Tennis junior’s trip

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33158, 23 February 1973, Page 20

Tennis junior’s trip

Fired by the enthusiasm of O. Parun, Canterbury’s leading junior tennis player, A. James, who is also one of its three top seniors, will go overseas this year with a contemporary, C. England, of Hutt Valley. After leaving early in April, they will play in tournaments in Britain for about six months. When he was home in Wellington briefly, Parun spent about four hours talking with them, advising them to go now. helping them to plan, giving them hints about, travelling, and eventually writing away for them to aid them in their arrangements. Their entries have been accepted for under 18, under 21. and open events —where applicable—in 15 tournaments from mid-April to the beginning of September. Both aged 17. James and England are members of the national development squad. James from its formation in April. 1971. and England since the squad was increased from eight to 12 “ after he won the national c under-17 singles and doubles titles last year.

, This season they reached , the final of the Wellington , ■senior hardcourt champion- " ships, which England won,: and they won the doubles) 1 together. Throughout the i! ■season they have developed a strong doubles combination)' and they were semi-finalists:' in the national under-19 ) titles. GOOD RECORD In spite of his young age. ■ James has been prominent in ' Canterbury senior tennis for : two seasons. Third arid:' second for the successful Lin-): wood Avenue side last): Reason, he won six of eight r

singles, and as top for Linwood Avenue-Woolston this: season he has lost only one) of six. He was top singles player: in the Canterbury side which won the Slazenger Shield last season, he led the team. again this season, and he was' also in the Wilding Shield team. He lost very narrowly to W. Edgecumbe in the final of the Canterbury show tournament. One of his best wins this: season was over the Hutt Valley player, B. Hegarty, in a representative match. Hegarty was national under-19 runner-up last season. James, who passed University Entrance last year and iwho had been accepted for Teachers’ College, has been ■ working long hours for a con- : crete firm since he decided to make the trip. He has been practising assiduously when he has had time. However, James treats the venture as an experiment—“to see how tough it is; to see whether I am improved when I come back.” He will ■ then decide whether to go I again or perhaps to go to i university.