LAWN TENNIS U.S. RANKINGS

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28153, 17 December 1956, Page 18

LAWN TENNIS U.S. RANKINGS

RICHARDSON MOVES TO TOP (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK, December 15. Hamilton Richardson today headed tne United States Lawn Tennis Association’s 1956 men’s singles rankings. Richardson succeeds Tony Trabert as the leading player. Trabert turned processional after the 1955 season. Herbert Flam, who replaced Richardson in the United States Davis Cup team, was ranked second to Richardson. Victor Seixas, the 33-year-old veteran rated as the top American amateur after Trabert turned professional, and was dropped to third place. The rankings are not official, pending their acceptance at the association’s annual meeting in Chicago on January 19. Others ranked in the first 10 were:— Edward Moylan, Bernard Bartzcn, Robert Perry, Samuel Giammalva, Arthur Larsen. Gilbert Shea, and Grant Golden. Larsen, who was nearly killed in a highway accident recently, is lying partially paralysed in a California hospital and probably never again will play tennis. Moving up from seventh and eighth rankings in 1955, both Richardson and Flam, enjoyed good seasons in 1956. when United States tennis players generally fared poorly in international competition. Richardson beat Seixas twice in tournament finals early in the season. Richardson reached the semi-finals of the Wimbledon singles before losing to Lewis Hoad, of Australia, and he went to the quarter-finals of the United States singles at Forest Hills, losing to Neale Fraser, another Australian. Richardson made his best 1956 showing in the Eastern grass court championships at South Orange, New Jersey, in August, when he beat the Australian. Roy Emerson, Ken Rosewall. Ashley Cooper, and Fraser in succession to win the title. Richardson and Seixas. who lost to Rosewall and Hoad in the national doubles final at Brookline. Massachusetts, were rated the No. 1 U.S. doubles team. Francisco Contreras, of Mexico, and Alejandro Olmedo, of Peru, were ranked second. Both are students at the University of Southern California. Myron Franks of Los Angeles and Mike Green of Miami Beach, Florida, won third ranking. LOWER GRADE GAMES Results of lower-grade matches in the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association s competition? played on Saturday are:— SENIOR RESERVE University beat St. Albans by 4 matches to 2; North Linwood II beat Cashmere by 8 sets to 6; Fendalton beat North Linwood I bv 8 sets to 7; South Brighton beat Avonside, 6 matches to 0: United beat Opawa, 4 matches to 2; Elmwood I beat Beckenham II by 54 games to 52; Elmwood II beat Beckenham I by 4 matches to 2 FIRST GRADE Section I Elmwood beat Fendalton by 12 sets to 4; Opawa beat Cathedral by 12 sets to 4; Cashmere beat Avonside by 9 sets to 7; St. Albans beat Shirley by 9 matches to 7. Section II St. Mary’s beat St. Paul's by 9 sets to 7; Riccarton Domain beat Woolston by 9 sets to 7; Waimairi beat St. James, Riccarton, by 12 sets to 4; North Linwood beat Barrington by 12 sets to 4. SECOND GRADE Section I Elmwood beat Edgeware by 13 sets to 3; Woolston led Avonside by 9 sets to 6 (unfinished): Avonside beat Opawa by 95 games to 94. THIRD GRADE Section II Avonside beat Shirley by 14 sets to 3; North Linwood beat Addington Catholic by default. UNDER 19 North Linwood beat St. Albans by 9 matches to 7; Woolston beat Avonside Church by 12 sets to 4; Elmwood beat St. Albans by 10 sets to G: St. James beat Shirley by 13 sets to 3. CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT AT OPAWA A Christmas tournament for senior men was held yesterday afternoon by the Opawa Tennis Club. Thirty-two players took part. Results were:—H. Fox. 35 points, 1: M. Stevens, 32, 2; A. Avens, 31, 3; R. Burney. 29, 4.