LAWN TENNIS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 303, 27 December 1907, Page 2

LAWN TENNIS.

TIIK MOW ZIO.sI.AND I'HAMPIoXSlllt' ±„UL\A,\IKXT. The Xew Zealand Lawn Tennis .isolation's twenty - second championship iccting ojiened yesterday morning on he Xew Plymouth Uwu' Tenuis Club's ■ourls. The heavy rain of the previous iay had had only a beneficial elfcet upon he courts, the'wind and lint sun soon placing them in the very be.-t order. Utogclhcr the loiiriiiiiueiil commenced .inilcr practically perfect weather conlitious, a inoi'iiing breeze dying down before play had advanced many stages. Amongst the competitors are all the leading players of the Dominion, and 11. A. Parker, of Australia. With the exception-of A. V. Wilding, all the present holders of Xew Zealand championships are competing, and yesterday's play was of a very high order.

The Taranaki Lawn Tennis A.-socia-tion have the management of the tour- " nament. and everything is running very " smoothly—too smoothly, in fact, for the ' games a're finishing faster than had been '' expected. As secretary and director of proceedings, Mr. .1. Paton proved him- f ■self a master hand, and was lucky in his | ' choice of Mr. 11. Stocker as assistant. ' A very willing committee worked hard ' the day through, and no hitch occurred. There was a large attendance of the ' public during the afternoon, and the grandstand was well patronised. The visitors to the courts included large numbers of tennis enthusiasts from all parts of Xew Zealand. A new departure on the Xew Plymouth courts was the refreshment-tent, which was evidently a paying venture. Players speak highly of the ediciency of the arrangements and the state of the courts.

The meeting of Peacock and Wallace had been expected to provide the game of the afternoon, but Wallace was not up to form, and did not get on lo his stroke until the third set, and Peacock won comfortably o'—o, ti—i, B—li, Wallace making a spirited recovery at the "tail.'' Another prolonged match was in the second round, when Dickie vanquished the veteran (lore. Pcai'so was again unfortunate in the , drawing in the men's singles, playing his first match against Parker. The \ latter placed his balls with his usual un- [ erring skill, and Pcarsc was kept busy. The latter player is a good all-round exponent of the game, and has some good -' shots, particularly his forehand drive. Ilut, he sutlers from want of practice against belter men than himself. At ; the same time, I'earse made a much ■ better light and the game was more interesting than is indicated by the

In ilia combined doubles, Fisher and Mios Nunneley pulled oil' an exciting match from Peacock and Miss Wellwood, li—t, B—o. Peacock led in the lirst four •rames, but Fisher won the next six. .In the second set the scores ran from -I—4. 5-4, 5-.">, (i— j, (i—o, 7—l*>. S —li, and in the course of the game some very exciting and clever play was witnessed.

The last match of Iho day was well fought out, and uncertain almost to the last stroke, Parker and Miss Powdrell beating Cox and Misrt Ward. This was, perhaps, the most exciting fixture in (he first day's plav, and at times it seemed that' Parker and Miss Powdrell would have fo lose Iheir chance for the linal. Hut Parker improved as the game wore on, and Cox became less accurate ill his net work, and the game ended as at first expected. Miss Powdrell and Miss liaker. in the second round of the singles, played a prolonged game of long lobs. The light was failing and the dewfalling, which militated considerably against the players, but the Tnrnnaki competitor Had the greater staying power, and won o—li, o—3, (i—4. DETAILS OF THE PLAY.

Men's Championship Singles. First round—C. J. Dickie won from J. Paton (default); 11. Al. Gore beat T. R. Cooke, li—4, o—4, 0—1; J. C. Swaiuson beat H. \V. Brown, (i—4, o—3, 4—(i, 3—li, U—4; X. R. Quill beat J. C. Nicholson, 2—li, li—2, o—2, o—3. Second round— F. M. Is. Fisher beat It. Bauchop ti—2, o—2, o—4; C. C. Cox beat A. young, o—2, o—l, o—2; U. G. Didsbury beat .). A. lirailsford, 0-3, ll—o, 0-0; H. A. Parker beat W. Pcarse, 0-1, o—3, 0—0; G. V. Smyth beat W. A. Brown, G—4, o—l, 8—0; J. Peacock beat A. G. Wallace, 0-0, 0-2, 8-0; C. J. Dickie beat 11. M. Gore, B—o, 0-3, 0-4; T. 11. Quill beat .1. G. Swaiuson, o—4, o—7 (Swainson retired). Ladies' Championship Singles. First round—Miss Kelletl Baker beat -Miss 11. llitchings, o—l, 0—0; Miss Ward beat Miss A. M. Batham, 0-1, 0-3; Miss K. M. Nunneley beat Miss L. Van Staveren, «—u, li—l); Miss L. Powdrell beat Miss I). I'dv, o—o, (i—l. .Second round—Miss E. 'Travels beat Miss B. Cock, 0-0, ti—l: Miss K. M. Nunneley beat .Miss !,. Van Staveren, 0-0, «■•-()': Miss Powdrell beat Miss Baker, 0-0, 0-3, 0-4. Men's Championship Doubles. First round—Sinyllie and Didsbury beat (lore and Young, o—l, 0-4, 8 0:' Fisher and Peacock beat Cooke and ISaiicliup, o—2, li- 1. o—2. Second round—Swaiiwon and Swaiuson beat Nicholson and Griffiths, (i- 3, o—3, 2—o, I—o, B—o. Ladies' Championship Doubles.—First round—Misses Ntiunclev and Baker beat Mrs. Golilio and Mi.ss Cock, li—), o—3; Misses Gray and Powdrell bent -Misses W'ellwood and llitchings, (I—l, 0-3; Misses Batham and Van Staveren boat Mrs l/dv and Miss K. Dickie, 0-0/0-2. li -4.

Combined Championship Doubles.— First round—Parker and Miss Powdrell beat \V. 11. Swaiuson and Miss Grant. 0 0. 0-0; Pearee and Miss Gray beat Siuyih" and Miss Jackson. 0—3,'0—2; Dickie and Miss Kellett Baker beat 11. W. ISruwn and .Miss Travel's, o—l, 0-1; Cox and Miss Ward hual Young and Miss Pallium. 0-1, 0-2: Fisher and .Miss Nunneley beat Peacock and Miss Wollwood. 04, S-(i; Cooke and Miss llitchings beat lieauchop and Mrs. Goldio, 0-0, 0-0. Second roundParker ami Miss Powdrell beat Cox and Miss Ward. (1-0, o—3. o—4.

I'KIOSEXT CHAMPIONS. .Men's Singh's—A. V. Wildiii". Ladies' Singles-Mios Xiiiiuclcy. lien's Doubles—Cox and Parker. _ Ladies' Doubles—.Misses Xiimicley and Combined Doubles—.Mis ri Powdrell and A. F. Wilding.

TO-DAY'S PLAY. Play will be resumed this morning at ».30, and continued right through the day. Semi-finals will be vent-lied, and some exciting games should he witnessed. 'Hie following are the opening games: -Men's Championship Singles Parker iind Smyth, Cox ami Peacock, Fisher nnd Dickie. Ladies' Oliampiou,shi» Singles-Miss Ward iind .Miss Well wood Combined Doubles-Misses Batham and Van Stavoren v. Hisses Xuunelev and Baker.