Show Week-end Tourney At Wilding Park Today

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28435, 15 November 1957, Page 6

Show Week-end Tourney At Wilding Park Today

First tournament on the grass courts in Canterbury for the 195758 season—the annual Show week-end fixture —will begin at Wilding Park today with slightly changed organisation. In the past the tournament has usually comprised men’s singles and doubles and women’s singles and doubles, and has been played on the Friday and Saturday of the week-end holiday. This season, because of time difficulties previously, it will consist of men’s singles, women’s singles, and mixed doubles.

Also, the fixture will be conducted today and Sunday, so that there will be no difficulties from the running of club competitions as well as the tournament on a Saturday. If it is necessary and convenient, a few matches may be played tomorrow. In the last few years the Show week-end tournament, at least in the men’s singles section, has had an interesting record. With wins three years in succession from 1954, W. M. Logan, the Woolston club player who transferred to Wellington earlier this year, became a virtual “owner” of the title. Always fit at the beginning of the season, Logan was favoured to win again last year, but the trophy went to G. A. Burton.

Logan is not an entry this season, but Burton is, and he is seeded second to C. W. Pritchard, a finalist in the Labour week-end hardcourt tournament, and top of the Canterbury ranking list issued last week. Most notable absentee from the entries is the former Southlander, R. Welsh, the New Zealand junior champion, who won at Labour week-end, but who will go home to Gore for this weekend. Pritchard (North Linwood), who won the Easter title this year in a similar field, has a good chance of success. The other seedings of the 20 entries besides Burton (Avonside) are: W. A. Dickson (University) 3; G. C. Judge (University) 4; M. C. Healey (Cashmere) 5; A. D. L. Hunter (Elmwood) 6. Included are some; promising juniors—W. Thom, G. Aldridge, B. Aldridge, and B. Judge. There are also 20 entries in each

of the women’s singles, and the mixed doubles. The present Canterbury singles champion, Miss L. Luxton, of United, is seeded first. She was also a winner at this year’s EaStcr tournament. Second is Miss G. Hopkinson (University), successful at Labour week-end and third, Miss J. Davidson (United) whom Miss Hopkinon beat in the Labour week-end final. Mrs J. McKay (Avonside) is seeded fourth. Again the field is enhanced by juniors—Misses C. Smith, L. Mardon and K. Brander, all prospective members of the Howe Shield side for this season.

Seedings for the mixed doubles are: Hunter and Miss Luxton 1, Pritchard and Miss Hopkinson 2, Burton and Mrs McKay 3, Judge and Miss Davidson 4. The tournament will be conducted by Messrs M. C. Healey and A. M. Hatch and Miss P. Cuddon.