$88,000 Tennis Prizes

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31760, 17 August 1968, Page 15

$88,000 Tennis Prizes

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright)

MELBOURNE.

Prize money totalling more than 588,000 would be given in the first series of open tournaments in Australia this summer, the National Tennis Association announced yesterday.

The series includes the state championships in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia, and the national championships in Brisbane.

The first of the series, the Tasmanian and Western Australian championships, would both begin on December 30.

The Australian championships, to be held from January 20-27, may have prize money of $30,000. The men’s singles will be worth $14,6680, with the winner’s share $4400. The New South Wales and Victorian titles will have $25,000, and the Tasmanian and Western Australian tournaments $4OOO and $4300 respectively. The chairman of the L.T.A.A. promotions committee, Mr N. Vickers, said the series was expected to attract all the leading world players, both professional and amateur.

“The Australian tennis circuit has always been ranked among the best in the world, and now is one of the richest.” he said.

Members of both world pro-

fessional groups were expected to compete in the series and 16 players had been invited to play, including R. Laver, J. D. Newcombe, A. D. Roche and R. Emerson.