LAWN TENNIS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11222, 30 May 1922, Page 8

LAWN TENNIS

ASSOCIATION MEETS WHY MEN’S TEAM DID NUT VISIT AUSTRALIA. NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIPS. The quarterly meeting of the council of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association was held at the Accountants’ Chambers last night, Mr M. E Denniston presiding. The financial statement showed a balance at the hank of £55; and the management committee reported that since the statement was prepared a further £29 had been received. The expenses of the ladies’ team visiting New South Wales totalled some £lO6. COMMITTEE EXPLAINS. The committee regretted to report that it had to abandon the sending oi the team of six men to New South Wales. “Apart from the fact that four of the original players selected were unable to make the trip (states the report) your committee was unable to obtain definite information from the New South Wales Association as to whether the Now Zealand team would meet the New South Wales Association’s first team. In explanation of the use. of tho term first team, it is necessary to point out that the Inter-State matches between New South Wales and Vic toria, South Australia and Queensland were to be played in Sydney at the time when our team would have been there. The itinerary drawn up by the New South Wales Association allowed one week in which the InterState matches would have had to be played. Under these conditions the New South Wales Association would i have been compelled to play two, and possibly three teams at the same time, and your committee was doubtful under the circumstances whether the Nqw Zealand team would meet a truly representative New South Wales team. Definite information on this point was not obtainable at the time because the mail service between Wellington and Sydney was upset through a shipping strike at a critical 6tage of the negotiations between the ■ associations. “The members of the ladies’ team 1 selected were all available; and as a 1 suitable itinerary was proposed, it ; was decided to send a team over. Two Inter-State matches were played, one , against New South Wales and the other against Victoria. Although defeated in both matches, our team made a satisfactory showing nnder i the conditions. The members of the team also played in the Now Zouth Wales championship, and Miss Curtis won the ladies’ singles championship. It is pleasing to record that the standard of the play of the New Zealand ladies is quite as good as that of the ladies in Australia.” “SOMETHING DEEPER?” Mr Salmond thought it was a pity that the men’s team had not gone to 1 NeW South Wales. He had! read the explanation given in the report, and it seemed to him that there was something deeper behind it—that, the real reason why the men’s team did not go was the difficulty of finance. He was quite convinced that if the team had gone it would have made an excellent showiiig there, and would probably have beaten New South Wales. He understood that the association had a fund of £9OO in hand, and he thought that a large portion of that money could well have been spent in sending our best team to New South Wales. If they had heated the New South Wales team, he believed that the association would have got a very good New South Wales team over next year to win the championship back, and would soon have got the money back. He thought that tennis was primarily a men’s game, and that the men should' have been first considered. Mr G. N. Goldie and Mr Lord thought that tho association was to be congratulated on sending the ladies’ team away. They held that tennis was a game for both sexes, and neither should have the preference. Mr Henderson said' that the committee did its best to get both teams away; but, unfortunately, it could not get the men’s team it wanted. It was hoped that the visits from New Zealand to Australia and-Australia to New Zealand would take place twice every three years. COMMITTEE HIDING NOTHING. The chairman assured those present that there was nothing deeper than the explanation in the report in regard to the men’s team not being sent to, New South Wales. The committee hid nothing. It put all its cards on the table. It had been suggested that if £2O had been offered to each member of the men’s team to pay his expenses, all of them would have gone, hut he thought that players should bear their share of the expense. He deprecated professionalism. He thought that the Davis Cup would ultimately be withdrawn, because it was breeding professionalism, and we did not want professionalism over here. (Hear, hear.) The association had got £BIO, not £9OO, in the fund referred to. Mr Salmond: It would not have taken £l2O of it to send the team over. By “something deeper,” he added, he had meant finance. The matter then dropped. ANTHONY WILDING SHIELD. With reference to the Anthony Wilding Memorial Challenge Shield competition, tho committee reported that the second match for the shield was played in Christchurch on February 17th and IBth, the Wellington Association being the challengers. The Canterbury Association successfully defended, and is now entitled to have its name engraved on tho shield. The net proceeds from the two matches (£49) played have been received from the Canterbury Association, and will be divided (after deducting 10 per cent.) between the three associations (Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch) that have taken part in the competition. The chairman congratulated tho Christchurch Association on being the first to have its name engraved on the Bhield.

NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIPS.

NEW SOUTH WALES' LADIES' TEAM INVITED. After some discussion, it was decided that Ayres’s balls be adopted foi use at the 1922 New Zealand cham. pionship meeting, to be held in December next. On the motion of the chairman, the council endorsed the resolutions passed by the management committee :—(1) Expressing keen appreciation of the hospitality extended to the visiting ladies’ team by the New South Wales Tennis Association, and its courtesy in arranging a match for them with a Victorian team; and (2) inviting New

South Wales to send a team of ladies to compete at the New Zealand championship meeting, and afterwards play a team chosen by the New Zealand Association. The chairman pointed out that a visit by a ladies’ team wa6 long overdue. He hoped that a team of men would visit New South Wales next year, and that there would then be a return visit by a New South Wales men’s team.

CHANGE OF VENUE.

OF NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIPS. At this stage, Mr J. C. Peacock took the chair. Air Henderson stated that the Taranaki Lawn .Tennis Association, having agreed to the championships being carried out in Christmas week, beginning on December 26th, but having since pointed out that the Taranaki races were to be held on Boxing Day and December 29th, so that no accommodation would be available for tennis players in New Plymouth and the gate would he greatly reduced, and suggested that the tournament should start on the 28th. He, therefore, moved that the council’s resolution that the championship meeting be held at New Plymouth be rescinded. The Taranaki Association, he contended, was endeavouring to humbug the council, as, if there would be no accommodation at New Plymouth on the 26th there would be none on the 28th and 29th. The chairman read correspondence, in which the Taranaki Association first asked that the date be changed to January 31st or January Ist; but finally suggested the 28th. Mr Lord held that the Taranaki As sociation had treated its delegates (Messrs Denniston and Salmond) very shabbily. ' Mr Denniston said that the Taranaki Association had definitely advised him that it was absolutely impossible to hold the tournament there on December 26th and following days. He felt very strongly about the action oi the Taranaki Association, and should support the motion. Air S'almond and Mr* Melville sug gested that, in view of the feeling of the council, the Taranaki Association might, after all, be willing to hold the tournament on December 26th and following days. The resolution was carried; and, on the motion of Mr Goldie, seconded by Mr F. Grady, it was decided that the tournament be given to the Hawke’s Bay Association, the meeting to commence on December 26th.