EASTER TENNIS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 85, 10 April 1943, Page 8

EASTER TENNIS

HARD COURT TOURNAMENT WINDMILL ROAD PROGRAMME After a quiet period since the Auckland championships in January, and the finals of. the inter-club competitions in February (during which tennis clubs have devoted their energies to conducting their own affairs), attention in tennis circles in Auckland will shortly be focused on the last attraction for the 1942-43 season, wliich will be. the Easter Hard Court Tournament at the Windmill Road courts, running from April 23 to April 26. This fixture is expected to attract a large entry, and arrangements will be in the capable hands of Mr. J. S. Broun, assisted by Mr. Lan Kerr, backed up by a committee consisting- ol Messrs. S. G. Wright, R. Dixon, J. A. Fernandez, R. Armitage, C. D. Bowler, A. Huckstep and S. King. The draw is scheduled for publication on April 20. In previous years post entries have been allowed, and there is no reason to expect that there will be any departure from precedent this year. ' .

The tournament will give the senior players their first and last chance this season to compete with each other on an equal basis as the Christmas tourney was a handicap one, and the Auckland championships held in January did not cater for any other classes excepting the intermediates and juniors. In addition there is every prospect that this tournament may well be the last staged for some time owing to the scarcity of tennis balls. There are three sections available to prospective competitors. The first is open to all affiliated players, and If as many fine exponents enter this Easter -as last year then some close and interesting matches will undoubtedly bo witnessed. Winners in this section last April were:— Singles.—Men's, Jack Leng; women's, Evelyn Attwood. Doubles.—Men's, P. Haddock and P. Smith; women's, E. AOtwood and L. Adams; mixed, B. J. Baxter and Rosemary Hodges. All players in city and suburban clubs of second and third grade calibre, and A grade outer suburban and visitors of that standard, may contest the second section, previous winners being:—C. J. Roberts and Miss I. F. Rodger (singles); M. Healey and I. Kay, Mrs. Goudie and Miss J. Snowling, R. King and Miss V. McCombo (doubles). The third section caters for all players in city and suburban fourth and fifth grades, B grade outer suburban, single courts, pupils of secondary schools and visitors of that standard. The 1942 winners were:—C. J. Roberts, Miss V. McCombe (singles); N. Bowden and I. Pomeroy, Mrs. J. Mills and Miss N. Huckstep, G. Kelsey and Miss Moor (doubles). In the first, second and third sections no titles are involved in any of the events in which men are participating. The final division is for Juniors who must not be more than 18 years of age on April 23, and consists of singles events only for both boys and girls. Title-holders from last year are:— W. Huckstep and Heather Redwood. In the event' of wet weather sets may be shortened—the number of sets in any event may be shortened; or events may be played on other courts. Competitors' are restricted to three events, one of which must be a doubles.