HOWE AND SLAZENGER SHIELDS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26943, 20 January 1953, Page 8

HOWE AND SLAZENGER SHIELDS

AUCKLAND WINS BOTH COMPETITIONS (New Zealand Press Association) HAMILTON, January 19. Auckland won both the Howe Shield and the Slazenger Shield for interprovlncial tennis competition between junior girls and boys respectively, in the finals against Wellington in Hamilton on Saturday. Wellington was unfortunate in the Howe Shield when Miss H. Dykes fell on the court and broke a bone in an ankle when trailing Miss Nettleton, 1-2, in the first set of their singles. Miss Dykes had to default in all other matches. She will also have to default from the New Zealand junior championships. The standard of tennis jvas very high. Results (Auckland players mentioned first):— Howe Shield Singles.—Miss P. Nettleton beat MissH. Dykes by default and beat Miss B. Nelson, 6-1, 0-1; Miss B. Catley beat Miss V. Henderson, 0-4, 2-6, 6-3, and lost to Miss A. Brunt, 6-8, 2-6; Miss M. A. Dewes lost to Miss A. Brunt, 4-6, 6-1, 4-6, and beat Miss V. Henderson, 6-4, 6-3; Miss R. Dickson lost to Miss B. Nelson, 3-6, 6-1, 0-6, and beat Miss A. Pearce, 6-2, 6-0. Doubles.—Misses Catley and Dewes beat Misses Brunt and Henderson, 6-3, 6-1; Misses. Nettleton and Dickson's match against Misses Nelson and Pearce was unfinished at 6-2, 5-7. Slazenger Shield Singles.—M. Meinhold beat M. Dunn, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, and beat M. J. Newton, 6-2, 6-2; J. Montgomerie beat M. J. Newton, 6-2, 6-2, and lost to M. Dunn, 5-7, 6-2, 10-12; J. Williams lost to R. A. Darroch, 0-6, 0-6, and lost to A. D. Robinson, 4-6, 1-6; J. Wrathall beat A. D. Robinson, 6-2, .2-6, 7-5, and beat R. A. Darroch, 2-6, 6-2. 6-1. Doubles.—Montgomerie and Wrathall beat Dunn and Darroch, 6-4 6-2; Meinhold and Williams lost to Newton and Robinson, 4-6, 6-2, 5-7.

TOUR BY AUSTRALIAN TEAM CANTERBURY TO ASK FOR TEST Although the .Australian lawn tennis players coming to New Zealand were not as well known as Sedgman, McGregor, Rosewall and Hoad, New Zealanders had to remember they were very good players and if their exhibition in Christchurch was to be a success the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association would have to get the’ best players in New Zealand to meet them at Wilding Park, said Mr J. Mercer at a meeting of the management committee of the association last evening. Mr Mercer was commenting on a telegram received from ‘the New Zealand Association which said that Canterbury could have a match, not a test, against the Australians, Ayre, Hartwig, Wilderspin, and Fraser, on February 21. Ayre and Hartwig were Davis Cup players, and Hartwig had recently won the Australian mixed doubles championship. The committee decided to ask the New Zealand Association for a test in Christchurch. The committee also decided that if the test was not granted it should ask Worthington, J. E. Robson, J. A. Barry, and M. Otway if they could be available to play in Christchurch on February 21. The public would find a competitive match more interesting than an exhibition and a test was desirable for this reason, said Mr J. K. Burtt. "The New South Wales women players will not be coming to Christchurch at all. The only South Island match they will play will be at Nelson,” he said.

“We should send a telegram to Wellington asking them to arrange an unofficial test here,” Mr Burtt said. In reply to Mr G. E. R. Atkinson Mr Burtt said that the committee would not be out of order in approaching Worthington and Barry directly. “we should make the strongest recommendation we can to get an unofficial test,” said Mr S. D. Bannehr. “We have got to have the New Zealand players here if it is going to be a success.

STANDARD OF PLAY IN CANTERBURY

CLOSER SUPERVISION SUGGESTED

The lack of supervision of senior competition matches at Wilding Park on Saturdays was probably one of the reasons for the fall in the standard of Canterbury lawn tennis, said Mr E. Biddle at a meeting of the competitions committee of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association last evening. “One match I watched on Saturday was not umpired and at one stage the players lost the score. Foot faults were also frequent,” he said. The committee decided to ask each club with a senior men’s team in the competition to send a member to umpire a match and also to jisk the Umpires’ Association to send a qualified umpire to watch games for foot faulting. “Some time ago we asked the Umpires’ Association if they could do anything about providing umpires for senior games,” said the chairman (Mr D. Martin). “The association said then that those who were qualifying for their umpires’ badges were active players themselves. “If you have played a hard singles match you don’t feel like going straight up into the umpire’s box,” Mr Martin said.

“It is a bit too much to expect players, after getting hot during a match, to go up into the box. in a cold wind,” said Mr J. Nunes. “It is hard enough to get umpires for a tournament, let alone trying to get them for Saturday games.” Mr J. K. Burtt suggested that one or two qualified umpires could go to Wilding Park each Saturday and watch games at random to correct foot faulting. Clubs should be able to get two of their supporters to go down to the park each Saturday to umpire a match, said Mr Biddle.