Tennis offer turned down

Press, 14 December 1977, Page 52

Tennis offer turned down

By

MURRAY OLDS

The bright young Canterbury tennis prospect Michael Mooney will not be lost to the province for at least another year. On Monday Mooneyturned down a tennis scholarship to the Wichita State University in Kansas, deferring his decision until September. 1978. “There were several reasons why I turned the scholarship down,” said Mooney last night. “For one thing I haven’t got back on my feet financially since I came home from mv last overseas trip in early September. I also need a little more time to consider the offer," he said. He intends to compete on the national senior tournament circuit over the summer as well. He was first contacted by the university in November when his doubles partner in Europe, Myron Pushyk, telephoned from Kansas with the scholarship otter. Pushyk is studying at Wichita State and was the fou r t h-ranked Australian junior in 1975. He plays at No. 3 for the Wichita ten.’.is team, which is ranked twelfth in the highly competitive U.S. university circuit. Mooney and Pushyk formed a very successful doubles combination during the northern summer when both were competing in Europe. The pair scored notable wins in several international tournaments, defeating the Dutch Davis Cup representatives Hordyk and Fleury, six-times national doubles champions, and England’s John Feaver and Michael Weyman. Feaver has played Davis Cup tennis for Great Britain and Weyman was ranked No. 9 in the U.K. last year. “We also had a win in an international tournament in Belgium, when we defeated the Indian professional Jay Royapa, who is ranked No. 4 in India, and a Rumanian named Kerekes, No. 6 in his country,” said Mooney. Pushyk was sufficiently impressed with his young

I partner to mention him to I Wichita's Director of Tennis, I Dr Stan Kardatzke. j Mooney has been in touch with the university since November, and Dr Kardatzke (rang on Monday evening to (learn of his decision. i "He was disappointed, but 1 he is keen to keep in written contact throughout next (year, and I have the option of taking up the scholarship in September if I want it,” said Mooney. Another reason for the deferral concerned the starting ' date of the scholarship. Mooney would have been required to report to Wichita by January 12, a period of notice too brief for the ’young player. “the university is hosting the national American universities tournament in February, and they wanted me to go straight into the team a N 0.4 or 5”, said Mooney. He would add to the cosmopolitan flavour of the Wichita side, which boasts a South African at No.l — “the best junior in his country in 1975” — and “a few Australians.” While Mooney would receive no actual monetary rewards, the scholarship is very attractive nonetheless. It provides free accommodation. meals, tuition, books and all travel expenditures. In addition, all the tennis equipment, from raquets to shoes, would be supplied. It would be worth over $9OOO over a three-year period, during which time Mooney would take a degree in either languages or physical education. Michael Mooney has now set his sights on the coming domestic season. He is keen to achieve better results than last year, when as top seed for the national junior title he was beaten in the semi-finals by the eventual winner, Canterbury’s Stephen Harley. He was bypassed by the national selectors recently when they picked a junior Davis Cup squad, but Mooney is not upset with his omission.