LAWN TENNIS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 160, 23 November 1912, Page 7

LAWN TENNIS.

The Fitzroy grass court •> arc now for play, and player-, arc I'imung fairly keen. The club lias made a i.u.i'l with its combined American iiauuk'.iit competition. The couple moat, aduuiced in the competition are Miss Sole and E. Armstrong, wiio have played four panics, winning two, and Miss X. Jackson and W. Lints, who have played three games, winning one. The Xew Plymouth club will shortly get its competitions under way. The greens are in splendid order. The Park Tennis Club's courts were fully occupied oil Thursday. One of the courts, however, lias not been used so far this season, the new grass being t.oo tender, but it should he available by the end of next week. Tuesdays have been set apart for ladies, commencing with next Tuesday. Eight new member were elected on Thursday, making ' -.inpresent season.

THE DAVIS ( l'!>. "Austral" has some intercsttug remarks on the form shown by the Davis Cup competitors. "For some weeks." he says, "Brookes and Alf Dunlop have been in splendid form, the latter superlatively so. and more than occasional were the sets he captured from ;!io champion. Then came a practice match, with Xorman out to win the best of five sets, and lie got his three straight away, Alf having to be content with as many games, although Dunlop mis probably never before been in such good trim. Australasia need not worry about the singles form of these two players. Their double combination of late is beyond criticism. Up to the end of last week the foim and condition of Hod. Heath was such as to cause headquarter.-, some uneasiness. Rut, on Wediie-.iay last, in rather sultry beat, lie pu-iied Brookes to 'vantage sets. On Thurniay. against A. Campbell, who always extends him. after losing a 'vantage set. be played with confidence and ease, and won the next, two sets (I —t. 6—2. finishing up the afternoon by beating l.veett (i—<>. Heath has got bis drive 'well oiled.' and good off the ground as Lycett is, he bad no hope of success. The same afternoon Brookes and Dunlop finished up two set.-* all, after a strenuous game. On Friday Heath played Campbell once nunc, and though the latter led at 4—o and s—l5 —1 in the first set, and in no wise slackened lip, Heath settled down to cros,---court corner-driving, varied with accurate block volleying on his back hand, and had his opponent counted out B—(i,8 —(i, <J_2 ; fl—2, 6—2." These, items arc most encouraging. The Englishmen, though apparently not doing any strenuous practice play so far, are so unobtrusively excellent that "even money clmnce"'is the,current phrase among tennis folk, and the return to form and condition of Rod Heath is very welcome. Playing against Brookes, Campbell's average is two games in a set, and that for an inter-State champion. >,