New Move For Open Tennis

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31316, 11 March 1967, Page 14

New Move For Open Tennis

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

LONDON.

The English Lawn Tennis Association decided yesterday to propose an open Wimbledon tournament to the annual general meeting of the international federation in Luxembourg next July.

The proposal will be put as an experiment limited to 1968 and 1969.

If adopted, it would give full member associations special sanction for tourna-

meats open to amateurs and professionals, subject to certain conditions.

After the decision, made at the association’s council meeting, officials were optimistic about an open Wimbledon next year.

Mr B. Reay, secretary of the English said an open Wimbledon championship would. be a big step nearer, if Australia voted for open tennis. The president. Judge Carl Aarvoid, said Britain would not “go it alone” for mixing amateurs and professionals into one top-class tournament.

He confirmed that the L.T.A. was still pressing other countries to approve open tennis, in particular an open Wimbledon. But it was not issuing any threats. The proposal is similar to those put forward by the English association in the past. But there are some new conditions.

One is “that prize money for professionals be limited to a maximum £lOOO for each event in the tournament.” This is designed to make the proposal more acceptable to the less affluent nations.