Tennis grants made

Press, 3 February 1984, Page 32

Tennis grants made

PA Wellington Three teenagers will go to the United States as part of a cash incentive and grants scheme worth $130,000, announced by the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association yesterday. Michelle Parun, of Hutt Valley, the best performer on the recent women’s circuit, will join Wellington’s Belinda Cordwell and Julie Richardson, of Auckland, on the American tour in May. It is part of a comprehensive package of incentives which includes sending players to the United States, sending a player to the Canberra-based Australian Sports Institute and offering full-time professionals money for improvement of their professional rankings.

The N.Z.L.T.A. chairman, Mr lan Wells, said that the three teenagers would depart in May as part of the $55,000 programme to boost women’s tennis.

David Lewis, of Auckland, will receive $4OOO, as he is considered one of the best prospects to play Davis Cup in the future.

Two Auckland juniors, Mark Long and Greg Hansford, will be sent to the United States to play in a tournament circuit under the eye of a former Davis Cup player, lan Crookenden. This will cost $25,000. Long is to be encouraged to join an American university in September. Auckland’s Willie Laban, aged 15, is to be assisted by the BP Tennis Foundation to join the Australian institute in the next few weeks. He is the first nonAustralian to attend and will be coached by a former Australian Davis Cup player, Ray Ruffels. Another promising Auckland junior, Stephen Salthouse, will also receive N.Z.L.T.A. assistance yet to be decided. The N.Z.L.T.A. will also launch an incentive scheme for young professionals such as Bruce Derlin, David Mustard, Steve Guy and Mark and David Lewis.

Players ranked in the top 250 on December 31 this year will be offered a series of bonuses. If they improve their ranking to under 150 they can expect a cash payout of $lOOO for every 10 places they improve to a maximum of $lO,OOO to be ranked under 100. A similar bonus scheme will operate for players below the 250 ranking level and there will be more incentives of $5OO for each increase in 10 placings in doubles rankings to a maximum of $3OOO for a top 100 placing.