes. • * <« E. B. Bartleet after losing top place to Stedman at the commencement of the season regained it at the end of last month. Bai tleet has held Xo. 1 position for many years, but it would appear that from now on he will have ever increasing difficulty in staving off Stedman’s bid for top position. X. G. Sturt holds Xo. 3 place, haying displaced Griffiths from from this position at the beginning of the season. He had no difficulty in warding off a challenge from Rowlands, whom he beat 6—2, C —2, and subsequently survived a challenge by Morrison, whom he beat in two straight sets. M. M. Morrison has moved up four places since the beginning of the season. He beat V. R. Johns, 6—2. C—o. Lamb 6 —2, 6 —l. Brinsden by default. and Rowlands 6—4. 3—6, B—6.8 —6. H. C. Rowlands has gone up from sixth to fifth position. After winning from Brinsden by default and beating Griffiths 6 —4. 7 —5. he reached fourth place, but was dislodged by Morrison.

W. 11, Entwistle has made good progress and has gone from tenth to sixth on the ladder. He beat Johns 7 —5, 7—5. Lamb 4 —6, 6—l. 6 —3, Brinsden by default, and Griffiths 6—l, 7 —5. Rowlands blocked his triumphal march by defeating him 6 —2, 6 —4. V. R. Johns, after dropping down to teifth, has worked his way hack to seventh place. He was challenged and beaten by Lamb 3 —6, 6—2, 6 —4, by Morrison 6—2, G—o. and by Entwistle 7—5. 7—5. He withstood a challenge by Hubble 6—o. 6 —3, and then moved up three places by beating Bamb 6—4. I—C,1 —C, 9—7, Brinsden by default, and Griffiths 6—3, 6—3. E. W. Griffiths has had a bad season and has dropped from No. 3 to No. 8. He was beaten in succession by s?turt. Rowlands. Morrison, Entwistle anf | Johns before breaking the downward

I fall by defeating Bamb 6 —o, 2—G, I 6—4. S. Lamb has dropped one place, and ! is now Xo. 9. He went up to sixth place early in the season by defeating Johns. I but was subsequently challenged and j beaten by Morrison, Entwistle and j Johns. He then held Turner at bay by defeating him 6 —3. G —B, 6 —o, and subI sequently took Brinsden's place by dei fault. IT. Brinsden has gone down from i fifth to tenth position by default. He • finds it impossible to play matches : during the week and his name should be withdrawn from the ladder. ! A. K. Turner has moved up two places by defeating Watkins 9—7, ' t —3, and Hubble G —3, 6—3. His progress was arrested by Bamb, who beat i him 6 —3. 6—B, 6—o. X. Hubble, after going up one by I defeating Watkins 5—7, 6—3, 6—3, lost i his ground by going down to Turner i G —3. 6—3. i W. G. Watkins has receded from lltli to 13th, having had to give way to Hubble and Turner. He has held this | place against two determined chal- | Jenges by Martin, whom he beat G —4. I—6, 6—4, and 6—l, I—6, 6—2. [ G. Martin has been unable to better his position from X T o. 14, having found ; Watkins a stumbling block on two occasions. P. E. Potter has retained 15th place warding off a challenge by Stephens, whom he beat 4—6. 6—3, G—3. A. Porter now’ holds last position, one which has passed through many hands since the commencement of the season. He withstood a recent challenge by Bowdefo. He attempted to advance out of his precarious position, but his challenge against Potter was unsuccessful, the scores being 6' —1, 6—4, in Potter’s favour. Hard Court Play ! Now that the summer tennis season 1 is fast drawing to a close, quite a number of players will be thinking of hard courts and winter practice. The first three, players on the ladder, Barth et, Stedman and Sturt, usually change ever to golf. This is merely a coincidence, and it cannot be inferred that hard court practice in the winter jeopardises one’s play on grass. On the contrary it gives players a chance to practice shots and speed up their game. Players should remember that on changing over from grass to hard courts it is necessary to start making their ground shots earlier, as the ball comes off the court much faster. It is a good thing to learn to take the ball on the rise. To do this it is necessary to go forward and hit the ball instead of waiting for it to come to you. Don’t wait until the ball has reached the top of the bounce, and is beginning to come down, before striking it. This extra time gives your opponent time to get into position and see what shot you are about to play. Good l'ootw'ork and speed in taking the ball are two of the main essentials in hard court play. The French players shine on hard courts for this season and have learnt the extra “speeding up” of the game through playing on hard courts since childhood. Try and get your footi work perfect in the winter and get I out of the fault, most common in making backhand shots, of making strokes with the body facing instead of sideI ways on to the net.

Men’s Ladder No. 1. E. L. Bartleet* No. 2. A. C. Stedman. No. 3. N. Ci. SturU No. 4. M. Morrison. No. 5. 11. C. Rowlands. No. 6. W. H. Entwistl© No. 7. V. R. Johns. No. b. E. W. Griffiths No. 9. S. Lamb. No. 10. H. Brinsden. No. 11. A. K. Turner. No. 12. V. N. TIubble. No. 13. W. Cl. 'Watkins, No. 14. G. Martin. No. 15. R. Potter. No. 16. A. Porter Women’s Ladder No. 1. Miss Marjorie Macfarlane. No. 2. Miss J. Ramsay. No. 3. Miss B. Knight. No. 4. Miss M. Maelarlaiio. No. 5. Mrs. Shroff. No. 6. Miss M. Miller. No. 7. Mrs. Scott-Watson. No. S. Miss IX Newton. No. 9. Miss M. Potter. No. 10. Mrs. Napier. No. 11. Miss IX Miller. No. 12. Miss Fearnley. No. 13. Miss Richardson. No. 14. Miss 'Whit'elaw. No. 15. Miss Frankham. No. 16. Miss R. Taylor. • # *