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Salient: An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria University, Wellington Vol. 24, No. 6. 1961.
[Easter Tournament Tennis]
Easter Tournament this year saw a very high standard of tennis, with several nationally-ranked top intermediate players competing.
Otago fielded very strong teams In both men's and women's sections (led by Grantley Judge and Sally Melrose respectively), and we congratulate them on their well deserved win.
Honours go to Vic's Richard Hawkes, John Souter and Otago's Grantley Judge and Sally Melrose, all of whom gained N.Z.U. Blues. Hawkes turned out to be the giant of th£ tournament beating Judge in both the teams and individual finals. Considering the time of the season, the standard of tennis was excellent, often brilliant rallies being witnessed by reasonably large and appreciative crowds.
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Concentration as Richard Hawkes (Victoria University, Wellington) plays a return in his universities' tennis tournament match against fellow Wellingtonian J. B. Souter. Hawkes Ls one of the country's leading intermediate players.
—Courtesy "Otago Daily Times."
An indoor exhibition match evening (Saturday) was arranged, the players participating being Hawkes, Souter, Judge and G. Davidson (O.). These games didn't quite rise to the heights expected, but did give Dunedin people a chance to see top New Zealand Intermediates in action.
Our girls played up to standard to beat Canterbury in their first match but then lost to a strong Otago team in the final. On the first day the boys had a walkover 6-0 victory against Massey, and again met Otago in the final. This match (played in cold conditions) saw some close games, Otago winning 4-2.
Hawkes and Souter reached the semi-finals of the individual championships, the former eventually winning while S. Melrose (O.) retained her women's title by defeating S. Sutton (O.).
A riotous tennis dinner rounded off a very successful tournament.
V.U.W's team was Men: R. Hawkes, J. Souter. J. Taylor, C. Kerr. Women: M. Thomson, S. Parsons, J. Parker, A. Grieg.
Finally, a word for prospective Varsity tennic club members: Previously club activities have been necessarily limited to interclub teams, championships, and an occasional club day around at Day's Bay. Now, we have our own courts. In playing ability, especially the men's (winner Senior A 1959-60, runner-up 1960-61) the club has been foremost in Wellington, but without any facilities, the amount of social and normal weekend activities have been almost nil. With our new courts and projected pavilion, however, we hope to remedy this position and make the Victoria University Tennis Club a very worthwhile one to belong to.
—J.T.