SELECTION OF TEAM FOR TENNIS TOUR

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27920, 17 March 1956, Page 3

SELECTION OF TEAM FOR TENNIS TOUR

ALTHOUGH there should be general satisfaction among lawn tennis enthusiasts with the women s section of the eight-player team to tour Australia in November and December, the men’s selection will probably have caused some surprise, especially to those who saw the three major tournaments held in the South Island this season.

It is difficult to see on what policy the management committee of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association has based its men’s selection. It would appear that the emphasis has been given to performances in the recent international tournament at Auckland as a gauge of New Zealanders’ play against overseas representatives, and that little weight has been given to, the Canterbury and South Island championships.

Canterbury can rejoice at the selection of its most promising woman player. Miss J. Davidson, who recently won the New Zealand junior championship and who is the first representative the province has had in a New Zealand team for some years. With a forceful game and strokes, especially service and smash, as strong as those of many men, she has steadily risen to the top of national tennis. The first two places in the women’s section of the team could hardly have been filled by other than Miss S. Cox (Wellington) and Miss R. Morrison (Auckland), who have dominated the major tournaments in the Dominion this season. Ranked only tenth in the country after last season. Miss Cox overcame all opposition to win Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand, and Wellington titles in quick succession.

North Island champion, and a narrowly beaten finalist in the national title, the Maori girl, Miss Morrison, had her triumph at the Auckland championships, when she took the final against Miss R. Bulleid, of Britain, who had already beaten Miss Cox. Misses Cox and Morrison were beaten in the international tourney by overseas players. Both aged 19. Misses Cox and Morrison were top juniors until this year, and they have now developed more aggression. If the fourth place was to be filled by the junior champion. Miss Davidson, the committee must

have had more difficulty in selecting the third player. The choice‘of Mist B. Nelson (Wellington) is a worthy one. for although her success has not been as great as the two ahead of her, she probably has the most ability of the rest of the younger women. Men's Selection The wisdom of the men’s selection in some ways appears doubtful. It was thought by many, and the Auckland president (Mr K. J. M. Hayr) also said, that it would be unwise to send players whose competitive days had almost come to an end and that young players would form a Davis Cup team of the future. With this in view, and because match results on the tour would not be as important as the gaining of experience, •.he inclusion of J. E. Robson and A. B. Burns, aged 29 and 34 respectively, is open to criticism. It could not be said that they were being sent for experience for future Davis Cup teams.

Robson is one of the finest players that New Zealand has ever had and he has already made several overseas tours, twice as a member of Davis Cup sides. He had slipped in form for the first tournaments of the season but he still won the national title and later the Auckland championship. However, there seems little doubt that / he is not quite the player of a few years ago.

Burns, on the other hand, after many years of play in tournaments throughout the country has had perhaps his most successful season. He gained his first national titles—the doubles and mixed doubles —and was the outstanding New Zealander in the international tournament, beating the Australian junior triple champion, W. Gilmour, C. T. Parker and Robson before going down in the final to the Californian R. Perry,. But in spite of his rise to real prominence, it is unlikely that he will have many years of tournament play ahead of him. When the team was announced last Monday evening, it was said that men players who were also available included J. R. McDonald (Wellington’ and C. T. Parker (Auckland). Aged 24 and 22 respectively, they are the two who have most reason to be disappointed with the selection. McDonald won the Canterbury title and Parker the South Island title in excellent fields. McDonald received an injury which upset the rest of his season, but Parker was a finalist with Robson in the Auckland contest. Although neither are consistent enough, they certainly have potentialities which could be brought out for a future Davis Cup tour. D V. Shaw, of Otago, third member of the team, has played some excellent tennis this season in his first year out of junior ranks, winning the New Zealand Plate and taking R. S. McKenzie to five sets in the Wellington championship. By hi* promise he deserves his place. For the fourth place it is a little difficult to see why L. Gerrard (Auckland’. a finalist in the New Zealand junior title, was preferred to the junior champion. B E. Woolf, also of Auckland. Woolf ha« shown himself capable of some brilliant tennis, although not always sustained. On the other hand. Gerrard evidently gave a magnificent display to go down in five sets to the tJnited States junior champion. Esteban Reyes, of Mexico, at the international tourney. Whatever the assessment of the team it is to be hoped that members will maintain standards of fitness and play during the winter months so that they can give the best possible acI counts of themselves on the tour.