N.Z. ASSOCIATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 47, 25 February 1937, Page 25

N.Z. ASSOCIATION

DAVIS CUP PROSPECTS

NATIONAL TOURNEY

The quarterly meeting of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association was held last night, Mr. G. Pownall presiding.

- In moving the adoption 'of the quarterly report, Mr. A. G. Henderson said that the South Canterbury Association was to be congratulated upon the manner in which it had run the national tournament at Timaru. The associa-tion-had provided good courts and the usual amenities and had carried out its duties very well indeed. Owing to the weather, the absence of overseas players, and the infantile paralysis epidemic, the tournament was not as successful financially as it would probably have been otherwise, but it was excellently managed.

Regarding the Davis Cup entry, he was glad to see that New Zealand had been successful in obtaining a very favourable, draw, the. first round being against China and the .second against the winner of the South AfricanNetherlands match. In his opinion. New Zealand had at least a 50-SU chance of reaching the third round. The management committee of the New Zealand Association had been advised that Mr. D. C. Coombe, New Zealand singles champion, was going to Great Britain for further tennis experience. An inquiry had been received whether it might be possible to include Mr. Coombe in the Davis Cup team. As only three players, Malfroy, Stedman, and Andrews, had been nominated, and as there was a special fund out of which Davis Cup travelling expenses might be paid, it was decided that Mr. Coombe should' be nominated with the-other; three playiers. Whether Mr. Coombe played in any particular match of the Davis Cup would depend of course_on his form and upon the selector, Mr. H. G. N. Lee. The association had also nominated Mr. Coombe for Wimbledon, and he would have ample opportunity of getting practice with members of the ■Davis Cup team. Mr. Coombe was leaving by the Tamaroa in a few days. He hopedLthat Mr. Coombe would come, back a much improved player. Regarding visits to New Zealand by overseas players, it would, have been possible to have had a visit from a first-class Australian ladies' team, but, although the standard of ladies teium was very high, it did not draw a gate, a^iriLit wasbelieved that the tour would probably have resulted m a loss. DAVIS CUP CHANCES.

The chairman, Mr. G. gownaU. said tative for Great Britain were he eligible. He and Malfroy had recently captured both the singles and doubles at the AlWndia and important Madras tournaments. The two had also beaten yon Cramm and Henkel twice. Some people thought that if New Zealand played England at the present time New Zealand would very, likely win. New Zealand tennis players were like nrophets, without honour in their own country. If Stedman had been assisted in making his trip away, he would have returned and given the benefit of his improved play to New Zealand teams. , -- ;, Mr. E. A. Harley said that the South Canterbury Association appreciated very much the fact that it had been awarded the New Zealand championships and it had done its best to make these championships a success. Had the weather been maintained, the takings would probably have been in the vicinity of £450. The expenditure was down, and the net turnover would probably not be very much less than normal.

DATE OF NATIONAL TOURNEY. Considerable discussion took place on the motion of ■the Wanganui Association that the New Zealand championship tournament should be held not earlier than the third week-of January in each year. In moving the motion, Mr. Pownall said that he thought most, players were satisfied that the New Zealand tournament should be the culmination and not the first of various tournaments throughout New Zealand. On the whole, players this season were not at the top of their form at Christmas time, the difference in their form being clearly shown by a comparison between'the Canterbury and New Zealand tournaments. The main argument used in the past in favour of holding earlier tournaments was that gate taking* were better then. However, when tournai^nts had been held later, as at Auckland, the results had always been satisfactory. The reason why the .Canterbury Association < had always supported the Christmas tournament ,was a financial one, but he thought thUt the Canterbury Association was mistaken in this respect, and in any casejmoney was not the be-all and endall.of the New Zealand tourney. This year Auckland had not succeeded in holding more than two Saturday competitions before the Timaru contest. In his opinion, Auckland weather did not generally settle down until after Christmas.

Mr. H. N. Watson (Manawatu) moved *an amendment favouring the holding of the New Zealand tournament during the Christmas-New Year holiday period. In England, he said, the Wimbledon tournament over the past nine years had been held between June 20 and 25, the Davis Cup first round between May 2 and 20, the North England tourney between August 15 and 20, and the South England tourney between September 5 and 10, which corresponded with our March. The French championships over the .same period had been held between-May 17 and June 2, much before Wimbledon. The English hard-court tourney was held between April 12 and May 1. and the first grass-court tourney between April 15 and 22. The English climate came on later than here, and yet English players got fit in time. In the early - days the Christmas and New Year holiday period had always been the time for holding the New Zealand championships and this had proved perfectly satisfactory. The weather m any case was morejsr less of a gamble in New Zealand. Regarding the suggestion that players could not get fit in time, they, had hard-court practice during the winter months- as well as badminton and golf. " a player was fit, one month was sumcient to accustom him to the changeover from hard courts to grass. .me majority of the clubs, in his OP1"*0"----favoured the Christmas and New Year period for the holding of the national tourney, and only in the north were there dissentients. In these days, of shorter hours and higher wages it was more difficult to get extra leave at other than Christmas time. Mr. Thompson (Wellington) seconded the amendment on behalf of ManaWMr! J. L. MacDufl said that the Wellington Association felt that Chnstmas was too early for. the national tourney. Entries at Timaru in the singles this year were 50 per cent, higher than they had been at Wellington last year. ~, • Mr. Roydhouse (Wairarapa) said that since 1880 his association had held its tournament on January 22. He asked that the New Zealand tournament be not allowed to conflict wim this day and suggested that it be held in February, the last of the major tourneys. ~. Mr. Pownall said that it was ridiculous to suggest that courts for a national tourney would be chopped up if the tourney was held later in the season. In his opinion, 75 per cent, of the .players thought that the tourney was being held too early. The New Zealand golf contest this year had not been held at holiday time, yet it had been a great success. _ Mr. White (Auckland Association) said that the non-fitness argument was a preposterous one. If a man could

not get fit in two months he should not be" a tennis champion. On being put to the vote, the amendment was lost. Mr. Pownall said that an Auckland official had informed him that that association favoured a late tournament. It was extraordinary that the Auckland delegates had apparently not been instructed how to vote. Mr. White: That is an improper statement. Mr. -Pownalb That is my business. Mr. White: It is the chairman's business. Mr. Pownall: Take it for what it is worth. The chairman: Order! Order! The motion was lost, the position remaining that the date of the New Zealand tournament is arranged by the New Zealand management committee, in consultation with the association managing the tourney. The following motion, moved by the Manawatu Association, was carried: "That the New Zealand Association shall -fix the dates of the next New Zealand tournament each year, as far as practicable, in time to announce them before the annual general meeting of the association, in order that associations and clubs can fix their own tournaments without fear of their dates conflicting with those of the New Zealand tournament."