N.Z. v. Overseas today

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32778, 1 December 1971, Page 30

N.Z. v. Overseas today

A glittering array of world-class players are gathered in Christchurch today for the start of the Benson and Hedges women’s tennis tournament, the first tennis tournament exclusively for women held in Australia or New Zealand.

There are two of this year’s Wimbledon singles semi-finalists, Mrs B. J. King and Mrs J. Dalton, four of the eight quarter-finalists (Misses K. Melville and F. Durr the others), a fourthround loser—Miss L. Hunt—and four of the eight players in the doubles semi-finals, Misses Durr, R. Casals, V. Ziegenfuss and Mrs King. The three Americans, Mrs King, Miss Casals and Miss Ziegenfuss, arrived yesterday morning, extremely tired after a long flight from the United States, and Miss Hunt and Miss Melville arrived in the afternoon from Australia.

Expected this morning from Auckland, where they played an exhibition match on Sunday after one in Wellington on Saturday, are another Australian, Mrs Dalton, and the French woman, Miss Durr.

Already in Christchurch had been the other membei of the Heldman group, Miss K. Kemmer, and Miss M. Struthers, another American, who will be playing the national circuit this season.

In the first-round singles today and tomorrow, seven overseas players will meet seven New Zealanders, and in the other match Miss Struthers and Mrs Dalton will be matched.

Today the two top-ranked

New Zealanders, Miss M. Pryde, of Wellington, •’nd Miss R. Legge, of Canterbury, members of the Federation Cup side in Perth at the end of last year, will play Miss Ziegenfuss and Miss Hunt, respectively. Both Miss Legge and Miss Pryde made overseas tours last year and Miss Pryde went again this year with some success, so they are far from inexperienced against overseas players. Miss Pryde won a tournament in Switzerland.

Miss C. Fleming, of Auckland, another who toured this year, was a winner of the Malaysian Open. She meets Miss Durr, while Mrs C.

Armitage, an experienced Canterbury player, has drawn the top-seeded Mrs King, three times Wimbledon champion. After the four singles, the Australians, Misses Melville and Hunt, will play Mrs Armitage and Miss Legge.

The centre courts at Wilding Park are beautifully grassed and should provide very even surfaces. Because they have not been played on a great deal this season, they may take a day to speed up.

All the stands and facilities at the park have been given a face-lift in recent weeks. Over them will fly the flags of competing nations.