THREE-DAY EVENT Canterbury tennis titles start today

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33417, 26 December 1973, Page 3

THREE-DAY EVENT Canterbury tennis titles start today

/By

A. M. MENZIES)

A number of overseas players expected for the Phillip Morris Canterbury tennis championships which will begin at Wilding Park today will not be arriving, and the top seeds in the men's and women’s singles are New Zealanders.

One notable visitor is Mrs K. Bryan, the former Miss K. Blake, of the United States, who has played on the Virginia Slims circuit in America for the last few years.

Mrs Bryan has competed at Wimbledon and Forest Hills and has beaten players of the standard of Miss K. Harris, of Australia, Miss L. Roussow, of South Africa, and the Frenchwoman, Miss F. Durr.

Mrs Bryan has been seeded only fourth in the women’s singles behind Mrs R. Hunt (Canterbury), Miss J. Phillips (Canterbury) and Mrs S. Haig formerly from Otago but now living in Christchurch after her return from several years in Canada.

The reason for Mrs Bryan’s lowly seeding in spite of her experience among leading players is that she was beaten in Dunedin by Mrs Haig and in the South Canterbury championships at Timaru last week by Mrs Hunt. Mrs Bryan has been in New Zealand for some time with her husband, W. Bryan, a Californian teaching professional, who is also an entrant in the Canterbury championships.

Hawkes top Seeded first in the men’s singles is the former Davis

Cap player and former Canterbury player now in Wellington, R. N. Hawkes. S. Menzies, the present top man in Canterbury, is the second seed in the men’s field of 23. After them, in order, are D. Hawkes (Wellington), H. Lloyd (United States), D. McCurdie (United States), W. Thom (Canterbury), G. Harris (Canterbury), and R. Webster (Canterbury). D. Hawkes won the men’s singles at Timaru on Sunday when he beat another former Davis Cup player, J. B. Souter, of South Canterbury, in the final.

Lloyd and McCurdie, both from California, are touring together. Mrs Hunt, who won the South Canterbury title when she beat Miss Phillips in the final, is in good form this season and should be able to regain her ranking as New Zealand’s second player—or better.

Small field There are only 10 entries in the women’s singles because of the absence of juniors in the North Island. Mrs Hunt is the top seed, Miss Phillips second, Mrs Haig third, and Mrs Bryan fourth.

Seedings The other seedings are:— Men’s doubles.—D. Hawke: and Bryan 1, R. N. Hawke and T. Mooney 2, McCurdn and Lloyd 3, Thom and Har ris 4.

Women's doubles. — Mes dames Haig and Hunt 1, Mis Phillips and Mrs Bryan 2. Mixed doubles.—Bryan anc Mrs Bryan 1, Thom and Mrs Haig 2, Hunt and Mrs Hunt 3, N. Pattinson and Miss Phillips 4. The championships will last for three days before

the start of the Nelson championships. The Auckland championships also begin todav.