FROM BACK OF THE COURT

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30900, 5 November 1965, Page 14

FROM BACK OF THE COURT

[By Our Tennis Reporter] Long one of New Zealand’s finest tennis clubs in facilities and membership, the United Club has shown an exemplary attitude in a time of adversity. Unhappy with the association over the arrangements for the relegation match, which it lost, it still did not charge ground fees to the Linwood Avenue team which played on its courts for that game. When the professional coach, L. Atkins, requested to conduct his classes there instead of on the hard courts at Wilding Park, it immediately assented. And it did not object to the top player of its beaten senior team, the young J. Griffiths, moving to Cashmere so he could have senior play. The last is on condition that Griffiths returns to United if it can re-enter the competition. * » ♦ Two of the visiting American players who recently apneared in New Zealand, made similar comments on the New Zealander. I. S. Crookenden, now living in the United States. Said A. Ashe: "He is cer-

tainly the best left-handed server in the world, amateur or professional—but at the moment he is far too lazy to reach the top.”

Said M. Riessen: “He tends to be too casual. If he really applied himself and concentrated more he could lift your country to the top.” He admitted that Crookenden had recently beaten R. D. Ralston and F. Stolle. * « $ One of New Zealand tennis’s bravest recoveries has been made by the Auckland junior, D. Cassidy, a member of last season’s Linton Cup team in Australia.

Five months ago Cassidy suffered a cracked pelvis, dislocated hip and damaged knee in a car accident that sug-

gested he would not play tennis again. But when he won the Auckland hardcourt junior championship recently he had only just obtained a doctor’s clearance. He w'as not back to his best—but he was good enough.

There may be a lesson for Canterbury to learn in the achievement of the Otago association in making a net profit of £1709 for the year. For its good financial position, the association has to thank housie-housie, and its foresight in building squash courts at its tennis headquarters at Logan Park. These two ventures are paying handsomely. Without them, there would have been a loss. # ❖ ❖

A cryptic comment from the professional coach, L. Atkins: “New Zealand has some of the finest combination courts I have seen anywhere—grass ones, a combination of clay and clover, the clay mostly on the baseline and run-back." He was quick to qualify that they were not in Christchurch, where the Wilding Park and United grass courts were well up to standard. * * *

The top-ranked national junior. the controversial

figure, N. McAffer, of Wellington, who will be 19 this year, is now lost to junior tennis and, in fact, has been lost to all tennis so far.

He has been studying for university examinations held this week and he will now have a tonsil operation which will keep him from tennis for a while longer. However, he will be playing major tournaments and his participation, as always, should add interest.

For the second year in succession, the Canterbury association is holding only one early-season tournament instead of two. Last year the Labour week-end tournament was held and the Show weekend tournament was dropped. This year coaching school for juniors was held at Labour week-end and the previously popular Show tournament has returned to the programe for the week-end, on the grass. :1: S&

B. E. Woolf, a former, New Zealand Davis Cup team member, and once runner-up for the national title, has replaced L. A. Gerrard at the head of the ever-strong Parnell team in the Auckland inter-club competition. Gerrard is playing in Australia. With Woolf are S. Halligan and D. Simmonds, two of New Zealand's best intermediates, both of whom suffered in-

.juries last season which prevented them from fulfilling potential. The former Canterbury leading man, G. D. Moss, is

(also back in the Auckland competition, for Eden-Epsom, (after a period overseas. A 13-year-old girl, Marilyn Pry de, will be one of the youngest ever to play senior inter-dub tennis in Wellington when she steps out in the opening round at Central Park tomorrow. Her appearance, at either three or two, in the Karon senior women's team for its match with Miramar will create considerable interest. At Central Park last January she had her .first success at national level—the under 15 doubles title with Sue Caldwell