LAWN TENNIS SOUTH ISLAND TOURNEY

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28160, 26 December 1956, Page 10

LAWN TENNIS SOUTH ISLAND TOURNEY

CHRISTCHURCH PAIR BEATEN

(New Zealand Press Association) INVERCARGILL, December 25.

One upset was provided on the first day of the Southland and South Island tennis championships in Invercargill today. The Christchurch pair, B. Shirlaw and Miss J. Hopkinson. seeded second, were beaten in the combined doubles championship by L. Townsend and Miss I. Morton, an unseeded Dunedin and Invercargill pair. They lost in straight sets 7-5. 6-3.

Little interest was provided on a cold arid gusty day today. The top men’s seeds. D. Radford, formerly of Dunedin and now of Southland, and L. Townsend, last year’s Southland champion, were untroubled to win their first-round games. Both were in top form and handled the troublesome conditions well.

The championships will continue for four more days.

NIGHT CLUB CONTEST

WIN FOR SOUTH BRIGHTON South Brighton won the inter-club night tennis competition at the Opawa club’s lighted courts. The seventh and final round was played recently. North Linwood A was runner-up. Results:— South Brighton v. Opawa Women’s Double.—Mrs Boatwood and Miss Craythorne drew with Misses Luxton and Tregonning, 7-7. Men’s Double.—V. Jones and A. Atkinson beat M. Norden and S. Clarke, 14-2. Mixed Doubles.—Mrs Boatwood and Jones beat Miss Luxton and Norden, 8-6: Miss Craythorne and Atkinson beat Miss Tregonning and Clarke. 10-5. South Brighton won by 3V 2 sets to a St. Paul’s v. Elmwood A Women’s Double.—Misses Booker and Saunders beat Misses Crawshaw and Needham. 8-6. Men’s Double.—Peacock and Godfrey beat Russell and Fletcher. 10-5. Mixed Doubles.—Miss Booker and Peacock beat Miss Needham and Russell. 11-1; Miss Saunders and Godfrey drew with Miss Crawshaw and Fletcher, 7-7 St. Paul’s won by 31 sets to a }. Elmwood B v. North Linwood B Women’s Double.—Mrs J. Drewett and Miss Whitehead lost to Misses Reddington and Bennett. 4-11. Men’s Double.—l. Drewett and B. Johnson beat Beatty and Adams, 9-7. Mixed Doubles.—Mrs Drewitt and I. Drewett lost to Miss Reddington and J. Beatty, 5-10; Miss Whitehead and B. Johnson lost to Miss Bennett and J. Adams. 5-10. North Linwood B won by 3 sets to-1. Linwood Avenue v. North Linwood A Women’s Double. —Misses Reid and Blackburn lost to Misses Adams and Reddington, 7-8. Men’s Double.—M. Mitchell and N. Blackburn lost to B. Crawford and G. Beatty, 3-15. Mixed Doubles.—Miss Blackburn and M. Mitchell lost to Miss Adams and B. Crawford, 7-9: Miss Reid and H. Blackburn drew with Miss Reddington and G. Beatty, 7-7. North Linwood A won by 3 J / 2 sets to a V 2 .

FUND FOR PLAYERS IN AUSTRALIA

“ THINLY-DISGUISED BRIBE ” (Rec. 8 p.m.) NEW YORK. Dec. 24. The fund now being established to help Australian amateur tennis players was attacked today as a “thinlydisguised bribe” by Arthur Daley, the “New York Times” sports columnist. Discussing reports of the probability of Ken Rosewail turning professional after the Davis Cup challenge round, Daley said: “If Rosewall does turn pro, he will forfeit any rights to stick his chubby fist into the till and extract something from Australia’s new ‘players’ fund.’ This is a dilly. If it doesn’t impinge on the lofty ideas of pure amateurism, it certainly shoulders against them.” Daley said the British Lawn Tennis Association “let the cat out of the satchel” when, in a recent issue of its official publication, “Lawn Tennis and Badminton,” it printed details of the fund. “Wow! If any American college ever operated a slush fund like that, the National Collegiate Athletic Association would recoil in horror and crack down.” he said. “It’s a cinch our Amateur Athletic Union, tennis people, or golfers couldn't get away with it. “This is a thinly-disguised bribe to keep amateurs on the alkaline side, far removed from the acid of professionalism. If such a fund does not directly violate the amateur code, it at least outrages the spirit of all known precepts. “What makes it so alarming is that Messrs Hoad and Rosewall received salary increases from the sporting goods firms for which they work immediately after they refused to turn pro a year ago. “A few years earlier, Frank Sedgman’s wife received gifts of more than 10.000 dollars when her hubby remained an amateur.

“Empty indeed is the consolation that American tennis players are strictly amateur.” Daley said. “The present crop. Davis Cup competitors included, just isn’t good enough to rate a pay day.”

DAVIS CUP DRAW

(Rec. 12.10 a.m.) ADELAIDE, Dec. 25. The Davis Cup draw made today is:— First day (Boxing Day): Lewis Hoad meets Herb Flam, Ken Rosewall meets Victor Seixas. Second day: Doubles teams not announced. Third day: Rosewall meets Flam, Hoad meet* Seixas.

GUILTY OF INDECENT

ASSAULT ON BOY (New Zealand Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH. December 25. It gave him little pleasure to sentence any man to imprisonment on Christmas Eve. said Mr A. W. Yortts. S.M.. in the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court yesterday when imposing a sentence of 12 months’ imprisonment on Donald Graham Rose, a 24-year-old married farmhand, of Kahui road, Rahotu. Rose pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting a boy aged four and a half years at Rahotu on December 15. “In view of your previous conviction for an offence of this nature, I have no option but to impose a sentence of imprisonment,” said the Magistrate.