Professional tennis for Chch in October

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33533, 14 May 1974, Page 14

Professional tennis for Chch in October

rhe third tournament on the Asian professional tennis circuit to be held later this year will be played at Cowles Stadium, Christchurch, from October 21 to 27.

The Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association’s management committee was told the dates last evening, and it later decided to purchase an artificial court for the tournament at a cost of $3OOO.

The chairman (Mr K. B. Brown) said the court was second hand, but had only been used three times in- the United States. The cost of a new court was $5500. The artificial court would i obviate the need for playing lon boards, and as the Asian 'circuit looked like becoming an annual event, the court would help in obtaining fix-

■ tures in future years, said [ Mr Brown. 1 Part of the cost might be .■covered if the Canterbury; [association applied to the' i Ministry of Sport and Re- ■ [creation for a grant. | Mr Brown told the meeting that Christchurch had been comi peting with Perth for a tourna- ‘ meat on the circuit, but Perth ! did not now want the event. The Christchurch tournament will be the third of eight on | the circuit and will come after Sydney. As most of the players

(will be vying tor grand pr*i points in the early stages of t*u circuit it is likely that the top pla>ers will be present in Chrisf j church. FEDERATION CUP Christchurch will stage th? Federation Cup in Decerr.bc:. 1975. if the New Zealand Laun ’ Tennis Association’s application •'is successful. • The national bod promised l Canterbury the tournament if n agreed to charge th.* date* of Hits championships next season i to allow Whangarei to stag< the • New Zealand hard court chan ► pionships. Canterbury had set its dates ias December 2b to N b::’ on > the Neu Zealand association s promise of the Federation i up. agreed to Its chatnploi being from December to 23 Auckland would have been staging the competition at prei sent, but the Prime Minister Mr Kirki said last November tha the Government would rot . i visas for a South African te., n to compete, and the tournament was transferred to Naples ASSISTANCE I The association agreed to n ake ! a donation of 5400 to the ( an- ; terbury player. Mrs R. Hunt, a member of the Federation (up team at present in Naples