U.s. Transsexual Might Play In N.z. (Press, 15 September 1976)
This is a Generative AI summary of this newspaper article. It may contain errors or omissions. Please note that the language in the summary is reflective of the original article and the societal attitudes of the time in which it was written.
Summary: U.s. Transsexual Might Play In N.z. (Press, 15 September 1976)
On 15 September 1976, it was reported that controversial transsexual athlete Janice Richards (formerly Dr Richard Raskin) was not accepted to compete in the women’s section of the United States Open tennis tournament at Forest Hills. However, there remains a possibility that she may appear at the 1977 Benson and Hedges Open in Auckland, depending on whether she is accepted for the Australian Open. B. W. Ryder, chairman of the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association's promotion committee, indicated that they would not be the first to admit Richards into a women’s open championship. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Richards' participation, Ryder expressed optimism that many overseas tennis stars participating in the Australian Open would make their way to Auckland for the Benson and Hedges Open, which is expected to start immediately following the Australian tournament. The timing of these events will create a busy period for the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association (A.L.T.A.), as they prepare for the Davis Cup semi-final between New Zealand and Indonesia, scheduled for 19 to 21 January 1977, just three days after the open. This scheduling is aimed at avoiding a clash with the New Zealand Games, which are set for 22 to 26 January. Should New Zealand succeed against Indonesia, and if Australia wins against India in the other semi-final, the two countries will face each other in the Eastern Zone final for the second time in three years. Ryder anticipates that public interest in this potential final will surpass the excitement generated during the 1975 final between Ken Rosewall and John Newcombe. Notably, both Newcombe and Rosewall may not participate this time; Newcombe has been dealing with injuries, while Rosewall has found the physical demands of Davis Cup tennis increasingly challenging as he approaches his forties. With expectations of increased public attendance, A.L.T.A. plans to invest in adequate seating arrangements for the matches. They are keen to avoid a scenario similar to what Hobart experienced earlier in the year when New Zealand defeated India and the final venue was unexpectedly moved to Auckland, resulting in significant financial losses.
Important Information
The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact
The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand