Change Wanted

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 583, 8 February 1929, Page 7

Change Wanted

Tennis Championships

IS CHRISTMAS TOO EARLY? CSpecial to THE SL~XJ WELLIXGTOX, Thursday. At the next quarterly meeting or delegates of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, which is to take place on the last day of the present month, a motion is to be tabled altering the dates of the national championships from the holiday period until late in January or early in February (writes The Sun's Wellington correspondent). It has been found of recent years that players are hardly ready for serious tennis at Christmas-time, or even early in the New Year, and that in most cases they do not start serious training until the holiday period is past. The contention is that if the championship tournament were staged early in February, all the provincial and other tournaments would be over and players would have benefited as the result of the contests which eventuate during these tourneys, to the general betterment of the standard which would be seen at the championships. QUESTION OF GATES It is more than probable that ther« will be a certain amount of opposition to the proposal on the grounds that the gates would be affected if the series is played so late in the summer, but this attitude appears to be hardly tenable if it is admitted that the standard of play will be improved, as the public is always willing to watch games of a high standard, no matter at what time of the year they may take place. There is also the factor of weather to be considered, and February is recognised as one of the most settled months in the year so far as New Zealand weather is concerned, which should be all to the advantage of the proposal. It has been suggested that a plebiscite of the players themselves should be taken, to find out whether the proposal meets with their approval, but it is hardly likely that this expense will be entered into. It would be better to mal e the change for one year and see how the players respond, but there will have to be at least ten or twelve months’ notice of the change so that individual arrangements may be made about holidays.