Hoad, Rosewall Win

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28161, 27 December 1956, Page 7

Hoad, Rosewall Win

Hoad broke through in the first and fifth games and took the first set 6-2. Two beautifully-placed backhand returns of service ended the first game in Hoad’s favour. Hoad was not serving at full pace in the next game, and Flam made some of his best returns. In the third game, Hoad’s backhand was off course and Flam took his first game of the match to 15. Then, while chasing a high return on his forehand, Hoad slipped and fell full length across the court. But he jumped up and took all but one of the next four points to win the game. Hoad broke through again in the fifth game with a nice forehand drive past Flam’s backhand. Flam slipped in mid-court, but recovered brilliantly and picked up a wide ball on his forehand. He took the game with a volley which lifted chalk on the sideline. Hoad ended the set with a nice display of hard serving. Hoad More Comfortable At the change, Flam had a chat to the American captain, Bill Talbert, and he immediately started to cover the court with greater speed and resolution. But Hoad was playing much more relaxed tennis. Flam was ducking and diving in anticipation at the net, but Hoad was striding comfortably to all his returns. Flam held his service to 3-all by continuing to go for the sidelines. Then the inevtitable breakthrough came in the seventh game. Hoad slammed a sizzling smash down the left-hand sideline and left Flam scratching his head on the other side of the court. Again Hoad’s big service was more than enough for Flam. Then the Australian broke through again and he was two sets up. As the third set opened. Hoad looked the complete master. But then he made three successive errors on his backhand and the complexion of the game changed in a flash. Flam had done the seemingly impossible and broken through. He smiled for the first time in the match. Hoad was anxious to get his own back and he took the next game to deuce. However, a drop volley by Flam and an outed drive by Hoad put paid to the Australian’s hopes. Flam was two games up and keen to hold his lead. Hoad started to pop the ball back with less force and the disconcerted Flam put it into the net to make the scores 2-1. Flam looked like breaking through in the fifth game when he held Hoad to several deuces, but Hoad varied the pace of his returns cleverly and held his service. Nine Deuces The fifth game of the third sei was the best of the match. Hoad struggled desperately to hold his service. Eventually he did, but only after Flam had held him to nine deuces. Flam was trying to call the tune, but then he misjudged the length of a Hoad forehand drive and let it go. The ball landed

well inside and the scores were level. Hoad quickly took the lead on his own service. Again Flam let the wrong ball go to make it 30-all on his own service in the eighth game. He followed up with two inexcusable errors and Hoad was 5-3. He served a love game to finish it off. Rosewall completely dominated Seixas in the first set. He broke through Seixas *s service three times and made the American fight hard to hold his only service of the set. Seixas was serving powerfully and was trying to put pressure on Rosewall’s doubtful forehand, but once the ball was in play Rosewall was the shrewd tactician and Seixas was constantly outmanoeuvred. Serving with greater speed and varying his returns effectively, Seixas broke through and went to a 3-1 lead in the second set. Both players held their first service and then Rosewall won his way back from 15-40 to deuce in the third game. He threw the game away with a smash whicl landed in the covered stand. Rosewall bridged the gap in quick time by taking the fifth g .me. Rosewall in Difficulties In the next game, Rosewall was again in difficulties against Seixas’s service and, for the second successive time, Seixas won his service to love. Seixas had a chance to break through again, but then he stood flat-footed and turned Rosewall’s service high out over the sideline to make it 3-4. From then on. Rosewall had it all his own way to take the set 6-4. In the third set, Seixas, showing some of his old determination, had Rosewall battling to hold his first service, with the score going to deuce five times. Then Seixas began taking risks —successfully. He returned balls which normally would have presented Rosewall with excellent opportunities, but the Australian appeared slightly slow after his previous wins, and Seixas was able to get away with most of them. Rosewall fought back hard In the last few games, but Seixas, sensing victory, could not be beaten, and he went on to take the set 6-4. Rosewall in Command After a short break, the players took the court again for the fourth set, which proved to be the deciding one. Rosewall, refusing to let his defeat in the previous set upset him, set out determinedly to prove himself the better man and Seixas could do nothing to counter the Australian’s all-court play. As usual, Rosewall’s backhand was one of his strongest points. Seixas attempted time and again to play to the Australian’s weak forehand, but Rosewall’s placements and his quick court movements had the American defeated. It was Rosewall all the way m this set. His service had Seixas on the defensive, and he caught the American again on expertlyplaced lobs which Seixas could not return.