Evening star., 1942-01-11
Young Racketers Not
To Feel Budget Cut
Net Body Makes
Usuol Sectional Senior
Meets Planned; Player
Rankings Held Up
By BILL DISMER, Jr.

Retrenching on every item Of It's
budget except junior development,
the Middle Atlantic Tennis Associa-
ton yesterday moved to cut 1912
expenditures to the bone in its an
nual meeting at the University Club
here.
Realizing that many of its senior
players would be caught IN war &C
tivities and that the future OF tennis
depends largely on racketers now
in their teens, the sectional body
voted to continue wholesale support
of Junior and boy tournaments, cli-
NAKED by the appropriation OF $50
to send its two champions to the
national tournament at Culver.
The association also expressed its
appreciation of the offer OF a cup
by j. Barbour Rixey. Norfolk CVaD
attorney, to be contested for by in
tercity teams of this section on the
plan of Hotchkiss Cup matches
which have been played for years.
Rixey, father of one of Norfolk's
better Junior players. heard that his
plan would be considered seriously
by the Executive Committee of the
M. A. L. r. A. next month.
Tennis Ball Shortage Feared.
Possibility Of tournament matches
being played with two balls instead
of the customary three and less
frequent supply Of new balls in semi
final and final rounds also was dis
cussed due to the expected restric-
ton of all tennis balls because Of
the rubber shortage.
Sporting goods dealers among the
group said that manufacturers un-
doubtedly have some balls In stock
at the present time, but are skeptl-
cal that many replacements will be
forthcoming, particularly during the
winter months. What will be the
situation next spring. none would
predict. Frank G. Roberts of Balti-
more, secretary treasurer of the as
sociation and a dealer himself, said
he believed manufacturers have
enough balls on hand for the 1912
season-unless the Government sud-
denly bans sales, as it did with
automobile tires.
The exact number of balls to be
allowed in tournament matches was
left to the discretion of individual
tournament committees. One sug-
gested that used balls might be
played in early rounds of tourna-
ments sponsored by his club.
Rankings Report Delayed.
Preceding the motion to continue
support to junior players, delegates
heard that the 1941 junior boy tour
nament in Norfolk was the biggest
ever held by the Middle Atlantic As
socia ton. But because the annual
two-day tournament might grow too
unwieldy unless limitations are ap-
piled, the association moved to re-
strict future participation to win
ners and runners-up of singles
events only. Previously doubles
champions of city tournaments have
been allowed to enter the sectional
competition.
No curtailment of usual tourna-
ments is planned, because of the
war and the annual Hotchkiss Cup
matches, and other events will be
scheduled. There was some doubt,
though, that Norfolk, Richmond and
Baltimore will be able to form
Hotchkiss Cup teams-as so many
of their better players are involved
In defense work.
Announcement of rankings was
postponed until the executive meet
ing next month, because Ranking
Chairman Felix Silva had received
little data with which to compile
his report. Delegates promised to
see that the necessary information
will be forwarded him Immediately.
All Officers Reelected.
Meade Spicer of Richmond, chair
man of the Nominating Committee,
recommended that the entire slate
of officers be reelected and the body
responded by retaining President E.
T. Penzold, jr., of Norfolk; Vice
President c. E. Dawson, jr., of Wash
ington, and Secretary-Treasu
Frank g. Roberts of Baltimore in
office. John A. Magee of Baltimore
also was renamed sectional dele
gate to the annual meeting of the
u S. L. T. A.
Roberts, incidentally, reported an
excess Of receipts over expenditures
for the first time in years. He said
that 500 more had been taken in
than spent and that the associa-