TOURNEY PROSPECTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 262, 26 January 1928, Page 7

TOURNEY PROSPECTS

AUCKLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS* The experiment of splitting a championship tourney into three grades is being tried by the Auckland L.T.A. today. The A grade singles has been limited to 32 men, of whom the weakest are B grade inter-club players. 'Whether the limitation will have the desired effect of keeping the players in top form throughout remains to be seen. Perhaps some would prefer to play themselves in against weaker men for the first rounds. Chief among the visitors is Geoff. Ollivier, of Christchurch, seven times champion of New Zealand, who, however, did not show championship form against the Frenchmen. He lias never won the Auckland title, and his chief opposition will come from E. L. Bartleet, who should be even more vigorous than he was at Christchurch; Dr. J. T. Laurenson, champion of 1920-1 and 1924, and Normfaii Sturt, semifinalist in the Dominion singles. M. L. Lamp© (Wanganui) is an obstacle capable of overturning “certainties,” and A. C. Stedman (Auckland) will be expected to make a good showing against Laurenson, on the strength of the colt’s play in southern tournaments. Conveniently separated by the draw, Bartleet and Ollivier should come out to fight a brilliant final, in which the experience at Miramar may give the Aucklander the victory. Last year’s title-holders and Dominion champions of 1923, Bartleet and Hobson, will be a formidable pair in the doubles,, but the favourites for the event must be Knott and Sturt, who have made themselves the most notable couple in the country. Lampe and Laurenson, and* Griffiths and Brinsden, are people to be reckoned with, however. There are no outsiders in the women’s singles, which seems to be made for Miss Marjorie Macfarlane, the title-holder of 1921-4-5-G. In the second round she should have a bright match with Miss B. Witherow.. Miss Beryl Knight, finalist in the Dominion singles, should come through the lower half of the draw. There should be some close games in the •women’s doubles, in which last year’s champions,' Misses Knight and Colebrook, are expected to prove their superiority again. There is much new pairing in the mixed doubles. Miss Knight, playing with the Wanganui champion Lampe, should give a good account of herself, but there are stalwart couples like Miss Scott Watson and N. Sturt, and Miss Whitelaw and A. Kj Turner, Varsity champions.