Japanese Champion In Open Tennis Entry

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31865, 18 December 1968, Page 21

Japanese Champion In Open Tennis Entry

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. The Japanese champion, K. Watanabe, will be a competitor in New Zealand’s first open tennis tournament to be held in Auckland from January 29 to February 3.

Announcing Watanabe as a definite started, the chairman of the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association’s promotions committee, Mr J. Robson, said that one other topran ki n g Japanese would accompany Watanabe. “The Japanese association has offered us five players, all men,” Mr Robson added.

Watanabe is the Japanese singles and doubles champion and has been a member of his country’s Davis Cup team since 1963. He has beaten some of the world’s leading players. Three Now Definite The naming of Watanabe brings the number of definite overseas entrants to three. The others are the world champions, R. A. Laver (Australia) and Mrs B. J. King (United States). Listed as probable starters are the world's No. 2 woman, Mrs A. Jones (Britain), the Wimbledon doubles champions, A. D. Roche and J. D. Newcombe (Australia), the Frenchwoman, Miss F. Durr, and the Americans, R. Gonzales and Miss R. Casals.

Mr Robson said that plans to invite the United States Davis Cup squad playing in Australia had been abandoned. Fairlie Top Seed B. E. Fairlie will head the seedings in the New Zealand championships, which will start in Auckland next month. O. Parun is the second seed. The three overseas players now in this country—the Rhodesian, H. Irvine, and the Canadians, T. Bardsley and P. Burwash—have not been seeded. In the women’s singles, the

i national title-holder. Miss M. Pryde (Wellington), is the •No. 1 seed. Second is Miss B. Vercoe (Auckland). The N.Z.L.T.A. management committee yesterday received a telegram from Mrs R. Davy regretting that she could not enter for the national championships. Last month the N.Z.L.T.A. council opened the New Zealand championships to teaching professionals, which Mrs Davy is. She is also a six-times winher of the crown, the last in 1965. The seedings are: Men’s Singles.—Fairlie 1, O. Parun 2, R. N. Hawkes (Wellington) 3, D. Simmonds (Auckland) 4, J. H. Lockington (Auckland) 5, H. A. Broun (Auckland) 6, K. Long (Auckland) 7, K. O. Woolcott (Hutt Valley) 8. Women's Singles.—Miss Pryde 1, Miss' Vercoe 2, Miss J. Bloxham (Bay of Plenty) 3, Miss S. Collins (Southland) 4, Miss A. Stevens (Auckland) 5. Miss R. Legge (Canterbury) 6, Miss P. Rogan (Auckland) 7. Mrs P. Stevens (Northland) 8. Men’s Doubles.—Fairlie and O. Parun 1, Irvine and Hawkes 2. Long and Lockington 3, Woolcott and Broun 4. Women’s Doubles.—Misses Pryde and Bloxham 1, Miss Vercoe and Rogan 2, Mesdames E. Stephan (Auckland) and S. Blackwood (North Shore) 3. Mesdames H. Robson (Auckland) and J. Bignell (Auckland) 4. Mixed Doubles.—Hawkes and Miss Vercoe 1. K. O’Carr.ol! (Northland) and Miss Rogan 2, Woolcott and Mrs Stevens 3. .1. G. Simpson (North Shore) and Miss Pryde 4.