BOYS’ TENNIS TEAM HAS GOOD PROSPECTS

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30342, 18 January 1964, Page 11

BOYS’ TENNIS TEAM HAS GOOD PROSPECTS

r pHE Canterbury boys’ 1 tennis team will be able to enter next week into its most important commitments this season with some optimism; its members have played well over the holiday period. On Monday, the semifinals of the Slazenger and Howe Shield competitions will be held in Hamilton, with the finals the next day and the national junior championships immediately afterwards. The boys—A. Brooks, R. McCutcheon, J. Mitchell, W. Edgecumbe and J. P. Martin—had no difficulty in winning their zone fixtures last month against Nelson and Marlborough without the loss of a match. As the winner of zone 3, Canterbury qualified to meet the zone 2 winner, Wellington, in the semifinals. Since then Brooks, beaten for his Canterbury secondary schools’ title by Mitchell, has had a magnificent success in the Auckland junior championships. When he won the under-19 title, he beat V. Fabian, B. Dibley and R. Wharfe, all likely members of the Auckland team. He also won the doubles with D. Scott when they beat Fabian and Wharfe in the final. McCutcheon did well to hold the South Island title he won in Christchurch last Easter, in a much stronger field at Nelson at New Year; Martin won the South Canterbury men’s title, beating the top-seeded P. Anglmd in the final; and Mitchell created a fine impression in the Wellington champion-

ships when he teamed with B. R. Boon to put L. A. Gerrard and J. S. Halligan out of the doubles. In the other semi-final, the winner of zone 4, South Canterbury, will meet the zone 1 winner, Auckland. The Canterbury boys could be a match for all but N. McAffer and Halligan, who will probably lead the Wellington and Auckland teams respectively. Last year in Christchurch, Canterbury beat Wellington by 6 matches to 4 but lost to Auckland, 2-8. Brooks won all his four singles as third man. The girls’ team of C. Andrew, D. Hopping, S. Mac Neill, J. Bell and R. Walls has not the same prospects. It had a difficult task to beat Nelson, 6-4, before it beat Marlborough, 9-1, to win its zone. Canterbury will meet Wellington and Otago will play Auckland in the semi-finals.

Last year Canterbury beat Hutt Valley, 6-4, and lost to Auckland, 3-7, with a much stronger team. All the members of both teams will then compete in the championships. As well, the association is sponsoring three under 17 players to the tournament; —an Ashburton boys, I. Behrnes, and two Christchurch girls, P. McLean and J. Bishop. Miss Bishop replaced Miss J. Coombs, who could not go, and then beat Miss McLean in the final of the Canterbury secondary schools’ under-16 title. Registrations Soaring Athletics in Canterbury is steadily gaining in popularity and the number of registrations this season is expected to be a record. Last year the total registrations of track competitors reached a new mark of 730 and already this season 910 registrations numbers have been issued to clubs. While a few of these may be returned by some clubs who have overestimated their requirements, the returns are not expected to be many. On the other hand University and some school clubs will probably have new members wishing to enter interclub competitions when their terms begin. , The numbers will be boosted further during the winter with new registrations by harrier clubs, and it is likely that last year’s record total of 1234 will be passed.

lllUllfllllllflll IUflIUIMIlllli!>IHII llUKinilltnillltltltl The Waimairi Surf Club will be making a strong bid for the Canterbury surf canoe championship this season, decided on a points basis over four races at the championship carnivals. One of the key men in efforts towards such an achievement is T. Jay, a first year senior who holds the responsible position of boat captain within the

club. The senior crew has had an outstanding record over many years and it is up to Jay to see that the standard is maintained. The crew was very unlucky to finish second to Sumner in the first race of the season when it stuck on the sand at the finish after leading all the way.

A surfer who could do well in junior events this season is J. Stead, a member of the Taylor’s Mistake Club, Last season he was a member of the club’s sixman team which won the New Zealand junior championship and also the club’s team which won the junior march past championship. He surprisingly lost the Canterbury junior beach sprint title, which he won last season, at the first carnival of the current season but is expected to be reasonably prominent in swimming and belt events. He can also handle a surf ski with considerable skill.