Tennis pro. retiring?

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32775, 27 November 1971, Page 46

Tennis pro. retiring?

» (N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON. For Miss Francoise ; Durr, the “Little Lady” > of French tennis, life as : a full-time professional might soon be over. The charming Parissienne flew into Wellington last night to take part in an exhibition match against Mrs J. Dalton this afternoon. She will play also in the Benson and Hedges tournament at Wilding Park, Christchurch, starting next Wednesday. MARRIAGE 1N MAY Miss Durr said that next season might be her last in serious tennis. Now aged 29, in May she will marry “an American” and after that she intends to restrict her tennis. In the meantime, however, she is eagerly looking forward to her two weeks of tennis in New Zealand. For her this has been a very busy year and, in her opinion her best performances since 1967. "I have played a lot of tennis this year and by the end of it I think I will have

made $50,000,” she pointed out that this was well below the $lOO,OOO of the American » Mrs B. J. King. ’ PROMOTER PRAISED a One of the original memI bers of the "Women’s Lib” professional troupe of Mrs Gladys Heldman, Miss Durr feels that womens tennis has 5 this year gone a long way to t I 1 t

gaining parity with the men. “I don’t think that we deserve as much prize-money as the men, but I still think we deserve our fair share,” she said. And she agreed that at the moment the women were receiving their fair share. The person who had done most to help achieve this was Mrs Heldman. “She has done a really great job, and without her hard work the professional troupe would never have been a success.” MATCH TRANSFERRED Miss Durr expressed disappointment that Miss E. Goolagong was unable to play in New Zealand, but she looked forward to meeting her replacement. Miss Dalton, again. Heavy rain yesterday ruled out any prospects of play on the grass court at Central Park. The match will still go ahead as planned, on the allweather hard court.