Tennis

Northern Advocate, 31 March 1937, Page 2

Tennis

Play in the Inter-club and Interhouse competitions has now been concluded with the exception of 'the final of the, men’s B grade in the latter com-

petwori. / V ■ In 'the A grade Inter-club, Whangarei A2, team won every game played and thus won the competition, with the Mairtown A team runners-up, with only one loss.

The B grade Inter-club resolved itself into a struggle between the Whangarei B, Mairtown B 1 and Mairtown B2 teams. The semi-final between Whangarei B and Mairtown B2 resulted in a win for the former by 9 sets to 5 and 97 games to 69. Whangarei representatives were not so fortunate in the final, however, in which they were beaten by the Mairtown B 1 team 12 sets to 2 and 111 games to 69. The latter ti.'am therefore win the B grade inter-club competition.

The Cygrade Inter-club was played off between the winners of the four sections,] Gtakairangi, Hikurangi, Mair-town,-G| and Whangarei. In the semifinal playie.d between the first two teams Otakaiirangi ran out the winners 13 sets to 1 a?nd 112 games to 44.

The seconfd semi-final between Whangarei ad ikairtown C2 was won by the former io sets to 4 and 90 games to 76. The management committee of the association, however, decided that, owing to infringement of the rules governing the competition, the Whangarei teafn was to be disqualified. There has been considerable discussion amongst players regarding this decision. The position is, however, that the rules lay down that no player may participate in any match of one grade if he has previously played in more* than one match for a higher grade. In their match with Mairtown the Whangarei'team played five mem-

bers who had previously taken part in one B grade game, but of course no exception was taken to this fact as the players were participating within the rules. One player, however, had participated in 'two E grade matches and one had played in three previous B grade matches —in every match played by the B team. (

It is unfortunate that the ruling had to be made, especially as the AVhangarei C team had been quite a keen combination, one of the keenest of the five club teams. Grading in such a tennis competition, however, is worse than useless unless the rules regarding it are rigidly enforced. This loft the Otakairangl team to play off with the Mairtown C2. Heartened by their win in the semi-finals, Otakairangi played particularly well to win by 9 sets to 5 and 98 games to 77. Otakairangi is not a very large club and when their difficulties are taken into consideration they deserve to be heartily congratulated on their success in thus winning the C grade competition.