TENNIS EVENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 49, 26 August 1938, Page 7

TENNIS EVENTS

ASSOCIATION'S PLANS

CENTENNIAL' TOURNEY

The committee has decided to endeavour to make the Centennial tournament a special event, and to invite representatives from overseas countries, says the quarterly report of the management committee of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, presented at the association's annual meeting last night. In particular an attempt is to be made to obtain teams from England, Australia, and the United States. Inquiries are now being made by the association's representative in London as to what players would be available, and would be prepared to consider an invitation. The dates for the tournament have been tentatively fixed for December 27,1939, to January 2, 1940.

The, championships for the coming year will be held at Christchurch early in January. The committee has decided that the period of six playing days previously allowed for the tournament has proved insufficient, and in future at least seven playing days should be allowed. It has been arranged to hold the junior championships at Wanganui from January 18 to January 21 (inclusive). This will be the first occasion that the junior championships have been held at any place other than Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, and it is expected that the Wanganui Association will make every endeavour to conduct the tournament in a successful manner. Pursuant to the resolution of the council, the committee has decided to send a team of four promising men players to Sydney to compete in the New South Wales championships in November, and such other matches as may be arranged. The team" will leave Wellington by the Awatea on November 1 and returns to New Zealand on November 28. STEDMAN'S TOUR. In proposing the adoption of the annual report (extracts from which have already been published), Mr. A. G. Henderson, chairman of the management committee, called attention to the way the number of players had grown in the last twenty years. Referring to Stedman's tour, Mr. Henderson said that Stedman had, for the last few years, been their most prominent player, and an excellent one for young players to watch. He regretted to say that' the support given—particularly in the South Island—had been very poor. The girls' team which had been sent to Australia had done very well in matches against girls of the same age. The four girls who were sent, however, had been ranked among New Zealand's first ten and as representatives of the Dominion they had not done so well and showed that the standard of women players here was a good bit below that of New South Wales. Replying to a question regarding an amount of £40 in the accounts for "players' expenses" for the American team exhibition at Auckland, the chairman of the meeting, Mr. P. Harrison, said that the American Association had been informed of the demands made by their players, but had not notified the New Zealand Association as to what, action it took in the matter. The association had not been asked for a reply. AUSTRALIAN COACH. Dr. J. Fulton, of Otago, in expressing his thanks for having been elected president, referred to the possibility of getting a coach from "Sydney for about three months every five years or so. This would stimulate interest among the players and "brush up" the New Zealand coaches, he said. It might be much more expensive than he thought, but, if possible, he would like to see something done about it. He also thought they should concentrate on sending players to Australia rather thian to the Davis Cup. He did not mean that the Dominion should send no .players to the cup, but suggested that they be sent about every five years. On the motion of the Wellington Association, the New Zealand junior championships for the season 1939-40 were allocated to Wellington. The New Zealand Umpires' Association had been formed as a result of a meeting of delegates held in June, said Mr. Eric Reeves. The umpires' associations in Auckland and Wellington were proceeding very well and were strong bodies. A badge for umpires who had passed examination was to be struck, and they intended to get uniformity in umpires. They had been in correspondence with the Umpires' Association of Great Britain and had learnt that that body was recognised by the L.T.A. of Great Britain It was their desire that the New Zealand Umpires' Association be so recognised by the N.Z.L.T.A. Mr. A. M. Pinkerton eulogised the work of the Umpires' Association. _Mr. Henderson said that the formation of the association was a milestone in the history of New Zealand tennis and had long been wanted. He thought however, that it was not quite the right time to give them recognition. The association's rules should be submitted for perusal, he said, and the N.Z.L.T.A. rules should be so altered as to give them representation on the New Zealand council. A motion that the Umpires' Association be officially recognised subject to its rules being approved by the management committee of the N.Z.L.T.A. was passed. OFFICERS ELECTED. Officers were elected as follows:— Patron, his Excellency Viscount Galway; president, Dr. J. Fulton (Otago); vice-presidents, Messrs. S. Lamb (Auckland), B. Browning (Canterbury), R. D. Brown (Hawke's Bay), H. N. Watson (Manawatu), A. C. North (Marlborough), C. G. Kirk (Nelson), K. Hayr (North Auckland), S. G. McDougall (North Otago), W. M. Jenkins (Poverty Bay and East Coast), A. E. Sandral (South Canterbury), F. A. De La Perrelle (Southland), W. I. Shrimpton (Taranaki), V. C. Hollis (Waikato), S. R. Gawith (Wairarapa), G. H. Pownall (Wanganui), J. C. Peacock (Wei- j lington), Dr. H. S. Ray (West Coast); honorary life members, Miss K. M. Nunneley, Messrs. W. Goss, A. G. Henderson, J. C. Peacock, F. H. Woodward, R. Browning, G. Gore, and P. Harrison; honorary vice-presidents, Messrs. E. D. Andrews, P. W. Rootham, J. Borotra, Miss N. Lloyd; management committee, Messrs. A. G. Henderson (chairman), J.. A. McGill, J. L. MacDuff, H. J. Thompson, W. J. Melody, A N. Leslie, Dr. A. E. Park; secretary and treasurer, Mr. H. N. Burns; representative on the Lawn Tennis Association, London, Mr. H. G. N. Lee; representative on the International Lawn Tennis Association, Messrs. H. G. N. Lee and G. Gotz; honorary auditor, Mr. F. O. Austin.