Ex-members Again Wield Racquets on Old Boys' Day.

Dismal Failure of Club Champs.

Another Tournament has come and gone since the last issue of "Smad." An account of how our tennis reps, acquitted themselves will be found elsewhere in this number. While it is disappointing for us to be forced to relax our admittedly [unclear: precarious] grip on the Tennis Cup, it is our pleasure to congratulate our kindred Club at Canteroury Coll on the fine performance it achieved in bagging four titles out of five.

The weather god was in a beneficent good for the match with the representatives of the "Old Boys," which took place on the 1st. April. That this fixture, which cannot but be in the best interests of the Club, has been definitely revived due in no small measure to the interest and enthusiasm displayed by Mr. Eichelbaum, who captained the old Boys' team. The afternoon passed pleasantly for the members of each team, both off the courts as well as on them. 'Varsity won by 7 matenes to 2. Detailed results are as follows. Old Boys Being mentioned first:—

Singles.—Mr. Justice Smith beat P. E. Webb 9—5: Mr. C. W. Batten lost to W. S. Harris 8—10; Mr. Arthur Fair lost to A. Hutchison 7—9; Mr. P H. Putnam lost to R. J. Nankervis 7—9; Mr. S. Eichelbaum lost to J. L. MacDuff 0—9; Mr. A. H. Johnstone lost to F. J. Donovan 7—9.

Doubles.—Smith and Johnstone lost to Webb and Donovan 1—6, 2—6; Fair and Batten beat Hutchison and Nankervis 6—4. 6—5; Eichelbaum and Putnam lost to Harris and MacDuff 5—6. 3—6.

In spite of the excellent start which was made with the Club Championships, and in spite of the efforts of the Committee, it is now necessary to report the dismal fact that with the season practically page 9 ended only one out of live titles has been finalised. This one is the Ladies' Doubles, which went; to Misses Line and Longmore, the University Doubles champions. It seems a great pity that the champs, fizzle out when they reach the most interesting stage. For instance, in the men's singles, which is in the worst position, each of the remaining matches would have been well worth watching. In the top half Black was to have met the winner of Ferkins and Simpson; in the lower, J. McCarthy was drawn to play the winner of Gosnell and Davys.

It is not necessary here to enter into the question of which particular player or players have delayed the completion of the champs. On the other hand, it is perhaps advisable, even at the risk of being provocative, to draw attention to a condition of affairs which is becoming traditional, but none the less farcical. Year after year some or other of the Club titles are undecided. It would be possible to prevent this by enforcing the time limit for the completion of each round more strictly. In this Club it would lead in all probability to another farce, viz., the holding of the title by a second-rater. Championships are so usual in a Club's affairs that it should be unnecessary to stress their general advantages.

In this Club, where one sees so little of the senior players on our own courts, they ought to have two special advantages worthy of mention, as follows:—(1) as an adjunct to the ladder in selecting teams for inter-club matches and for Tournament; (2) by giving the junior players an occasional opportunity of improving their play by watching senior players in action. It seems unfortunately only too clear, and other evidence is not lacking to support the contention, that some at least of the senior players do not give the whole-hearted interest which is expected from members of other tennis clubs outside 'Varsity, as well as from the members of clubs other than the Tennis Club inside the College.