New Points System Should Improve Senior Tennis

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30278, 2 November 1963, Page 9

New Points System Should Improve Senior Tennis

■yVHEN T the men's and women's competitions begin at Wilding Park today they will do so with few faces new to senior tennis in Christchurch. However. the interest will come from some changes in club allegiance and some losses which will almost certainly bring a shift of superiority. To ensure that all individual matches have a bearing on total points and that effort is sustained to the last stroke of every match, the competitions committee has decided that 10 points will be awarded to a team for a win but that each individual match won will also carry a point. This should surely prevent the

undignified spectacle of players not having their hearts in matches when their team has already lost or won.

The women’s competition will be contested by the same five teams, the men’s

competition will have one new team, Beckenham, which has taken the place of Barrington after beating it in an elimination match. Quite the most significant feature of the men's competition, however, is the weakening of last year’s winner. University. Team compositions are:— MEN:— University.—Has lost G. A. Davidson. Canterbury’s top man. to United and its third man, L J. Walpole, overseas: both won all their singles last season. A former top man, C. G. Judge will play but not until after mid-Decetnber when five rounds will have been decided. P. S. Alexander will play again Ind D. Wright, of Lincoln, who played for United the season before last, is a gain. Others may be G. Hastie, B. Judge, after a period of practice, R. Goodall and D. Heatherbell. Edgeware.—Runner-up to University in the top knockout section, it has the same players again. B. B. Baxter, winner of the Canterbury hardcourt title last week-end. was entered in the South Brighton team, which was refused, but he is expected to play for his old club. The others are E. L Martin, B. Crofts, P. Boatwood and T. Harneiss. Cashmere.—Same team except for M. C. Healey who will play senior reserve. The players are B. J. Shirlaw, R. M. Minson, I. D. Armstrong and S. Bullen. Elmwood.—W. Thom, J. W. Duggan, L. W. Watkins and C. A. Pollitt have been named. All were members of last season's side. North Linwood.—E. Cormack. a stalwart of the side for a number of years, has

not been named a nd his place has been taken by J. Martin, one of Canterbury’s most promising juniors, who won the two singles he played for the club last season. The others are B. R. Crawford, R. Watson and R. Bruce. United. —An important gain in Davidson which means that the leading junior and South Island champion, R. McCutcheon, who won six of eight matches he played at top last season, will now be second. The solid W. Lewthwaite (won seven of eight) and R. Van Ysselsteyn are the others. Woolston.—Had a fine record at the top last season with B. Aldridge (seven of nine) and M. Agar (eight of nine). Both are playing again and G. Ford, top for Barrington, has been gained. V. Price is fourth. Beckenham. —The new team, which it is hoped can do better than Barrington.

The junior, A Brooks, formerly of United, leads and another junior, J. Mitchell, aged 15 is given his first -senior inter-club play. G. Freear and M. R. Neill are the others. WOMEN:—

Cashmere.—Winner for five years in succession and has the same strength again— Miss J. Davidson, the province’s top player, Miss K. Williams, Mrs E. Campbell and Mrs H. Lovegrove. Fendalton.—Runner - up last season—it had a tie with Cashmere—and also unchanged with Miss J. McKain, Mrs L. Buxton, Mirs P. Boatwood and Miss M. A, McNish. The latter three each won five of seven singles. Avonside—Has lost Miss D. Smith to Shirley but has gained from the return of Mrs D. McKinnel, one of the dub’s leading players of previous seasons, who did not play last season. Mrs P. Leopold leads again and the others are Misses D. Corich and L. Pledger.

Shirley—Bottom for two seasons but considerably strengthened by Miss Smith, the Rangiora girl who is now living in Christchurch. She won all the six singles she played for Avonside last season. Miss J. Hatch, Mrs P. Sanders and Mrs R. Keppel played last season.

United—Misses S. Rich, second in the province, C. Andrew and D. Hopping but Miss P. Craythorne's place has been taken by Miss L. Watson, promising as a junior.

In the women’s competition at Wilding Park this morning Cashmere will meet United and Fendalton will play Shirley, with Avonside having the bye. The draw for the men this afternoon is Cashmere v. University, Woolston v. United, Edgeware v. Elmwood and North Linwood v. Beckenham.