N.Z. PLAYERS AT WIMBLEDON

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27075, 25 June 1953, Page 3

N.Z. PLAYERS AT WIMBLEDON

LAWN TENNIS

Miss Attwood Beaten In First Round WORTHINGTON WINS DOUBLES MATCH (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, June 23. The second day at Wimbledon saw the opening matches in the women’s singles and men's doubles. The attendance was about 18,000 when play began. The Americans, Miss Maureen Connolly and Miss Doris Hart, the “big two” of the women’s singles, won every game of their first singles. Miss Connolly, holder of the title, disposed of the South African, Miss Dora Kilian, in 20 minutes and Miss Hart took only four minutes longer to eliminate the British squash rackets champion. Miss Janet Morgan. ' Miss E. Attwood (New Zealand) fought hard but failed to get past the first round. Miss V. White, of Britain, beat her. 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

E, Morea (Argentina) and G. Worthington (New Zealand), who were vastly superior in all departments of the game, had a useful practice as a team in the first round of the fnen’s doubles against Brown (Britain) and E. Tsai (Hong Kong), whom they beat, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3. Worthington is one of the most confident players at Wimbledon," and is now in top form. He will meet Sweden’s Lennart Bergelin tomorrow and if he can win he will have to beat only one more player before facing Vic Seixas in the last 16. That is Worthington's ambition. He says: “I beat Vic the last time we met in New Zealand and there is no reason why I can’t do it here.” The top seeded Australian pair, K. Rosewall and L. Hoad, had an expected straight-out wins over R. Buser (Switzerland) and J. Devroe (Belgium). The Australians, I. Ayre and C. Wilderspin, were taken to five sets by the German pair, H. Hermann and E. Buchholz. The Australians led by two sets to one, but Ayre could do nothing right in the fourth set, which they dropped. In the final set,, the Australians broke Buchholz's service and gained a winning break. The other Australian pair, R. Hartwig and M. Rose, had an easy passage into the second round.

On the centre court, Britain’s Davis Cup pair, A. Mottram and G. I. Paish, had a seesaw struggle with the American No. 1 pairing, G. Mulloy and V. Seixas. There was little between the pairs in the first four sets, but better volleying by the Americans in the deciding set clinched the match.

The hard-hitting Danes, K. Nielsen and T. Ulrich, scored a good straight Set win over Sweden’s Davis Cup pair, L. Befgelin and T. Johansson. Results:— Women’s Singles First Round.—Mrs N. Adamson (France) beat Miss R. Woc-dgate (Britain), 2-6, 6-0, 6-3; Miss V. White (Britain) beat Miss E. Attwood (New Zealand), 6-3, 3-6, 6-2; Miss J. Sampson (America) beat Mrs D. Gotla (Britain), 6-1, 6-2; Miss Shirley Fry (America) beat Mrs B. Sanden (Sweden) by a walkover; Miss A. Mortimer (Britain) beat Mrs J. Drobny (Britain), 6-1, 6-4; Mrs J. Rinkel (Britain) beat Miss M. Parker (Britain), 2-6, 6-2, 6-4; Miss Knode (America) beat Miss G. Woodgate (Britain), 6-2. 6-2. Second Round.—Miss M. Connolly (America) beat Miss D. Kilian (South Ai.ica), 6-0, 6-0; Miss D. Hart (America) beat Miss J. Morgan (Britain), 6-0, 6-0; Miss H. Fletcher (Britain) beat Miss D. D. Midgley (Britain), 6-2, 6-0.

Men’s Doubles First Round.—l. Ayre and C. Wilderspin (Australia) beat H. Hermann and E. Buchholz (Germany), 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5; A. Larsen (America) and S. Davidsson (Sweden) beat A. Jancso and I. Sikorski (Hungary), 6-2, 6-3, 7-5; J. Brichant and P. Washer (Belgium) beat B. Destremau and J. Molinari (France), 6-2, 7-5, 6-1; G. Mulloy and V. Seixas (America) beat A. Mottram and G. Paish (Britain), 4-6, 6- 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; J Drobny (Egypt) and B. Patty (America) beat H. Billington and D. Butler (Britain), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2; J. Palada and V. Petrovic (Jugoslavia) beat H. C. Bernstein (Britain) and J. Peten (Belgium), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3; C. W. Hannam and A. Pickard (Britain) beat W. Anderson and E. J. David (Britain). 7-5, 7- 6-3; R. O. Lee and A. J. N. Starte (Britain) beat C. V. Baxter and I. M. Campbell (Britain), 9-7, 6-4, 6-3; H. T. Baxter and C. F. Lister (Britain) beat A. E. Denherdt and van Dalsum (Netherlands), 6-3, 9-7, 3-6; E. Morea (Argentina) and G. Worthington (New Zealand) beat J. Brown (Britain) and E. Tsai (Hong Kong), 6-1, 6-1, 6-3; , G.- Neilsen and T. Ulrich (Denmark) beat L. Bergelin and T. Johansson (Sweden). 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; K. Rosewall and L. Hoad (Australia) beat R. Buser (Switzerland) and J. Devore (Belgium), 6-1, 6-0, 6-3; R. Hartwig and M. Rose (Australia) beat N. Lewis (Britain) and I. McDonald (Trinidad), 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. Mixed Doubles First Round.—C. Spychala (Poland) and Mrs G. Walter (Britain) beat J. Arkinstall (Australia) and Miss S. Schmitt (France), 6-3. 2-6, 6-4. Second Round.—M. G. Rose (Australia) and Miss M. Connolly (America) beat lan Ayre (Australia) and Mrs H. Weiss (Argentina), 6-0, 6-4.

HONOUR FOR HARRY HOPMAN

LONDON, June 23. The veteran Harry Hopman, of Australia, has been given the honour of playing on the centre court at Wimbledon tomorrow, in a men’s doubles match. His partner 'is a 6ft 31 n 16-year-old French schoolboy, J. N. Grinda, who some astute critics believe may develop into a great player. Harry Hopman now is 46. He is no stranger to the centre court, for he often played there with Jack Crawford 20 years ago, and reached the men’s doubles semifinal with Dr. Prenn in 1934 and the mixed doubles final in 1935—a year before Grinda was born. The ageless Hopman, who seems to be a part of each generation of youth that he coaches and moulds into the material of champions, won the French men’s doubles with Frank Sedgman five years ago. Last week he reached the semifinals of the Queen’s Club doubles, partnering the young South African, B. Woodroffe. Tomorrow he and Grinda will play two young Americans, J. W. Ager and M. Fox.

Special Train for Coronation Film.— A special train from North Canterbury with 450 children and adults arrived in Christchurch yesterday at 10.25 a.m. to allow pupils from the Parnassus. Cheviot. Tormore. Scargill, and Waipara schools to see a Coronation film at present being shown in Christchurch. The passengers were transported from the Christchurch railway station in buses, and after seeing the film, were conducted on a tour of the Canterbury Museum. The train taking them home left Christchurch at 4 p.m. Fowls Found by Boy.— Yesterday morning a boy found a bag. containing five fowls, in the Christchurch Technical College playing field in Ensors road. One fowl was partly plucked. Constable A. R. Cruickshank. of Woolston. was notified and the fowls are now in a refrigerator at the Central Police Station. . j