Sportsmans Notebook CHRISTCHURCH SQUASH RACKETS TITLE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29239, 24 June 1960, Page 7

Sportsmans Notebook CHRISTCHURCH SQUASH RACKETS TITLE

The third Christchurch closed squash rackets championships will be played next week under the control of the Junior Chamber of Commerce Squash Rackets Club. Matches will start on Monday evening, and will continue throughout the week until the playing of the finals on the Chester street courts next Friday evening.

These championships, restricted to Christchurch players, were first held in 1958, when M. L. Rooney beat M. R. Blank in the final to take the first title. Last year the event was won by R. G. Pattinson, who beat L. G. Holder in the final. Rooney had to withdraw from this event with an ankle injury. Thirty-two entries have been received for this year’s event, and have been divided into two grades of 16 players each. There will also be a flight in each grade. A grade matches throughout the week will be played at the Chester street courts, and B grade matches at the two courts in Worcester street.

The four seeded players In the A grade are Rooney, Pattinson, D. J. Triggs and P. R. Hadley, who at present occupy the top four positions on the provincial ladder. Blank and Holder, run-ners-up in the last two seasons, are also in the field, and other entries in the A grade include H. 5. Gair, M. O. Holdsworth and P. M. Hill. The only notable absentee is S. M. Hope. Table Tennis Tour The proposed tour of New Zealand by the Australian men’s table tennis team has been delayed for two weeks. The Australian men, M. Wilcox and G. Jennings, were to have begun their tour with a match against Canterbury in Christchurch on July 4, but they will not arrive in New Zealand until July 16. The Canterbury Table Tennis Association’s inter-club competitions will be played on July 4, as this date will not be taken for the Australian match. Squash Points Points after three rounds in the Christchurch inter-club squash rackets competition are:—A grade: Christchurch A 6, Wigram 6, Officers’ Club 4, Christchurch B 2, University 0, Junior Chamber 0. B grade: Junior Chamber 6, University 4, Christ’s College 4, Christchurch A 4, Lincoln College 2, Officers’ Club 2, Wigram 0, Christchurch B 0. In the B grade Christ’s College and Officers’ Club have one match to play.

Badminton Gain The New Zealand representative badminton player, A. M. Stephens, iS living in Auckland this year and will represent Auckland against Taranaki tomorrow in a Wisden Cup match. Stephens first gained selection for New Zealand in 1957 when he was representing Wellington, and since then has lived in Hamilton. He toured Australia with the New Zealand team in 1957, and represented the Dominion against Indonesia later in the same year. He represented New Zealand again against the Malayan students in 1958 and against Australia for the Whyte Trophy last season. He has been chosen in the national team to meet Australia in a first-round Thomas Cup match at Feilding on July 22 and 23.