Disappointing Entries In Tennis Fixtures

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30580, 24 October 1964, Page 11

Disappointing Entries In Tennis Fixtures

r pHE pleasure often expressed in the last few weeks in Christchurch at the marked success of the tennis week in gaining new members for clubs is unwarranted if the enthusiasm is not reflected elsewhere and if the season cannot begin with a similar sort of flourish.

Sad to say there has been little indication in the last two weeks that it will. First, when the entries closed for the inter-club competitions for the season, it was found the number of senior women’s teams had dropped to the appalling figure of four.

The decline has been 1960, 8 teams; 1961, 8; 1962, 5; 1963, 5; 1964, 4. It means that in the association with the second biggest membership in the Dominion there are virtually 16 women play-

ers with the ability or perhaps the energy and interest to play senior tennis.

But when it comes to a tournament it is found there are even fewer. Entries for the Labour week-end tournament closed earlier this week and then the usual round of begging and pleading for others to enter had to begin, especially among women, to get the fields up to a respectable size for this week-end. When this tournament began in 1957 it had 22 in the men’s singles, 22 in the women’s singles. With some pushing the men have remained reasonably active but the women at one stage all but disappeared in 1962, two when entries closed, four later; last year five.

Two successful tournaments had been held in Auckland before the middle of this month. This weekend in Dunedin there is a somewhat remarkable field

for a tournament held by an association of which little notice has been taken In recent years. Playing there are the national champion, L. A. Gerrard, of Auckland, the fourth-ranked New Zealander, R. N. Hawkes, of Wellington, the ninth New Zealander, B. Taylor, of Wellington, the former triple under 19 champion, P. Thomson, who is at the School of Physical Education, Mrs R. Davy, of Christchurch, formerly Miss Ruia Morrison, five times national champion. Miss J. Hay vice, of Wellington, sixth in New Zealand, and Miss S. Rich, of Christchurch, the Dominion’s tenth. To them are added the best Otago players from both town and country.

At the same time, with all the talk of increased membership, “upsurge in interest,” and the interest of businesses in sponsoring tournaments, there seem to be some in Canterbury who

favour cutting down on tournaments. One member of the management committee at a recent meeting said there were complaints there were too many small tournaments and he suggested cutting out the show week-end fixture because he claimed there was little ipterest in it last year. Altogether there are four open tournaments in the Canterbury season, Labour, Show, Canterbury championships, and Easter. And contrary to the suggestion made to the committee, the show tournament for the last three seasons has had considerably better support than the Labour week-end one. In fact, the women have been able to improve their interest in the intervening weeks by as much as 100 per cent. The figures are:—l96l.—Labour: 16 men’s singles, 12 women's singles; Show, 24,14.1962. Labour: 15, 4; Show, 21, 11. 1963.—Labour: 17, 5; Show, 17, 10.