ON THE COURTS

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 284, 4 January 1930, Page 13

ON THE COURTS

(Notes by "Racquet.")

GREAT TENNIS 'AT HASTINGS TENNIS NEWS AND VIEWS

Always a popular fixtur© during the holiday period, the Hastings Club's annual tourney, whicli concluded in record tini© on Monday, was more tban usually successful .tliis year. Th© entries -n-'ere well up to scratch, tlie gatliering was smiled on by the clerk of th© weather, and some excellent tennis was seen, particularly in som© of th© semi-fiuals and finals. Th© tournament arrangementst were as near perfect as could be wislied for, and th© nianner in wbich the various events were expedited reflects the liighest credit on the club's executive officers. malfroy in form All other perfonnances at the meeting paled before that of Cam. Malfroy, th© popular young Wellingtonian , who figured in no less than four finals and won in three. He has obviously benefited in physique by his- spell in the country, and he played better tennis during th© course of the tourney than he has played in any of his otlier appearances in Hawke's Bay. If h© maintains his present foim he should b© a certainty for a tennis blue when h© visits th© Homeland and goes up to Cambridge sliortly. Tt is more than probabl© that h© will h© seen in action at Wimbledon nest year. His singles match xvith .Tim Lowry, in the final of the championship, was wortli going a long way to watrh. The Hawke's Bay first man was also playing great tennis. and a rousing battle between the pair liad th© gallery highly excited. Partnered by Lucas, the promising Dunedin colfcj who won th© junior men's singles, Malfroy was not so successful in the men's doubles, where Milburn and Lowry, Hawke's Bay first pair, once again demonstrated what a great doubles combination tliey are, but with Miss Johnston he liad a win in two sets over Lowry and Miss Ormond in th© mixed. although the losing pair ran liim to seven games in 63cll get With a liandicap of "owe 20." Malfroy and Lucas just scraped honie in th© men's liandicap doubles against Pearc© and Potter (10). odds 'and ends Hohin, of Waipawa, did well throughout th© tournament and won

th© Hastings Plat© very comfortably with a 6 — 2,6 — 3 victory over Pearce. Miss Fanniu was equally successful in beating Miss Hogg hy a fair margin in th© ladies' section of th© plate. On© oi" the most promising junior players in Hawke's Bay at tli© present tim© is Miss Budd, of th© Hastings Club, who romped liom© after a reverse in tli© first sot of the junior ladies' singles final against another promising player in Miss Glenny. Gonsiderahl© interest attached to th© ineeting of Mrs Milburn and Miss Haggitt in th© final of th© ladies' singles, but th© match did not prove as exciting as had been anticipated, for the Napier lady, playing at the very top of lier form, won quit© comfortably. Miss Haggitt, however, had lier reveng© when, partnered by Miss Fannin, she heat Mrs Milburn and Miss Ormond 6 — 3, S — 6 in th© final of th© ladies' doubles. don't criticise On© of th© little pleasures _ of tournament Wjatching is to criticise the umpire's or linesmen's ruliug. "The ball was in" you say confidently when th© umpire gives ifc out. Th© people rouud you possihly agree, but in an enlightened community they will dump you off th© stand and ha,ve you put out of th© grounds as an enemv of good tennis. No oue oan tell whether a ball is out exespt tli© man looking along th© line. Now if trained ohservors cannot tell whether a stutionary hall is in or oufc, liow can anyone tell wher© a ball lands travelling at a speed of niany yards per second . Tt 'appears that onlookers should not express an opinion unless they ar© looking along th© linp. If they ar© genllenien they will not speak even then. LTmpires have to express their views, so if they will call all douhtful balls good that land near the base ancl servic© fines, they will not be far wrong. In connection with this it will be often found that a too conscientious or mayb© a theaf ricallv-minded, player will dispute a service with th© umpire. To th© receiver of tli© servic© ihe hall will loolc good and to the umpire th© ball will appear to have missed th© line. It is wortli knowing that a little latitud© can be used in calling a fault. Th© receiver will in nearly every case he satisfied.