LAWN TENNIS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19675, 19 July 1929, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS.

CANTERBURY ASSOCIATION MEETING OF DELEGATES. The bi-monthly meeting of delegates to the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association was held last evening, Mr W. N. Seay presiding. Mr J. H. Kirk, the president, was appointed to represent the Association at the official opening of the new Rugby grounds at In&dS road, St. Albans, on July 26th, and at the dinner on the. same date in connexion with the jubilee celebrations of the Canterbury Rugby Union. In correspondence from the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, it was stated that the official ball for the 1929-30 national championships would be tho Dunlop ball. In reply to a question from Mr W. Goss, the secretary (Mr R. Browning) stated that the Match Committee had decided to support the Wellington Association's application for the national championships to be played at Wellington, but in the event of Wellington not desiring to conduct the tournament that it be recommended that the tourney be held at Christchnrch. Mr W. Goss, reporting on behalf of the Grounds Committee, said that Wilding Park was in excellent order and the new grass had made very good growth. The bitumen hard court which had been dressed with "Colfix" emulsified bitumen had been a great success, the top-dressing making a wonderful difference as far as discolouration of the balls was concerned, which disadvantage ''ad been reduced to a minimum. It was too, that the glare usually associated with bitumen courts would be reduced.

The statement of receipts and payments from September Ist, 1928, to July 16th, 1929, showed a credit balance of JE249 9a 4d. JUNIOR COMPETITIONS. Mr H. Thomson said that he had been asked by the Sumner Club to bring before the delegates the question of the desirability of the junior A and junior B competitions being played concurrently, on alternate Saturdays, during the summer months. This, he said, would be far more convenient to the younger players, for it was found that the junior B competition slashed with football during the winter. He would Buggest that the Association revert to the four-men competitions during the summer, and play the combined competitions during the winter. The secretary said that the Match Committee bad the consideration of the whole competition system set down for an early date. Mr Thomson's suggestions would then receive consideration. THE RANKING LIST. The revised list of rules governing play on the Canterbury ranking list was submitted. The only alterations in the rules provided that it be not necessary, as had been the custom previously, to enter challenges for ranking matches through the secretary of the club of the challenging player; that all matches be played either on the grass courts of the club of the challenged player or on the grass courts at Wilding irark, instead of on the courts, regardless of the type, of the club of the challenged player as in the past; that balls of the make approved by the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association be used, instead of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association's official ball, as in the past. Mr Goss remarked that he had hoped that provision would have been made to allow players to challenge two places above them. Considering the large number of young players who had claims to positions on the ladder, it was unfair to restrict their challenges to the bottom player on tho list, who would, for a considerable time, be engaged in challenging the one immediately above him. Mr P R. Harman: Such a provision would lead to confusion. It is hard enough at present to control the challenges. Mr S. W. Jameson took objection to the new rule providing that all matches be played on grass. It would greatly handicap hard-court players, he said. In reply to a questioner, the secretary said that in the past few years no matches had been played on asphalt. About five years ago, some of the lady players, however, had played on hard courts. The list of rules, as submitted, was approved.