FOR COMPETITIVE PLAY

NZ Truth, Issue 1246, 17 October 1929, Page 16

FOR COMPETITIVE PLAY

Tennis

Action Should Be Motto of Controlling Body

(By "N.Z. Truth's" Special Tennis Writer).. With a new chairman, a dash of new blood on the** management committee, and a healthy bank balance, the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association faces a season of great possibilities.

ADMINISTERED on conservative ] lines; the N.Z.L.T.A. has never , startled by embarking on a. policy of providing a spectacle such as has gripped almost every other sport. While Rugby teams 'have been touring m such quick succession that memory halts before. the task of recalling the 'names of the chosen a few seasons back, while athletes m every team game have swarmed to and from the country, the tennis world has not moved from its calm path. The British policy of the game -for the game's sake has been the dominating fac T tor m the administration of what has now become New Zealand's largest sport. Yet, hand m hand, with this discounting of the competitive side of the sport there has gone a remarkable leap upward m the standard of play. Never m her

history has New Zealand held so many brilliant players — and so young. The last ranking list shows a percentage of colts which would be a credit to any nation. For the last three years age has been struggling to hold the top and every year has seen the arrival of a new Btar. First Noel Wilson, then Malfroy, Charlie Angas, Sturt and Knott and lastly Alan Steadman, Varsity champion and a boy who has even greater promise than any of the others. There are all things In these boys — great skill, the shrewdness which often comes from experience, dash, courage .aggressiveness. * But this constellation of young stars which disputes supremacy with the Frances, Bartleets and Seays who. were colts not so long ago, has just about reached its limit. y • There are now half-a-dozen men m the country who might beat one another at a different score every week.. : i But the trouble is ' that they do % hot get the matches. .... •. Up to date, the policy of the governing body has been to play safe. Eyes on the nest-egg m the bank have gloatingly reckoned that on a day to come that balance; would be used to send a Davis Cup team abroad, but mihds have registered that .the time is not yet.'T But , that 'stage is definitely over and the management committee had . better finger the- cash. aridTcouhtthe possibilities. Two lines of p6licy,.are" open toitJ First is the chance of : choosing three lads to' go abroad and contest tennis supremacy, a course which would result m almost certain loss, as even the famous BrookesWildingTpair.' from th{s • end crashed Tin their first -attempt tp .lift, the Davis Cup, and we can hope for little 'better than a : combination such as this. - ' Second Is the opportunity of Inviting outstanding players to visit this country and bring out ..the posslblll-, ties of the coming players. A disastrous experience such as that }ast spring when the British team was dogged by bad weather should n^t deter

the controlling body. Even a loss on a visit made m more favorable circumstances should not be allowed to influence their decision. For, undoubtedly, more visits from overseas teams is what we need. '.- Those who saw young Camille Malfroy shaping against Christian Boussus, Wimbledon semi-finalist of last season and conqueror of Brugnon, could see at a glance that there was only a shade of ball-control between the two boys.' Boussus was on his game and the major difference between him and Malfroy was that of pace of hitting. The French lad carried a bigger wallop and knew how to use it. And Malfroy is only "ope" of our best.. With lads such as this around there is no knowing what the result of a coUple of visits, from really class players may bring forth. . More than this, the whole question of tertnis galleries is bound lip with the subject. Tennis, for years, :; was the rich • man's sport. ;■• ; ,; .:•/ ' ; The most expensive .- of games to stage, the highest-priced for -the -■■ public, it is still a problem for nations which wish to enter for the Davis Cup, but realise that if they miss reaching the challenge round, they

are mulcted for heavy expenses with . small return. - To-day ; the vital need m New Zealand is to get the galleries for big tennis. And there will not be any galleries until the big tennis is offering more frequently. Popularisation of the game should be the N.Z.L.T.A.'s aim. The Americans, themselves, got nowhere until the galleries were of the sort that made personal remarks about j the players and pelted the victors with cushions. \ Certainly the matter is somewhat of a problem. Action m conjunction with Australia.is likely to leave the Dominion with the thin end of the stick, for Australia will collar the best dates. But action there must be and rapidly.The African tour of next season is on the right lines. The stoppage of visits between this country and Australia until some arrangement is made about the quality of the teams which are sent this way was wise. But the New Zealand .body must go 'further. We have never had more and better players. We have never seen the sport with such a hold on the country — there are 35,000 players affiliated and another 10,000 to 15,000 interested m non-terri-torial bodies and playing some sort of competitive tennis. The. potential gates are enormous. What Is needed is courage, the end of conservatism — and action. National championship titles are likely to be disputed m Wellington, after all. Closing with the N.Z.L.T.A. on its offer |of the New Zealand meeting, tho Wellington Association has agreed to provide the stand accommodation stipulated by the parent body, which seemed a rock upon which negotiations would sing to an end. The financial side of the matter is evidently not troubling the Wellington L.T.A., for it is reported that an .order has already been placed m London for a new type of stand to fill thebill. ...This ushers m a new era m New Zealand tennis as it means that the national championships will be played m the North Island m two years out of every three. Already, Canterbury officials are feeling sore at the prospect, but the claims of Wellington and Auckland are at least equal to those of the southern association and, apart from gates, there is no reason why the Canterbury body! should be favored by being given the meeting every other year.