Strong fields for national tennis

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33094, 8 December 1972, Page 24

Strong fields for national tennis

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A. M. MENZIES)

Although the outlook is still cloudy, the prospects for the fields in the BP New Zealand tennis championships at Wilding Park from January 15 to 21 are for something better than the group which toured the national circuit last season.

The championships will be held immediately after the Benson and Hedges open in Auckland and it is expected that some of the players will move from one to the other. Two who are unlikely to come, however, are the top New Zealanders, B. E. Fairlie and O. Parun, who will have commitments with the W.C.T. circuit after the Auckland tournament. WIMBLEDON WINNER Although in these days of many attractive tournaments and many travelling players it is never wise to believe a player will participate until actually on the court, Miss E. Goolagong has been confirmed as an entrant in both events. The delight she gave when she appeared in the BP national tournament in Christchurch in February, 1971, will never be forgotten, and she has won Wimbledon since. The tournament might be considered to be “made” by her presence; it is hoped it will have more. The official Australian team of two men and two women, which will play in Auckland, may be expected to continue to Christchurch. DIBLEY EXPECTED Whether Miss Goolagong will be a member of this team is not known, but it might include players of the calibre of C. Dibley, who won at Wilding Park in 1971, J. Cooper or G. Masters, Misses H. Gourlay and P. Coleman. The New Zealand association reports that letters are being received from players from many countries. But foremost in negotiations are probably those with Russian

and French teams expected to be in Australia beforehand. The Russians may well be A. Metreveli and Miss O. Morozova; the French, Davis Cup players. Much firmer prospects are the top two Belgian women, Misses M. Gurdal and M. van Haver, who represented their country in the Federation Cup this year, and two West German men, K. Meiler and H. Ploetz. HIGHER RANKINGS Meiler was ranked sixth at the end of last season and Ploetz ninth, but both are thought to have risen since, especially Meiler, who reached the quarter-finals of the German open in a worldclass field. The secretary of the Canterbury association (Mrs M. G. Clarke) has letters from a number of good indivdual players. Among them are the ebullient H. Kary, Austria’s number one, the bouncing Canadian, P. Burwash, who with a draw-off to professionalism is now also number one in his country, Miss J. Tindle, who is ranked third in Canada, and Miss K. Sawamutsu, the Japanese top woman, who was also here in February, 1971. AMERICAN PAIR A well-known American, B. Seewagen, and S. Faulk, who did well on the New Zealand circuit last season—they are ranked twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth on the United States list, would be strong contenders. Two members of the Greek Davis Cup squad, N. Kaleidas and N. Caramangoueus, who was formerly a New Zealander, N. Carr, of Wellington, who has taken Greek nationality, R. Rheinberger, an Australian who has played in Christchurch before, F. Patrikeff, of Hong Kong, and various lesser known Ameri-

cans, also have made inquiries.

To this cosmopolitan list may be added some homegrown products who will be given assistance by the N.Z.L.T.A. to play in Christchurch—the Davis Cup player, J. Simpson, A. Parun, R. McGhie, a former junior champion who is now an international player, Miss M. Pryde, New Zealand’s top woman, and Miss J. Connor, the young Aucklander ranked top national junior who toured overseas this year for the first time. '