LAWN TENNIS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27213, 3 December 1953, Page 9

LAWN TENNIS

QUARTERLY MEETING OF DELEGATES The most suitable days for the playing of exhibition tennis matches was briefly discussed at last evening’s quarterly meeting of delegates to the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association. The merits of playing the matches on either week-days or Saturdays were debated, but no direction was given the association’s management committee. The president (Mr J. K. Burtt) reported that the two Australians, Mervyn Rose and Ken Rosewall, would visit Canterbury about the middle of February, although the final dates had not yet been arranged. Mr D. Martin asked if it was the intention to play the matches during the week or on a Saturday. Canterbury tvas a major centre, and he said he considered it should receive a Saturday match. Mr Burtt said this question had often been discussed by the management committee. In the past when these matches i en held on Saturdays, they usually had the opposition of race or car meetings to contend with, and other sports were being played as well. It had been discovered that the best gates had come f Ol . n A > nid “ week matches. “Some people teel they don’t mind getting off to see a match in the boss’s time, but they don't like going in their own time. We usually do favour Saturdays, but we have no }?? rc L and fast rule °n the subject,” said Mr Burtt. A delegate asked if the committee had considered starting matches at 4 p.m. and continuing them into the evening,. In this way many persons might be able to get ort work at 4 p.m. whereas they might not be able to get off one or two hours earlier. No action was taken. In presenting the report of the competitions committee, Mr Martin said it was rather alarming to find that there were b2 teams entered for competitions on grass co l H an . d 16 teams on the hard courts, which indicated that players today wanted to play on grass courts. He reported that the management committe6 had recommended that the competitions committee should attempt to hold an evening competition on the Opawa lighted courts. Discussions would be held with the Opawa Club. Mr J. Mercer said a drain had been laid which would give much-needed drainage from the grass courts. . Mf. G - R-, Atkinson congratulated the Wilding Park Grounds Committee, and the groundsman, on the work that had been done to the grass courts and the whole grounds. Visitors had passed very favourable comment on the courts, he ♦* *i the past remarks had been made inat the grass courts were slow and not conducive to fast tennis, but these days had gone. The courts today were as fast as any in New Zealand. Memorial Stand Mr Mercer also reported on the memorial stand. Nothing further had been done since the last report, as the architect had not been able to proceed with the plan, he said. The finances for the stand stood at £3OOO, but in the last two or three years these funds had been iairly dormant. It was proposed to revive an old committee .formed about 1945 when the memorial stand was first considered, and this committee would be called together shortly to discuss ways of adding to the funds, he said. The playing of ranking matches on Saturdays and Sundays at Wilding Park was criticised by Mr E. J. Murray. While these matches were being played the players concerned were away from their clu bs, and other less experienced players could not benefit from playing with them or watching them. He considered the playing of the matches was detrimental to tennis in Canterbury. “You can’t have a strong association if you haven’t got the strong clubs.” he said. Mr Atkinson said the management committee had discussed this fully and decided it should be given a trial. Complaints had been made by players that they could not get their matches completed in the evenings. The players were satisfied with the arrangement. Mr Burtt said it was a new move to stimulate interest in the ranking. “It is stimulating the ranking list, and if it does impiove their tennis, it will ultimately be to the advantage of the clubs ’’ he said.