FIRST ROUND AT WIMBLEDON

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27074, 24 June 1953, Page 5

FIRST ROUND AT WIMBLEDON

LAWN TENNIS

Seeded Players Have Easy Wins

FAUSTO GARDINI BEATEN

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) „ LONDON, June 22. Seeded players had straight set wins in the first rc-und of the men’s, singles at Wimbledon today. The tournament opened in bright, warm sunshine before a crowd estimated at 17,000.

Jaroslav Drobny, in accordance with tradition, struck the first ball of the tournament on the centre court in the absence of the title-holder, Sedgman. Drobny conceded only three games in beating Bernard Destremau (France). Vic Seixas also revealed some of the power of his challenge for the title by dropping only four games in beating the young Englishman, R. Lee. Ken Rosewall and Lewis Hoad both had straight-set wins, but Hoad, who took his match casually, was hard pressed by the South African, Russell Seymour, in the third set, which the Australian won, 7-5. Mervyn Rose, seeded No. 3, had to play 41 games before he beat the Indian junior champion, R. Krishman, 8-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. It was a victory without conviction. First upset of the tournament came on the centre court, where Britain’s No. 1 player, Tony Mottram, went down after a hard five-set struggle with the American, Hugh Stewart.

New Zealand’s Australian-born champion, George Worthington, was taken to four sets by Armando Vieira, of Brazil. Worthington won, 6-0, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. Worthington disposed of the first set in 10 minutes, Vieira winning only nine points. The over-confident Worthington began charging the net on shots far too short in length, and was repeatedly passed by Vieira, who took the second set 7-5. Worthington again took command of the match in the third and fourth sets, blasting the Brazilian oil the court with powerful shots. Worthington’s victory was the most impressive of the matches played today on the centre court, Istvan Sikorski, a 19-year-old Hungarian student, caused the biggest shock and had the critics casting him in the role of a possible ‘'giantkilter” in this year’s championship. He eliminated the Italian star, Fausto Gardini, in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, 6-1. Sikorski had never played on a grass court before, and Wimbledon is his first tournament outside Hungary. Sikorski’s net attack and the power of his stroking upset Gardini. Results: — MEN'S SINGLES First Round.—J. Drobny (Egypt) beat B. Destremau. (France), 6-0, 6-1, 6-2; G. Worthington (New Zealand) beat A. Vieira (Brazil), 6-0, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1; V. Seixas (America) beat R. Lee (Britain), 6-3, 6-0, 6-1; E. Mcrea (Argentina) beat I. McDonald (Trinidad), 6-4, 8-6, 6-0; L. Hoad .(Australia) beat W. SeymoUth (South Africa), 6-4, 6-2, 7-5; H. Stewart (America) beat A. Mottram (Britain), 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; R. Rosewall (Australia) beat M. Davies (Britain), 6-2, 6-4, 6-2; I. Sikorski (Hungary) beat F. Gardini (Italy), 7-5, 6-3, 6-1; A. Larsen (America) beat A. Jancos (Hungary), 6-3, 6-4, 8-6; R. Hartswig (Australia) W. van Voorhees (America), 6-3, 6-2. 6-1; I. Ayre (Australia) beat Asboth (Hungary), 4-6. 9-7, 6-2. 6-2; G. Mulloy (America) beat M. Fox (America), 6-4, 11-9, 6-2; C. Wilderspfn (Australia) beat E. Buchholz (Germany), 6-4, 6-2, 6-4; 1.. Bergelin (Sweden) beat J. Ulrich (Denmark), 6-3, 7-5, 6-3; S. Davidsson (Sweden) beat D. Shaw (Britain), 6-2. 11-9, 7-5; B. Patty (America) beat J. Thomas (France), 6-2, 6-4, 6-4; G. Paish (Britain) beat I. Vermaak (South Africa), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.

JUNIOR ASSOCIATION’S FUTURE

SUGGESTION OF GOING INTO RECESS

A suggestion that the Canterbury Junior Lawn Tennis Association should go into recess and its functions be carried on by sub-committees of the senior association, was contained in a letter received by the management committee of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association from the chairman of the Canterbury Junior Lawn Tennis Association (Mr A. V. Barley). The management committee of the senior association will meet next month to decide what its attitude would be to any change in the administration of junior tennis. Immediately afterwards, a conference will be held between the committees of both associations. 1 “At our last committee meeting it was i reported that the senior association felt . that the junior association was not doing . its job,” said Mr Barley. “As there seem to be a number of points of difference 1 between the two bodies, we would like you to call a combined meeting of the full committees of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association and the Canterbury Junior Lawn Tennis Association at an early date to iron out real or imaginary difficulties. “A continued source of difficulty to us is lack of support from clubs. Of our present committee six are school teachers, three parents, and two club members. When tournaments are held at Christmas and New Year, most teachers are away, and it seems difficult to get others to help. The same difficulty arises when managers are required for Howe and Slazenger Shield games in January, although in the earlier part of the season no trouble has been experienced. “The Junior Association has been without a secretary for the last year, although a notice was sent to clubs and appeal made by Mr Burtt at a delegates’ meeting of the senior association. “It was suggested that the Junior Association could go into recess for a few years, the ladders, Saturday competitions, and junior sections of tournaments, including such tournaments as the Cromb and Merritt tournament, to be continued by forming sub-committees of the senior association.” Mr J. K. Burtt said that the main difficulty was not so much the organisation as the lack of personnel to do the job. The transferring of the functions of the junior association to sub-committees of the senior association would not overcome the trouble, he said. ' Members of the committee. felt that a decision about the future of the administration of junior tennis should be reached before the new season began. SENIOR WOMEN’S COMPETITION ELIMINATION MOVE DEFEATED A proposal that the competitions committee should be recommended to consider eliminating the senior women’s competition, was heavily defeated on a vote at a meeting of delegates to the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association. Suggesting this action, Mr D. Bannehr said his club. United, felt that the competition was not at present achieving what it was there for because the standard of players was not sufficiently high. Mr W. A. Clothier said it had to be admitted that the standard was not high, but to cut out a competition just because the standard was not high was a retrograde step. In his opinion, a highlight of 'the competition last season had been the junior players taking part. He felt that they should be encouraged. Mr D. Martin said that if the competition was discontinued, half of the players would be lost from any competition. As long as there were sufficient entries there should be a . senior women’s competition. Playing standard three-set matches, plavers were bound to improve, he said. “I think a province of our size should have both a senior men’s and senior ■women’s competition,’’ said Br G. E. R. Atkinson.