Uphill, Downhill, Sideways

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31153, 1 September 1966, Page 17

Uphill, Downhill, Sideways

And the crowd would by no means have set a record for that illustrious tennis stadium.

But they warmed to an uphill, downhill and sideways battle on a much more interesting court than any revered turf; it sloped very sharply and diagonally. Remarkably, no-one seemed to gain any advantage from this travesty of the intentions of the tennis fathers. There was no Charlton Heston but J. Mitchell, W. Thom, R. McCutcheon and J. Martin are four of the leading play-

ers in Canterbury. They dispensed with the description “exhibition” for Tennis Week and put in enough effort for a pre-season ranking test: they were perhaps playing better than they will be when the season is struggling to a close next March. The contest had its hazards. The net was strung between two huge drums of water, of which there has been no shortage, and it was anchored in the middle by a frightening piece of railway track. Disconcerting to both the players and the umpire (Mr B. R. McCallum), whose early form matched that of the players, was the attractive criss-cross effect of the court markings—some for tennis and some for parking.

The match included what must be the season’s first of many double faults, but there probably will not be many more balls to be retrieved from Riccarton road.

The best save was made by a newspaper photographer who stretched as far as any of the players did for a smash, but more daringly, when he curled his toes round one roof, leaned across the chasm of an alleyway and dexterously lifted a straying ball from the gutter of a roof nearby.

For the season’s records, the first set was won by Thom and Mitchell, 8-6, the second by McCutcheon and Martin, 7-5. The next item of entertainment at the Mall yesterday was a bun-eating contest. Tennis players are sometimes more noted as “bun-doers” but yesterday’s match was not marred by rough play.

The picture shows:—Thom (left) and Mitchell, far court, and Martin, chasing the ball, and McCutcheon, near court.