Tennis At Easter

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28257, 20 April 1957, Page 5

Tennis At Easter

The lawn tennis season in Christchurch will end with the annuaL three-day Easter tournament which will begin at Wilding Park today. Entries for the tournament, one of the most popular fixtures of the season, as well as coming from prominent Christchurch players, include several visitors from country clubs. Good entries have been received this year in the three sections—senior championships, junior championships and handicap, but by far the biggest number is in the under 17 boys’ singles. Because the grass courts are closed this tournament is played on the 22 hard courts.

The Otago championships at Dunedin have attracted some of Canterbury's best players who have accepted invitations from the Otago Lawn Tennis Association. The province’s two leading boy juniors, A. D. Huston and C. G. Judge, will be absent because of this. Fields in the main sections of the Canterbury tournament are, however, still of sufficient quality to ensure good competition. The men's singles, with about 20 entries, includes the high-ranked representative players, G. A. Burton (Avonside), C. W. Pritchard (North Linwood), M. C. Healey (Cashmere) and B. R. Crawford (North Linwood). Burton has been in good form towards the end of the season and has good prospects of taking the title. About 12 entries in the women’s singles include Miss L. Luxton. (Opawa) probably still foremost in Canterbury. Miss B. Webster (United), Mrs E. Campbell (Cashmere). Miss L. Mardon (Avonside), and Miss A. Snow (Cashmere). Miss Luxton looks to be the outstanding player in the field. Neither A. D. L. Hunter (Elmwood) or Miss J. Davidson (United), last year’s winners, will be defending their titles.