A LAWN TENNIS CHAMPION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9654, 19 November 1909, Page 7

A LAWN TENNIS CHAMPION.

Mr Anthony Wildinu's victory in the Victorian lawn tennis championship must be considered the greatest effort of his tennis career. The Christchurch player has always recognised as his superior the great Australian player whom he has jn-t defeated When the two met re a friendly game in Melbourne ;t years ago Brookes won fairly easily, ana Wilding 011 his arrival here said there was no one in the colnny equal to the Victorian. In the current issue of the "Lone Hand" magazine, Mr Wilding, in an interesting article on lawn t-jnnis, expresses the confident opinion that Brookes it the finest player the worid has ever, seen. That is, of course, purely a personal opinion, though we adtn it that Mr Wilding speaks as an expert; H. L. Doherty is the greater name in the tennis world, and many English players and critics would maintain that he was a Detter man than Brookes. Unfortunately a match was never played between the two under satisfactory conditions. By defeating Brookes, then, Wilding may be said to have climbed to the highest rung of the tennis ladder. Hitherto he has Deen placed below the Australian. But that he has greaty improved in the last year or two was shown by liis phy in the Davis Cup contests in Sydney, when, v in the deciding match, it lay witn him whether Australia retained the Cup or surrendered it to America. By his defeat of Alexander he enhanced his already high reputation as a brilliant player, and confounded the critics who thought he ought not tu have been chosen. It is as certain as anytning can be in games that Brookes and Wilding will again represent Australia in the forthcoming ccnt'st for the Cup. The Amer ican players have been gei.trally considered to have a poor chanc>', but a cable on Monday last described them as capable of great possibilities. It is to be hoped the coniejts for the Cup may some day be played in New Zealand. The pl»y i», the | Australasian championships here a few years ae;o gave lovers of the game an idea of what really firstclass tennis is like and to most of those present must huve been a revelation that whetted the appetite for more. Lawn tennis has long sifice ceased to be regarded as an effeminate game. Every year it is becoming more popular in a score of countries, and'the general standard of play is steadily rising. A visit frc'm Brookes and first class English and American players would be of great benefit xo the game in New Zealand.