Waived Rules To Let Player Come To N.Z.

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30631, 23 December 1964, Page 15

Waived Rules To Let Player Come To N.Z.

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

MELBOURNE, December 22.

Australia’s No. 1 woman tennis player, Miss Margaret Smith, is almost certain to make a private trip to New Zealand early in February’.

Miss Smith has the L.T.A.A.’s approval to play in an invitation tournament in Auckland. Although the event is before the association’s “deadline” of February 28, Miss Smith has been given permission to make the trip because of a mix-up when the official Australian team of four to go to the tournament was chosen.

The four players are R. Emerson, F. Stolle, Misses J. Tegart and J. Blackman. Changed Her Mind

At the time the team was chosen Miss Smith was not available, but two days later she decided she would like to make the trip and asked whether she could be included in the team. The selectors decided not to include her because it would be unfair to drop one of the other girls after telling them they would be going. New Zealand officials, anxious to have Miss Smith in the tournament, offered to pay her expenses if the L.T.A.A. would allow her to go privately. The L.T.A.A. agreed to relax its attitude of not giving players permission to play . outside Australia before February 28.