THE CHINA MAIL, AUGUST, 9, 1989.
THE COUNTY LAWN SPORTS
TENNIS TITLES Struggles To Gain Promotion
CENTRE COURT
PLAYERS
London, July 30.
While the Davis Cup has been reaching its antepenultimate stages in the American and in the European zone, writes F. R. Bur- row, interest in the game in this country has, during the past week, been mainly confined to the "battles of the groups all over the coun-
try for the Inter-County Championships on grass courts."
The struggles of the various coun- ties, either to reach the top of their group and so move into a higher group next year, or to avoid occupy ing the last place, which entails de- scent into a lower, have never made any impression on the daily papers,
which seldom do more than give a brief account of the previous day's results in the top group of the men's and women's competitions and ignore the struggles of the less distinguished counties altogether; but the players in all of these matches throughout the competition undoubtedly get ́a
groat deal of fun out of them and a week's stay at many pleasant places.
The Middlesex ladies have not been so dominant in their competition, for Surrey have won eighteen times to their twelve; only once in the last thirty-two years has any other coun- ty broken into this metropolitan mono- poly. This was Sussex, în 1925, when their chief opponents made the mis- take of underrating their abilities, and consequently (and rightly) had to pay for it.
Middlesex retained the Ladies' Coun- ty Championship, which was conclud- ed at the Torbay Country Club on Friday.
The final totals were Mid- dlesex (holders), 5 wins; Warwick- shire, 3; Surrey, 3; Devon, 2: Kent, 1; Cheshire, 1. Kent and Cheshire are relegated to Group II.
PAIRS MATCH TODAY
The quarter-final Open Pairs match between H. Nish and W. Robson and W. Gill and G. Dun- can will be played to-day at Kow- loon Football Club.
matches, and J. Borotra, R. A. Shayes, and C. E. Malfroy three-no-one else more than two. Of the women, Miss Stammers had five, Mrs. Hammersley Miss four, and Mlle. Jedrzejowską, Helen Jacobs, Miss G. Wheeler, Miss N. B. Brown, Miss. R. M. Hardwick, and Miss B.. Nuthall three.
Of the fifteen "home" men who had a Centre-Court match, only seven play. ed there more than once; of the nine- teen "home" women (including a plate match), eleven had only one
match there. But statistics are dull stuff. let me finish with a human story. One day during the past Wimbledon I met an old friend, and congratulated her on being down to play that day on the Centre Court. "Yes," she said, "I was down to play there once when you were referee, but it came on to rain, and next day the match was put It has been the dream of my life to play there, and
on to another court.
Of the two competitions, the men's is more appreciated by those who take part in it; playing women's doubles
I suppose that to play a match on and nothing else for a week on end the Centre Court is the crown of most does not appear, from all I have heard Wimbledon players' hopes. To win year after year, to offer any very or lose it is of relatively small im- rapturous enjoyment to women, espe-portance; the fact of having played cially to those in the more lowly situat there at all is a life-long memory, now it's really going to happen." And ed counties. But they continue to Considering that there are only twelve, it did. turn out every year to play for their days' play in the championships at counties, all the same; and more credit Wimbledon, and that no more than to them.
five matches a day can be played on the Centre Court, as a rule that is to say, only about sixty matches in ali-it may be interesting to discover how many of the competitors at the recent meeting, just over 220 in all,
won
achieved that ambition.
FACTS AND FIGURES
TIE IN CAPTAIN'S CUP
M. J. Reidy and E. T. McMullen tied in their contest for the Captain's Cup played at Fanling on Saturday and Sunday.
Their scores were: M. J. Reidy E. T. McMullen
97-24-73 .80-7--73
YEARS OF ENDEAVOUR At the beginning of the week Middle sex were the holders both of the men's and the women's championships. In the men's they have
eighteen times out of the last twenty years. but now that both Surrey and York. shire have ploughed their way up into On analysing the daily programmes,
There will be a play-off. There were Group 1, after years of
extra endeavour, and adding in two or
three
The Optional Pool was Middlesex may have found their work, matches which were transferred from 27 entries. cut out for them during the week. outside courts, it will be found that cancelled. They are so well captained, however, no fewer than forty-three men and that even if by the time these lines thirty-two women appeared on.. the
The West Indies did not let up with are read they should have been dis- Centre Court at least once during the possessed of their honours, it should fortnight. That one occasion was the the ball or in the field, and the 12,900 not be long before they regain them. only one for twenty-two of the men people who had paid at the gate left It would be very pleasant to see War- and thirteen of the women. The larg-
well content with the knowledge that wickshire head the list for a change. cst number of matches played there, they had had their money's worth and The championship ought to go to the naturally, considering that american the hope that they had seen the cric country more often, and the Midland-players carried off all the champion- ket of the home team definitely on the ers certainly made an excellent start. ships, were played by Americans, of up grade-D. R. Jardine.
The men's competition
whom R. L. Riggs played twelye and cluded at Scarborough on Friday, and E. Cooke eleven; Mrs. Fabyan twelve Warwickshire, who came through un- and Miss Marble eleven neatly. balanc- beaten, scored their third victory. The ing the appearances of their men com-
patriots. final placings" in Group. I. were:-
Warwickshire, 5 wins; Middlesex (holders); 3; Surrey, 3; Kent, 8: Yorkshire, 2 Lancashire 0. Yorkshire and Lancashire thus go down to Group II..
SMOKE
was con-
No other players came anywhere near these four in respect of number of matches played there. Among the men J. Brugnon, F. Puncec, H.. Hen- kel, and F. H. D. Wilde each had four
(Continued from Col. 4) ment, could have beaten Roderick with
his left hand.
big
Jack would have felt like a bully, in the same ring with Arm strong, and would have won the world's championship in a ridiculously manner,"
Genuine C Ingenohl's
LA PERLA... ORIENTE
CIGARS
GUARANTEED HAND MADEI —-—-
C. INGENOILL'S CIGAR STORES
LA PERLA DEL ORIENT
easy
PARADE
THERE were probably a great many
followers of athletics in the Co- lony who were puzzled at the absence of reference to Sydney Wooderson, the amazing British miler and pre- sent holder of the world record for this distance, in connection with the August Bank Holiday meeting at White City.
Reason is that Wooderson will not run again this season. During A special mile ruce at Newcastle-on-Tyne on July 26, which Wooderson won in 4 mins., 15.2 secs., he strained him- self. The injury was not regarded as serious at the time, but, on returning to London, it became, worse.
A couple of days later he visited ad- a Harley Street specialist who vised him to rest till next year.
Wooderson, naturally disappointed, is nevertheless philosophical about it He realises that if he does any all. further racing this year he might injure himself permanently.
In a statement to a reporter, Wood- derson said: "I want to be fit for the Olympic Games, next year, so I m going to leave the track until next spring, and just look after myself. It is a great disappointment to me as I particularly wanted to run against Blaine Rideout on August Bank Holi- day.'
*
*
*
WOODERSON'S place in the Mile
was taken by S. E. W. Cox (Southgate Harriers.) Cox ran fourth in the A. A. A. Three Miles cham- pionship and third in the three mile race at Manchester a fortnight ago in which C. A. J. Emery set up a new British record.
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IT is noteworthy that the three
American athletes of whom great deeds were expected, were not men- tioned by Reuter as having met with any success at White City.
They are Watson, who was entered in the Shot, Discus and Long Jump, Batiate the high hurdler; and Miller the quarter-miler.
negroes.
Watson and Batiste are the former being probably the finest all-round athlete, in the world.
IN
* * *
.
to addition
the British and American entries, other countries
at represented the Meeting France, Belgium, Estonia, Greece and Luxemburg.
were
The three Estonians who competed are among the three best field events performers in the world. Kreek, in the shot put, is European champion and record-holder, and Kupsaar is the
best pole-vaulter on the Continent to- day.
M. B. Osendarp, the European sprint champion, was to have taken part but a muscle pulled in the re- cent A. A. A, championships will keep him out of action for some weeks yet.
#
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ALTHOUGH they may be rather out of date as regards the fight itself, comments on Henry the following
based Armstrong,
on his, display against Roderick, may be of sterest to boxing enthusiasts,
"The negro is terrific in his tireless method of fighting, throwing punches every second from every angle, and Frelentlessly coming forward all the
time.
I was prepared for this type of fighting, but I was disappointed. He's only go about two orthodox punches in his bag, namely, a left and right inside jolt to the head and body.
He frequently leads with
IS other punches are all swinga,
right and hasn't a straight punch his make-up.
He is not a great puncher, for ha must have landed hundreds of solid blows to Roderick's head, and nevar once brought him down an
It la condition more than, anything, else that is necessary fox, a fighter to heat this astonishing-negro
His pace is terrific, and, like his style of fighting, never: yakien for, the duration of the bout,
Remembering that he is, only a
man (5) he f ichting Chak, süch as will robably never bo bligated for maji
Poor
He did
Henry but
enough WaRU
van dong
he cou unchen ald
Carroll, us ( the time of HIV
on Colug)