TENNIS TITLES

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32381, 21 August 1970, Page 12

TENNIS TITLES

Chch To Get Top Players

The 1970-71 Canterbury tennis championships will be held one week before the New Zealand titles, to be staged this season in Christchurch, the annual meeting of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association was told last evening. At present, negotiations are underway with overseas players and it is hoped that, after completing the Australian circuit some will attend the New Zealand championships.

As the Canterbury titles are also to be held immediately after the Wellington championships, it is expected the leading North Islanders will play in them as a preparation for the nationals.

A motion from the United club to lift the restriction of one team a club being permitted in the senior men's grade was lost. Mr L. Blackwell, representing United, said that it was not fair to prevent players of a high standard in a club's second team from contesting this competition. He was supported by Mr S. Day, who said that if Canterbury tennis was to advance, it would have to make full use of facilities and club players. Mr N. Curry said that the size of a club might entitle it to another team but “there should be a limit—perhaps to allow a club up to two teams." The chairman of the competitions committee (Mr A. Atkinson) said “that no club was sufficiently strong enough to submit two senior teams.”

Against a strong murmur of disapproval, Mr Day proposed that the C.L.T.A. declare itself to be against any association with Rhodesian and South African tennis. He did not get a seconder. Officers elected were:—Patron, Mr J. Mercer, M.8.E.; president, Dr W. J. Smith; active vicepresidents, Messrs H. Dillon and F. H. Johnston; management committee, Messrs O. Bringans, G. Judge, B. Partridge, L. Foster, R. Brown, J. Dickie* R. Murphy, T. Ralfe, T. Withers, and Mrs D. McKinnel (one to be elected); competitions committee, Messrs A. Atkinson, D. Haworth, A. Lee, T. Ralfe, R. Purves, Mesdaines E. Boloski and B. Miles (one to be elected); auditor, Mr N. Curry.