Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), Saturday 30 March 1912, page 23


LAWN TENNIS.

WILDING WINS AT MONTE CARLO.

(From- Our Special Correspondent.)

London, February 23, 1912.

The famous New Zealand lawn tennis player, A. F. Wilding, scored heavily at the" Monte Carlo International Tournament completed last Saturday. He was at the top of his form throughout the tourney, and not only won the men's singles, but he and Fraulein Rieck carried off the mixed

doubles.

By winning the singles (Monte Carlo champions.hip). for the third time. Wilding added another splendid cup to his gallery of tennis trophies, the Challenge Cup, being valued at £120. By far the most dan series of Wilding's competitors in this event was Max Decugis. whom the New Zealander vanquished in the semi-final round after losing a very tough first Pet at 9-11. Excellent lawn tennis, with some exhilarating volleying by both men. saw the second set go to Wilding at 7-5, but in the third Decugis "tired to nothing," and. was beaten by 6 games to 1.

In the final Wilding had an easy task to beat C. Moore, who could only claim three games out of 21 played, and reached defeated by 3 sets to love 6-3, 6-0. 6-0.

In the mixed doubles Monte Carlo championship. Wilding and partner encountered Count Balm and Miss M. Tripp in the semi-finals. A fine first set saw the New Zealander and Miss Rieck win at 8-5, but the second went to their rivals at 6-3 Their efforts in this set, however, left them very tired, and Wilding and partner, staying much better, played them off their feet and won, 6-1,

In the final their- opponents were A Wallis "Myers and Miss I. Tripp. start the pair could do little -against Wilding and Miss Riek. who beat them, 6 0, 6-3, without

much trouble. J",

Concerning the bout between Wilding and Decugis in the semi-final round of the singles, the special correspondent of the London "Daily Telegraph" says:

"Wilding started rather anxiously, and was lucky to win the first three games In the fourth game he was 40-0 on hisown service, but at this stage Decugis? struck his game, and thenceforward until the end of the third set the men were dead level In the main the rallies were conducted from the back of the court, and it was the champion's creator steadinessthat ultimately pulled him through. Wilding came to the net at his peril, and later on he abandoned rallying altogether. > Or. the other hand Decugis made several bril Jiant coups at short range, especially shin- ing with his forehand cross volley, a fine party to Wilding's backhand drives. The winner's only fault was a tendency to test too freely to anything in the nature of a short Volley. Wilding was. within a point of the first set, and must be applauded for carrying it so far," for he had a nasty fall when Decugis led at 5-5, blood stream

; over the handle of his racket. In the second set the champion was always

game to the fore. It was keenly contested; but after Wilding led 4-25, Decugis. -re alleging that his chance of victory had gone obviously stopped. The victory proved very popular among the Large English crowd, and the champion was given, a rousing reception

at the finish.''

ss.

' STICKING TO TRADITION.

The All-England # Lawn Tennis Club has considerably surprised followers of the game by its decision to retain the challenge round in the All-England. Championship. There are of course, differences of opinion among lawn tennis players as to the advisability of allowing the champion to stand down until the challenge round, but when the matter was discussed after Roper Barrett's physical- collapse when moving Wilding at Wimbledon last year it was understood that, providing Wilding, the holder of the championship was agreeable to a change, the champion would be called upon to play the competition. As Wilding had won his title under certain conditions it was felt that changes could not be made without his consent. Later it became known that Wilding was not

only willing himself to play through, but thought it the more equitable system, and, in fact, he brought the question before the All-England Club in a manner that could not be ignored by formally requesting that the holder of the championship should in future have to stand on an equal footing with' the other players.

On the strength of this request most people interested took it for granted that the change would be made. But the AllEngland L.T.C. committee have decided otherwise. In communicating their decision to r. Wilding, the committee stated that the arguments in favor of change in the conditions of the championship

do not appear to be of sufficient' weight to justify departure from the traditional system, and that from the evidence for their they are not able to decide whether either player in the challenge round has an advantage.

At the annual general meeting last Tuesday a number of reasons against the change were put forward by Mr. A. W. Gore in his presidential speech, but some of his remarks suggest that the question of gatemoney had not a little to do with the committee's decision to stick to the traditional system.

ORROROO, March 27. The lawn tennis club met in the institute yesterday evening. There was a good attendance. The secretary reported that the team membership totalled 40 members. The balance-sheet showed a credit balance of £2 10/. It was agreed to arrange a tournament soon after Easter. Votes of Hunks were passed to Mr. J Bills, and other gentlemen, as well as the ladies, who provided afternoon tea.