NATIONAL TITLES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 53, 31 January 1938, Page 7

NATIONAL TITLES.

TENNIS CHAMPIONS MEET. TOURNEY OPENS. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND. Jan. 31. Fine weather greeted the 84 singles players in the New Zealand tennis championships when they assembled at the Stanley Street courts this morning. They were not given strenuous work at the outset as the executive concentrated upon eliminating the byes in the first round of the men’s singles and giving those lucky enough to get into the second round, without playing at all, an early opportunity of going into, the third round at the very outset of the tourney. The women were not expected to play before 1 o’clock. The holders of the championships pre:—Men’s singles: D. C. Coombe (Wellington); women’s singles : Miss Dulcie Nicholls (Wellington); men’s doubles: E. A. Eoussell and R. McXj. Ferkins (Wellington) ; -women's doubles : Misses Thelma and Irene Poole (Canterbury); mixed doubles: Coombe and Miss Nicholls (Wellington).. _ Unfortunately, owing to an injury, Miss Nicholls (five times national singles champion) is not defending her titles. , The “seeded” ntavers ,-ire. —Men: A. C. Stedma.n (1930 champion), Coombe. A. D. Brown, C. Angws (1929 and 1931 champion), N. V. Edwards N. G. Sturt N F. N. Bedford , and D. G. France. Women- Misses M. Beverley, T Poole, N. Beverley, D. Miller T. Poole, P. Cooke, B. L. Bishop and E. Plummer. . ~ Sturt, in his match against J. Roach, a leading Waikato player, served the first ball of the tourney.