TENNIS NOTES.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20059, 15 October 1930, Page 16

TENNIS NOTES.

THE NEW SEASON. TOUR BY SOUTH AFRICANS. (By Service.) Now heralded by tlie mouth of October, tho 1930-31 tenuis season in Canterbury promises to be tlio most fruitful and interesting for many years. Not only are tlie New Zealand championships set down for plav at \\ ilding Park, but a tour by a team of loading South African players is now probable. Club competitions have become moro and more keen, and should be greatly improved by the Lawn Tennis tion's new, stricter grading. In tho past few years intorprovincial rivalry has been greatly stimulated; and even should the South African tour not eventuate, so many good contests aro already planned for the season that the leading players should have ample opportunity for championship practice. Now that tho value of expert coaching is generally recognised, the general standard of play, even of the lowliest clubmembers, is rapidly improving. Most important of all, the new season brings one year nearer the time when this Dominion will send abroad a Davis Cup team to regain the honours which have lapsed since tho heydey of Anthony Wilding. The South African Team. Tours in the past two years by strong teams from Great Britain and from Australia have emphasised the value of overseas visits, particularly in a country so isolated from the world's tennisplaying centres as New Zealand. Although it was announced that negotiations with the South African Lawn Tennis Association had been vain, there is now reason to believe that these negotiations have been revived with good promise of success. At a meeting of the L.T.A.A. in Melbourne on October Ist, it was stated definitely that a South African team would arrive in Australia in December, play through New Zealand in January and February, and return for the Australian championships at Sydney in March. t<. Raymond and P. D. B. Spence, both prominent Davis Cup players, are mentioned as members of the team, • which will probably include women and men. In 1931, there is prospect of visits by a French team (H. Cochct, J. Brugnon, C. Boussus) and by a Japanese team (T. Harada, Abe, and Y. Ohta); for all theso players told J. Willard, manager of the last Australian Davis Cup team, of their readiness to come. New Scheme of Grading. As for Canterbury itself, the events of chief importance are the holding of the National Championships at Wilding Park, where they have not been played since 1927; and the institution by the Lawn Tennis Association of a new system of grading teams entered tor interclub competitions. Tho championships will be a particular encouragement to ranking-list ,players; and although the New Zealand Association has this year reverted to earlier dates, there should be sufficient time for training and practice. The new system of grading, doing away with suburban and junior competitions and replacing them simply with Grades A, B, C, and D, is a most important change. Although the popu- | larity of inter-club competitions has for i some years necessitated stricter regulations, there has been no alteration and ' many complaints. This year, the Canterbury Association elected a special competitions committee to control all inter-club games. Separating the senior competition, which is wisely reserved for ranking-list players, and the women's mid-week competition, the committee then invited from the clubs entries for all other grades which it reserved the right to examine and classify. The scheme has won the whole-hearted support it deserved; and from 38 clubs altogether 79 entries were received. These have been classified as follows: —Grade A, 20 teams (two sections each of 10); Grade B, 22 teams (one section of 10, one of 12); Grade C, 19 teams (one seclion of 10, one of 9); Grjide D, 18 teams (two sections each of 9). The first round of Section 1 of all grades will be played at Wilding Park on Saturday; the first round of Section 11. on Saturday, October 25th. The A grade players will be* allowed to use tho grass courts, while the others will play on asphalt. Teams will each be of four men and four women. Entries for the senior competition, restricted to men, and for the women's mid-week competition will be called later in the year. The Competitions Comn'iittee lias also decided to institute singles ranking lists open to those taking part in the inter-club competitions with the exception of the senior. The Banking Lists. Tho provincial ranking season begins officially on November Ist. Following are the ranking lists as they stood on March 31st, the last day of the last season: — MEN. I—rC. Angas. 2 —T. Rhodes-Williams. 3—T. W. Patterson. 4—D. F. Glanville. 5 —J. 11. W. Sheppard. 6 —B. B. Loughnan. 7—N. G. Munns. S —W. S. Somerville. 9—E. H. Orbell. 10— J. P Crawsliaw. 11— H. Dymond. 12— E. L. Prebble. 13— J. R. Johnston. 14— J. Fisher. 15 —J. A'Court. 16— H. G. Searle. 17—A. Borrows. 18— E. England. 19 —W. Goss, juu. WOMEN. I—Miss M. Wake. 2—-Mrs B. Miles. 3—Miss M. Andrew. 4—Mrs M. Beale. s—Miss G. Rankin. 6 —Miss M. Sowden. 7 —Mrs E. E. Crawshaw. B—Miss8 —Miss M. Sherris. 9—Miss B. Macdonald. 10—Miss N. Smithson. MEN'S DOUBLES. ' I—Angas and Rhodes-Williams. 2—Sheppard and Glanville. 3 —Somerville and R. H. Tait. 4rr—R. Browning and S. W. Field. s—Munns and Crawsliaw. 6 —N. Anderson and Dymond. 7—Orbell and Prebble. B—Fisher and A'Court. 9——A. Borrows and F. B. Ilale. 10—A. W. Smithson and H. G. Searle. 11— W. Goss and W. Goss, .iun. 12—: J Mercer and A W. Dickson. 13— H. Tillman and T. Fleming. Seay and Angas Paired. There are likely to be considerable changes in all of these lists. Of the men, Angas, the Ngw Zealand, North Island, and South Island champion, should keep his place at the head of the list, although I. A. Seay, who last year retired because of pressure of business, expects -o be playing serious tennis at least until January. Seay, incidentally, has paired with Angas for the New Zealand championship doubles, and with Miss M. Andrew, Canterbury

woman champion, for the mixed doubles. Rhodes-Williams, it is understood, is now settled permanently in Christchurch. Denis Johnston, a promising young player from South Canterbury, and 11. A. Burnett, recently New Zealand and Canterbury junior champion, arc both living here for this season at least. K. J. Walker, a valuable strength in doubles, has recovered the use of his arm, and will play again this year, although perhaps not very seriously. Against these gains to the province must bo offset tho loss of N. O. Munns, one of the two most promising men on tho ranking-list, who has been transferred. Women's List Weak. Mrs Beale and Miss Rankin have both asked to be removed from the women's list. Miss Rankin is studying at Dunedin, and is unlikely to return for some time. Their absence will weaken a list that is now verv far from strong. Although the Lawn Tennis Association hopes to challenge for tho Nunnelcy Casket, a team will bo difficult to find. Changes in Men's Doubles. Tho men's doubles list, introduced last year to strengthen tho doubles game, deplorably weak in Canterbury, has hardly yet fulfilled its purpose. The belief still persists that two good singles players necessarily make a good doubles pair; and tournament after tournament pairs are separated and rejoined. Presumably Angas and Seay will now play together in preparation for the national championships. Several other pairs are likely to bo changed before the season begins. Interprovincial Matches. Interprovincial matches this year will probably bo played against South Canterbury, North Otago, Otago, and Southland, a, Canterbury team visiting each of these centres in turn. It is hoped to arrange a match with Wellington and to challenge once more the same province for tho Wilding Shield. Canterbury lost the Shield in 1928 and was badly defeated in its challenge last season. Wilding Park Courts. Members of the Grounds Committee of the Canterbury Association, who made an unofficial inspection of Wilding Park yesterday, wero delighted with the condition of tho courts for tho beginning of the season. Eight now grass courts have been added, ma 1 °ng a total of 24 grass and 22 asphalt courts. The whole available area is now laid out in courts. It ia proposed this" year to increase the revenue of the Park by letting after 5 p.m. the hard courts for 2s 6d and the grass courts for ss. The charge for an afternoon's play on u grass court is 10s on week-days and 12s 6d on Saturday, compared with 7s 6d and 10s respectively last year. Because of the inter-club competitions there are not likely to be any courts available on Saturday afternoons for some t:™'? to come. Coaching Scheme Continued. Having retained as its coach Mr Geoffrey Ollivicr, seven times New Zealand champion, the Canterbury Association is this year continuing the coaching scheme which was started last season with such good . results. The syllabus of six lessons and a lecture has been slightly altered to provide for outdoor coaching at Wilding Park. The fee is most reasonable, and already since the beginning of September, Mr Ollivier has more than 30 pupils. The same studio is used as last year, in the rear of Croinb and Merritt's sports shop. Fixtures. December 26, 27, 29, 30, 31—New Zealand Championships at Wilding January 29, >, 31—Canterbury Championships at Wilding Park. Easter—South Island Hard Court Championships at Dunedin. Easter—Canterbury Hard Court Championships at Wilding Park.