Tennis enthusiasts were indebted to the Lawn Tennis Association for arranging the exceedingly attractive fixture with California University men at the Cercle Sportif on Saturday afternoon, Three matches were down for decision, Parbuny and Elmore meeting Bates and Wilson, and Sheldon and Tanaka contesting the singles with Jensen and Conrad, but rain unfortunate. ly compelled cessation of play just when the games were reaching their most interesting. stage. A more prompt beginning might have been made, but it is doubtful whether the time thus saved would have enabled the players to complete their games.
Interest. centred principally in the doubles contest, which was watched with keen interest by a large crowd. Parbury was making his first appearance as a representa. tive of Shanghai and justified anticipations by playing a brilliant game. Shanghai won the first two sets with a 7-5 score and the players were settling down to a great struggle when rain put an end to the third set with the score at 6 all. The match was distinctly interesting, and proved one of the best witnessed in Shanghai for some seasons. Parbury's service was a feature of his play. He gave the ball an extraordinarily deceptive tivist, sacrificing speed for "spin," with the result that the striker had practically to apply himself to getting a return and rarely scored on the stroke, or even gave a difficult return. Throughout the game, Parbury played consistently well, his placing being neat and judicious and lobbing very effective. Elmore, of the four players, had the least effective service, but at the same time he played a_ strong gama and made few palpable errors. The Californian pair at times played brilliant tennis, but generally were not quite so steady as their opponents and impetuosity lost them a number of points. Bates has a terrific service and frequently scored an ace. whilst he got in a number of finely judged drives. The diminutive Wilson also gave an interesting exhibition, and was particularly effective at the net, scoring frequently with the neatest imaginable strokes. In combination, however, they were not so sound as the Shanghai pair and occasionally allowed the ball to pass between them without an effort, a weakness which Parbury was not slow in discovering and using. It is more than possible that the visitors were handicapped by the light and temperature, which must have been rather trying for them.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.