LAWN TENNIS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 305, 30 December 1907, Page 2

LAWN TENNIS.

NKW ZEALAND (JIjAAIPIONWUP MEKiTiXU, THE COX'JLUniNU DAMES. lilt: iiuul game* of_ tho Xc\y Zealand jAtrtJi iennis champions]) p u:e<ting wore played on Saturday in .llio s.imu delJiglhU'u'H w.ealher as Jiad been exjjerieiieed for the two previous days play. There n T a.s again a very huge attendance—the record fur the meeting. 'I he .scene mi ilie courts during tli l progress oi' the afternoon games was a brilliant one, Uie grniuUtaml and every available inch along Hie -sides of the courts being occupied, and most o*' I lie spectators were ladies. Tlu> play was watched with the keenest interns!, and as the games played were finals ami ami semi-finals some excellent and spirited tennis was 'Die courts were still in fine order, hut showing Some effects of the continous use in the championship tournaments. Miss Powdre.ll was the only Taranaki ady engaged in the conclusive games. 1 and with 11. A. Parker annexed the championship doubles. The same player Ava.s in the lin:»l of the ladies' doubles and ladies' singles, but was not able to wre>t the championship honors from Miss Xnnneley. who won the singles for 5 (he thirteenth, time, and with M'ns Kel!clt Uaker anuexed the doubles. The opinion was freely expressed that hail Miss Powdreli forced the play in the , singles, instead of allowing her tired op* lonenl long rests between the isets, the ,-esult »vould have been closer—perhaps different. The Taranaki player's strong point is her wonderful endurance, lmt the eiiipiette of tennis apparently forbade her making the best use of her staying powej's. The men's singles, as expected, fell to Parker, who won from Quill. Dickie and Wallace, of Waverley, scored an immensely popular victory in the double*, beating Fisher and Peacock in a live-set match.

The combined championship finftl was <ot n ! ]' in the forenoon, when Parker ind Powdrell met Fisher and Jfis.s \utineley, the first pair winning principally by the good generalship of I'avker. iliss Pmvdiell managed most succcv' I'ully on the back line, and Parker played generally well up to the net. Fisher was not too accurate in his placing, and his service lacked st'ng. After the luncheon adjournment came the fin.il of the men's singles, between Parker and Quill. Humors that. Parker would let Quill olf lightly were flatly

contradicted by those in the know, for the Australian had informed Quill that he would give '>> m "° quarter. This was quite borne out as tjie games proceeded, although, the Canterbury player was unable to keep l'arker extended. At fir same (line, he played pluckily, and at limes had the veteran keen oil the defensive. In the first set lie hold the advantage, but Parked snieked the next three, and won the sot, (i—4, amidst great applause. The next set saw Parker 011 his game, and his opponent seemed to develop nervousness, lie was "tied up" by the placing of Parker's drives, and Parker won a love Bet, U—o. Quill took the first game in the third set, but in the next he failed to get the ball up, I —l. The Canter bury player took the next two, but Parker made the final winning bit in till fifth, sending a hard one down the sid< line after having played his man out 0 position, 3—2. The jjext was a soft 0111 for Parker, but Quill brought life seori 4—l by neat placing on the sides au< some accurate drives. The ninth ganu was a long one and distressing to bo'tl players, Parker winning this and tin next, (i—4. Parker continued to ben his opponent with head play, drivinj hard from corner to corner and dowl 1 tbv s ! dp for a winning hit. The seventi ; and cigl,ii.h gallics yypre stubbornly eon . tested, with' softie excellent side-lin play. In the piifth Quill \Vas seijtUxn his shots iftto the jjiet, and Parker tool tin! set, C—3, whining Ifj' three sets t

111 the, ladies' singles the crowd selected JJiss I'owdrell as favorite. The play wan interesting right through, Miss Powdrell lobbing beautifully afld getting in some excellent returns. But JJlss Xunneley's effective cross-coriier cuts too often proved the winning hits. She also took considerable risk with heavy overhand cuts, some of which failed. At the eighth game in the first set Miss Powdrell met Miss Nunneley at her own game along the side-line, but with less accuracy. The next provided a long fatiguing Bet, in which Miss Nunneley suffered most, but she won the game. The tenth opened with a long, rally, ■which was finished by Jliss I'owdrell gding outside from an ineffectual backhand crOSs-Court drive. Then Jliss Nunneley played for position, sent down a har<( oye to the corner, Miss I'owdrell returning pjeyp'fly, bift she way- unable to get up for » short vsfpn siiieked to the other side, and the >wt ended iff Jffss Xunneloy's favor, t»— 1. In the next Jliss i'owdrell played a safe game, and put in (f.Yfelient forehand drives, besides some clever backhand shots. Hut she was not depending 100 niui-'li o» (he latter stroke. Iler play was kept too. much in the centre of the court, and lacked variety, Miss Xunneley scoring frequently with her favorite hit across the cojpt. The score was even at I—l am! 2—2. buf, then Jliss Powdrell took the lead, Jliss Nunneley showing signs of fatigue, 4—2. The champion got in clever ■ strokes 011 the sides and won the next, and after two long and tiring rallies brought the score to 4 all. The next fell to Ji : «s Nunncley. At 40—1!0 t in the next set one shot might well decidc the match, for Miss Ntmneloy had only to get it to win. There was subdued excitement as, after a brilliant exchange, flfp deuce was 1 reached. Jliss i'owdrell got ii(>011)1.' ITjfctivo backhand shots, hilt her opponent tijj eyery ounce, and secured vantage, Tl|ei| again the Taranaki lady placed a winning shot, and the order was "us yon wore." A cross-corner cut gave Jliss Xunneley the game, net o—4, and the championship, /)■ I. "I was playing as I never played tititou-," flk' champion was heard to remark to soino (fiends. Both players were considerably exhausted at : the close of the match. Both flic doubles provided very exciting games, and the results were in dojjbj; ,ri<jht to the finish. SiTpiUHV'S KJiSULTS.

-Men's Singles.—i'jiiijl: 11. A, Parker (Sydney) beat X, ii'/ t'/uil) ("Christcliiucli), I—(i, li-U, (i- /, Ladies' Singles.—Third lo'-ud: Miss Nunneley (Wellington) beat AliSs A. Ward (Wellington), o—l, (i—3. final: Miss Xunncley beat Miss Powdrell, (!—l, (i—l. "" ■

Men's i)oubleri,~-JJicJ;i'e and Wallace beat ilrown and Cox, 7—.'J,lo—B; Fisher and Peacock, a bye from .Swainson and Swainson. Final: Dickie and Wallace beat Fisher and Peacock, 7—5, )h o—3, o—l.

Oil f-'ijturcjlay pyey-ii/g the visiting players were entertained al: a dance in the JSruugham-stri'et hill), aitd there the prizes were distributed, Ojj Sunday afternoon the visitors were driven to "Aotea" to enjoy the delights of Messrs. Sole s natural bush.

TARANAKI TOUKNAMHNT. OPENS TO-DAY. The Taranaki lowumrjri starts at U. 30 o'clock this morning. TJ)i; following player.-; in the first round of tli.' championship singles must he roiHjly -tn start at tinn-: —Messrs. Parker. Cooke, i oung, Hurley, .Morris, l'e;jcock, Dickie, Pcarse. Uauchop, and .Suiytlie, 'J here are -J.U) limit-lifts to be played in the four days, and phiyeps are requested to assist tU« maitagemcij; by promptly responding when called upon to start plav, else they will be liable to be scratched.

The tournament ehould prove a very one, as many of the defeated ' ones in the .Mtv X»sland ehampionship nu-eting j will endeavov io tables on their compiei'ors in this tnui'ttyi^enk. All the players who took part in the championship matches suv istaying for the present tournament except Misses I'.dy and Van Staveren and Messrs. W. A. Urmvjf, ftpre, and J. 0. and W. 11. Swainsau.

AVCK LAN I) TOURNAMENT. Per Press Association. Auckland. Haturdav. The Auckland provincial tennis championships will be decided next. week, commencing on Wednesday, and concluding on Saturday. The entries are the liirgetjl in tournament; history in Auckland, the total being 2115, including those of visitors from ChrUtehurch. Taranaki, the Waikaio. and AVhaiigftrt-i,

| KOITH CANTERBURY CILUIPTONSIUPS. I Ashburton, Last N T ight. A three days' lawn tenirs tournament under the auspices of tlie Ashburton Tennis Ohil) was completed on Saturday afternoon, and was most successful. There were over two hundred entries, and the matches -included Die South Canterbury championship* and handicapped games. The results of the finals j were as follows:—Men's singles (South Canterbury championship) H Qllivler

bent C. CI. White, o—3, s—o, O—J; men's doubles (South Canterbury championship)—W. (ioss and (.!. OllivU-r beat A. 1). and K. A. Cox, 4-0, o—4, (I—■>■, Indies' singles (,South Canterbury championship)— Alias W. Hislop lieat Hiss 10. Jackson, o—l, o—s; men's singles handicap { first grade)—H. .Manning beat A. 1* n'lilaiulcr, 7- —men'r, .singles haiuli'nl» (second grade)—P. K. Chirk beat I), li. (raig, U—3; ladies' .singles handicap—.Miss !,. Sonter beat .Miss Hislop, !l—3; men's doubles handicap A. I), and K. A. Cox beat C. T. Cull' and 1!. .Manning, 1) 5; ladies' doubles handicap----•\lrs. Perry and Miss Soutcr beat Alosdames Lord and Papps. !)-0 ; combined handicap-C. 10. Weir and Aliss 10. Tonmint beat C. T. Cull' and Airs. Cull', o—s