Show week-end tennis rejuvenated

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32460, 21 November 1970, Page 14

Show week-end tennis rejuvenated

(By A. M. MENZIES) THE Canterbury Lawn A Tennis Association’s decision to experiment with the show week-end tournament last year has been more than justified by the interest the tournament has attracted, but this year the programme may have been a little too full. In spite of two nearperfect days and play until about 7 p.m. on the second of them, three of the eight sections have still to be completed. In the mid-19505, the show week-end tournament was one of the best supported of the province’s fixtures. When some of the other meetings were struggling to gain entries, it generally retained respec-

table figures, at least among the men, until 1967, when the dismal total of 14 men and two women, with one other woman entered for doubles, was produced. The women’s section, of course, had to be abandoned. , This soured the association so much that the fixture was not included in the 1968 list. Then Mr R. P. Murphy came up with some stimulating changes, and the whole tournament was rejuvenated. Last year 26 men and 12 women entered. The men played round-robins in pools, and then the winners played a knock-out contest. The women played a twolife draw; both played the V.A.S.S.S. scoring system.

Doubles were played in the ordinary way. At the same time the tournament was reduced from' its traditional three days to two so that the . Friday, with its strong competing attractions, was not used. This year Mr Murphy took his changes even further and, incidentally, he has managed both tournaments as well by using pool round-robins, twolife draws for winners and knock-out tournaments for losers in both men’s and women’s singles, and twolife draws in doubles. The men’s singles entry went up to 30, the women's singles was 11, but it must be taken into account that the province’s four leading men and four leading women were engaged in. Wilding Shield and Nunnerley Casket matches and otherwise would almost certainly have been included. Few ranking list players were not entered. In addition, seven men not in singles played in doubles and seven more played in veterans’ (over 40) doubles, also played on two-life, and for which only one entry could be gained last year. So altogether 44 men played. In the women’s sections four more played doubles and 10 played more veterans* doubles, so the total was 25. Whereas the ordinary elimination tournament offers one match of singles and one match of doubles to the underdog, the minimum for him last week-end

was two pool matches and one knock-out match in singles, and two liveif in doubles. . The winner of the men’s singles, B. J. Aldridge, played two pool matches, four more in the winners’ draw, four doubles, and he has the final and perhaps a second life Still to play. But the singles runner-up, J. Dickie, got so involved in singles that he missed his doubles when he was having a break. He had his two pool matches, three in the first life, and three in the second life because he beat his first-life conquerer, J. Martin, before he lost the final to Aldridge. A similar performance in doubles would have really complicated his week-end. ' An example of the programme of an average player was that of R. Avery, the association’s groundsman who loves playing on the courts he puts so much time into preparing. He had two pool singles, two knock-out singles, four doubles and four veterans’ doubles. No-one could complain that he did not get plenty of play, but next year it may be necessary not to attempt quite so much if proceedings are to be completed. As well, the entries in the junior tournament were 170, compared with 99 last year and 89 the year before that. The surge of interest in both these tournaments is a tribute to the enterprising policies of both senior and junior associations.