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LAWN TENNIS.
- .
LAWN TENNIS JOTTINGS.
By WIMBLEDOX.
far this season players have had nothing" much J
to complain of as tar as weather is concerned, and ?
Suturi'iiy last, except for a somewhat gusty north
wind and a slight thower towards the close of the ^
afternoon, was again very pleasant for tennis.
Tlie best match of the day was between the
M.C.C. and Malvern. The latter team were with
out the services of Frankenberg, and played Ballan
1yuc, who, in the rubber with Mills and
Tatchell, played well lip to expectations. Dun
lop and H. Heath were too good, however, for
llowitt and Ballantyne, against whom they com
mented, and took the rubber, 6-1, 6-2. The
opening l ubber between Chri^> and Heath and Mills !
and late-hell was the best of the day, all four i
players showing excellent form, though Malvern
ultimately proved their superiority, the scores being
(>-3, 4-a, 0-2 in their favour. This match com
| k'UJy knocked Ciirisp up, who was playing against
the doctor's orders, and C. Heath had to do most I
of i iic work in the next round against Dunlop and
H. Heath. Dunlop, however, was not playing at
all a keen game, and the rubber was closer than,
was expected, the M.C.C. finally winning it, G-1,
0-6, <3-2. Some curious play was seen in the re
maining rubber of the day, end, with any luck,
Howitt and Ballantyne should have beaten Mills
mid Taiclicll two sets straight, Howilt was bring
ing- off his Yankee t'vist-serve to great effect, which
K'enicil to disconcert Mills; this had the effect of
making Tatchell press too much, and, after having
the lead, the Melbourne men allowed the Malvern
pair four or five times to get within a point of the
set. The M.C.C.. however, ultimately just won
it, 6-5. After this, strange to Bay, they went com
pletely to piece?, Howitt and Ballantyne taking a
love set from them. Then at last the Melbourne
men got going, and rattled off the final set, G-1;
Melbourne thus winning the match by three rub
bers to one.
Onibciv, ell bad a very easy match witli Graee
pcik, though England and Campbell (who was able
to play apaiii): gave on excellent account of them
selves, mid did their beet to put up a fight for
Grace-park. The first set between this pair and
Bernard and Spence was very close, as "five-all"
was called. Then, however, Spence got in one or
two stinging services, and Camberwell took the
tci-ft-5. Tlie next set they won very easily
(0-3); while they romped through Fitchett and
Rowe (C-4, G-2). If Barnard and Spence con
tinue iu tlie form they are now showing, they ought
to establish a record this 6eason of never losing a
rubber, and hardly a set. Lyeett is not playing at
all up to form, with the result that Blair tries to do
too much, and, though they beat both the Grace
park pairs, the margin was a good deal narrower
than it thou'.d have been; and they went perilously
near losing the rubber to Campbell and England.
Against ihie pair they won-6-2, 1-0, 0-7; and
limy beat Fitchett and Howe, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
Hie University had somewhat hard luck in not
scoring a win against Fitzroy on Saturday, as, had
it not been for darkness coming- on, Laurie and Ro
bertson would probably have beaten Gaunt and
' Dickson, and this would have given the University
the match by one set, had Boss and Nelly beaten
Green and Miller, as it looked certain they would.
However, the University had ccrtainly the best of
the luck in finding Gaunt and Dickson both off
colour, and, as it was quite impossible to play on,
it wiis derided to replay the whole match, and it
will piobflblv be played on Monday next.
Tiie Fccona class matches which were played last
week wore all very one-sided, with one exception,
n lie University beat Melbourne by three rubbers to
one; V ad lure continued their victorious career by
licsiing Malvern by four rubbers to nil; while St.
liilda beat Trinity, also, at that 6core. Camber
well, however, tied with South Yarra, each side
scoring two rubbers, four sets, and 38 games.
The annual tournament at Bendigo, which used
to be played on the Queen's Birthday, is now
played on the Prince of Wales' Birthday, and
v.'as this year as great a success as ever. In ad
dition to the local players, pairs came from
Kc-htiea, Castlemaine, and the neighbourhood,
while Spence and Lindley, E. T. Barnard and
Boltcii, C. Barnard and Anderson, and Hunt and
Scott represented Melbourne. The players were
divided into two divisions, and each pair In the
division played every other pair, in the Ameri
ca n system. The result of this was that Crowley
snd Busst, of Bendigo (who won the tournament
last year), came out the winners in their divi
sion. and had to ploy E. T. Barnard and Bolton
in the final, with the result that the local men
were again victorious, the score being G-3, 6-4
in their favour. All the competitors -were enter
tained at lunch by Mr. Harry Holmes, the presi
dent of the Bendigo Tennis Club, and in the
evening the annual tennis ball wag held. This
tvas attended by most of the pla}-ers, who danced
to an early hour in the morning, despite their
eEorls of the day. The Melbourne men returned
to town the following morning, "after," as one
«nd all expressed themselves, "a real good
time."
The following are the details of the scores in
last Saturday's premiership, matches:
Club. Rubbers. Jktp. Games.
Camberwell 4 8 53
Grace-park.. 2 37
M.C.C 8 7 C4
Hal vein 1 4 43
PREMIERSHIP LIST.
~~ f a , i u
, cub.
M.C.C 6 6 .. 10 10 100
Camberwell .... 5 4 1 10 8 .60
Malvern 4 2 2 8 4 .60
Bputh Yarra .... 4 2 2 8 4 .SO
University 8 1 2 0
Fitwoy 8 .. 3 0
Grace-park-.. .. .. 4 .. 4 8
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