1970 OPEN TENNIS N.Z. Body Favours Auckland

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31947, 26 March 1969, Page 19

1970 OPEN TENNIS N.Z. Body Favours Auckland

{New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON.

The New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association management committee has recommended to the council, which will meet in Wellington next month, that Auckland stages next season’s open tennis championships.

The Auckland L.T.A. ran this year’s successful championships, which are open both to professional and amateur players.

Three associations — Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury—had applied to hold next season’s tournament.

The management committee has asked that a condition be added to its recommendation that it be subject to

agreement between the New Zealand and Auckland assoi ciations about sponsorship, financial arrangements and other matters concerning the open tournament. The management committee will also suggest to the council that it might like to tdiscuss the possibility of having a permanent venue for the open championships. Mr R. B. Brown, chairman of the Canterbury L.T.A. management committee, commenting on the recommendation, said last evening that other associations apart from Auckland owe their public the chance to see an open tournament and that, by paying an affiliation fee to the New [Zealand body, the chance •should be given. > “If the purpose of recommending Auckland is to show other countries and overseas players that New Zealand can run a successful open tourna-i ment, then we will not be unduly worried,” said Mr Brown. “However, if the idea is to (hold the open tournament in ! Auckland every year, then we (would oppose it. i “We have the facilities and [administrators in Canterbury 'to run a successful tournaIment.”

A suggestion by the Auckland L.T.A. that New Zealand enter a team in this year’s Federation Cup, the world’s premier event for international representative women’s tennis, was quickly dealt with by the New Zealand association’s management committee —it reported that the closing date was more than a month past. The Auckland L.T.A. in a letter, said that since the New Zealand champion. Miss B. Vercoe, would be overseas this year, and that Miss C. Fleming, a former leading player, had been in London for a year, the two could make up a Federation Cup entry from New Zealand. The management committee chairman (Mr S. Painter) said that in view of the closing date of February 19 there could be no entry.

The management committee did, how’ever, agree to a request by Miss Vercoe, sent through the Auckland L.T.A., that it nominate her for the open Wimbledon championships.