WAITING GAME ON OPEN TENNIS

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32566, 27 March 1971, Page 14

WAITING GAME ON OPEN TENNIS

(By A. M. MENZIES) J7NJOYING the satisfaction of its success in conducting the first Benson and Hedges New Zealand open tennis tournament in 1969, the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association, envisaging Stanley Street as the permanent venue for the fixture, moved at a meeting of the council of the national association that it be given the open for five years. Aucklanders contended, with some justification, that all the world’s major tournaments except the Australian championships—are held at the same place each year, that they have built up a fund of experience in promotion, organisation and administration going back to 1956 when they first held their annual international invitation tournament, that they have the best facilities, and that theirs is the centre of greatest population and greatest interest in tennis. Opponents of a permanent venue considered this attitude selfish and not in the best interests of the game. They suggested that the increased interest that the open had brought to tennis in the Auckland area could also be engen-

dered in the rest of the country, and that one association should not have ' the continuing financial benefit. At the meeting of the national council, the opponents, led by Canterbury and Wellington, had the motion reduced to three years, but were still disappointed when it was passed. Canterbury officials later talked of seeking a rescinding of this decision, but refrained from taking the step. Since then two more opens have been held and the circumstances have changed so much that the aspirations of Canterbury administrators to wrest the open from Auckland in its present form may have cooled. The first open was graced by R. Laver, J. D. Newcombe, A Roche and R. Gonzales as its four top seeds; the second had T. Okker, R. Taylor and N. Pilic; last month the third open had, of all things, a New Zealander, B. E. Fairlie, at the top of the list, then R. Ruffels, R. Carmichael and R. Moore. So, in three years, the quality of men professionals in the touma-

ment has reduced from first line to second line to third line. At the same time, Auckland has increased its prize money from $12,000 to $13,500 to $15,000, but it is still priced out of the market for the Lavers and the Rosewalls. It would require about $50,000 to become part of the major series circuit. A larger number of professionals this time meant an increase of guarantees to World Championship Tennis and Auckland’s expenses rose from $25,000 last year to $30,000. Any centre outside Auckland seeking the open—and Christchurch is , probably tiie only one at present with the necessan? facilities—has to consider this kind of money when the standard for male players available from W.C.T., which now has so many on its books, is lower. Apart from the major sponsor for the whole event, for the five-indivi-dual events each year, Auckland has been supported by nine firms—one of them each year, four twice and four once. In these times of economic uncertainty, sponsorship may become more difficult

to obtain than it has been in recent years. Auckland faced considerable problems in fixing its 1971 dates to try to fit in with the Dunlop open in Australia without clashing with another open. Eventually, it was allowed to clash with an open in Calcutta, which was to attract some of the leading professionals but which, ironically, was never held. It is little wonder, then, ’ that one Auckland administrator, who has carried a great deal of the burden of promotion and organisation over the three years, said-this year that he would not bp particularly disappointed to see another centre have a try. This feeling is probably not shared by all his colleagues when they consider that after paying its 20 per cent to the national association, Auckland made a profit of $BOOO in 1969 and $9OOO last year. This year’s gain is unlikely to be much less because, although the expenses rose, an extra day and and extra night were played. Auckland officials have conducted the open magnificently for three seasons; there is now no doubt, after . the way in which the

national championships were run this year, that Canterbury officials could do the same, and Wilding Park’s facilities, apart from the lack of covered stands, are well up to standard, r But does Canterbury want to run them? The New Zealand championships showed what could be done with a tournament that carried none of the financial burdens or risks of the open. They did not show that good crowds could be expected for six or seven days; the crowds filled the stands only on the last two days. The chairman of the Canterbury , management committee (Mr R. B. Brown), who in 1969 was one of the strongest movers for Canterbury to have the open as soon as possible, is fully cognisant of ail these developments and now favours a waiting game, with the thought that Canterbury should hold some sort of major open tournament about the time of the Commonwealth Games in 1974. This would be its year for the national titles again, anyway. The New Zealand championships might even become the New Zealand .open and be run by the New Zealand association.