Champion down in rankings

Press, 4 November 1978, Page 20

Champion down in rankings

PA Wellington i The New Zealand champion, ( Kerry Palmer (Auckland), has 1 been ranked only fourth in the ( 1978 New Zealand men's table 1 tennis rankings. 1 Palmer was a controversial omission from the New Zealand J team to play in the world chain- ; pionships in Pongyang, North * Korea, next March-April. The top ranking has gone to J the Whangarei farmer James Morris, who won the North J Island title and was beaten in ' the semi-finals of the New Zealand singles by Robert Blair (Franklin). In the women’s section, the top ranking has gone to the 20-vear-old New Zealand champion, Shelley Palmer, a sister of Kerry, the men’s singles champion. 1 , Ranked second behind the Aucki lander is Jan Morris (Canterbury). 1 : The rankings are:— Men. — J. R. Morris (Northland 1. R. E. Lee (Auckland) 2, 1 : R. C. Biair (Franklin) 3, K. M. ( ' Palmer (Auckland) 4, G. B. Las-

sen (Auckland) 5, XV D. Adamson (Canterbury') 6. M. G. Saunders (Franklin) 7. M. R. Temperly (Auckland) 8, L. Ward (Wellington) 9, A. R. Tomlinson (Auckland) 10. Women. — S. J. Palmer (Auckland) 1, J. G. Morris (Canterbury) 2, A. M. Brackenridge (Auckland) 3. D. J. Looms (Marlborough) 4, Y. M. Eyre (Auckland) 5. C. L. M. 1 Beasley (Wellington) 6. C. E. Tadema (Hamilton) 7, R. V. Conroy (Hutt Valley) 8, A. Gyongyos (Wellington) 9, R. Lee (Hutt Valley) 10.