N.Z. Tennis Juniors Fit For Cup Contests In Sydney

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30961, 18 January 1966, Page 13

N.Z. Tennis Juniors Fit For Cup Contests In Sydney

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY. The New Zealand junior tennis players, who will contest the Wilson and Linton Cup competition in Sydney this week, practised on the White City courts yesterday and showed good form in spite of the temperature of nearly 90 degrees.

The team manager, Mr S. Painter, of Wellington, said that the team, four boys and four girls, were fit and looking forward to playing in the cup contests, symbols of junior inter-state tennis supremacy in Australia. The New Zealand hope in the boys’ events for the Linton Cup is B. Fairlie, aged 17, of Auckland, who competed in all the Australian state tournaments before Christmas. He won the South Australian and New South Wales under-23 titles and the Strathfield Metropolitan. The New Zealand boys’ team is completed by O. Parun, aged 18, of Wellington, whose big serve is likely to prove a winner on the fast Australian courts, J. Mitchell of Canterbury, and D. Cassidy, of Auckland. Mitchell, a 17-year-old left-

hander, played in three Australian State tournaments before Christmas, and his experience of conditions could be a great help. Mitchell played in last year’s Linton Cup contest as did Cassidy, who recovered well from a serious car accident last May to win his way into the team. The girls’ team, which will compete for the Wilson Cup, is B. Vercoe, of Auckland, D. Kerr-Taylor, of Auckland, J. Elliot, of Manawatu, and 15-year-old S. Collins, of Southland. The draw for both cups was made yesterday, Mr Painter said he was very satisfied with it. He said it was particularly favourable for the boys, as they did not meet the strongest Australian side, New South Wales, until the seventh round, on Friday.

The draw is: Linton Cup (boys).—Tuesday: first round v. Victoria; second round v. South Australia; Wednesday: third round v. Western Australia; fourth round v. Tasmania; Thursday: fifth round v. Queensland;

sixth round a bye. Friday: seventh round v. New South Wales.

Wilson Cup (grils).—Tuesday: first round v. Western Australia; second round a bye; Wednesday: third round v. Victoria; fourth round v. Tasmania; Thursday: fifth round v. Queensland; sixth round v. New South Wales; Friday: seventh round v. South Australia.

Each match comprises two singles and a doubles. New Zealand’s doubles pairs will be Fairlie and Mitchell and Cassidy and Parun in the Linton Cup, and Vercoe and Kerr-Taylor, and Elliot and Collins in the Wilson Cup. When the cup games are over the New Zealanders will stay in Sydney to compete in the Australian junior championships.