LAWN TENNIS U.S. Women Likely To Dominate Wimbledon

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28314, 27 June 1957, Page 6

LAWN TENNIS U.S. Women Likely To Dominate Wimbledon

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, June 25. Ladies* Day at Wimbledon showed that the United States domination of women’s tennis may not be broken this year even though the American favourite for the title, Miss Althea Gibson, was far from impressive in winning her opening match against the 32-year-old Budapest housewife, Mrs Suzy Kormoczy, 6-4, 6-4. Miss Gibson will have to tighten her game considerably to justify her number one seeding.' Should Miss Gibson fail, the United States has at least two very formidable hopes Miss Louise Brough and Miss Mimi Arnold. Miss Brough in beating Mrs Mary Hawton, of Australia, 6-1, 6-0, showed much of the power which has won her the Wimbledon singles on four previous occasions. Now 34, the blonde Californian was sound in all departments of the game. She is seeded to meet Miss Gibson in the final. Miss Arnold, the 18-year-old junior champion of her country, carries the challenge of youth. She was making her Wimbledon debut and brushed aside the British schoolteacher, Miss Pam Burrell without conceding a game. Thunderous applause by the packed centre court crowd greeted the end of Mrs Kormoczy’s stout fight against Miss Gibson. The fleet-footed little Hungarian ran herself to a standstill in battling for every point. Her sound backcourt game and hard driving, particularly on the backhand wing, frequently had Miss Gibson in trouble. The main challenge to America is almost certain to come from Britain, as it did last year. Miss Shirley Bloomer, champion of Britain, France and Italy, displayed splendid driving length and ground-stroke consistency in beating her Wightman cup team mate, Miss Pat Ward, 6-1, 6-3. Win for Mrs Robson Mrs J. E. Robson (New Zealand) was well on top in her game against Mrs E. Brox (Austria). She served extremely well and in addition had her opponent in trouble with her backhand. She was not really tested at all. The men’s singles matches, some of which were played today as a result of rain yesterday, produced no big upsets. The three seeded men engaged—the Australian champion, Ashley Cooper, Europe’s top player, Sven Davidson, and Herb Flam, of the United States—all won, but in each case had to fight hard for the third set. The New Zealander L. A. Gerrard gave a fine defensive display in his match against the South African, A. Segal, which filled No. 3 court to capacity, and as word went round of one of the best fights of the day there was standing room only in the narrow pathways guarding the court. Gerrard lost this match, 3-6, 3-6, 13-15—his first in the singles championship—but he produced some of the best shots in his repertoire. The first two sets were stereotyped, and it seemed that Gerrard would provide but little serious opposition. He lost them both, 6-3. Gerrard quickly established a two-game lead in the first set. He started far more confidently than Segal, but the South African soon overcame his initial shakiness and took four games in a row. Gerrard was over-hitting, many of his shots being yards out. Segal had no trouble winning the first set. There was an hour’s delay because of rain and bad light, then Segal let Gerrard equalise twoall in the second set, but from then on he harried him severely. Down 5-2, Gerrard produced a sudden burst and chased Segal all over the court to take back the game. But it was to no avail, and he lapsed again Immediately for another lost set. Long Third Set It looked as if the more experienced and tested South African would have an easy progress through the third set to win the match, but Gerrard decided really to play. Every time Segal tried to get past his guard, every time he turned on his raking backhand, Gerrard was there to meet it. For half an hour they exchanged games with the service, both tiring, both alternating brilliance with mediocrity. Game for game they played, Gerrard doing such things as winning with an ace and then inexplicably doublefaulting. He battled sturdily against the South African’s constant attack, and during the last few games either player with a bit of extra luck would have ended it. Gerrard lost the last points by wilting completely. He had played magnificent fighting tennis throughout this final set. Parker Wins C. T. Parker had no difficulty finishing off in a quarter of an hour his match against D. B. Hughes, of Britain. The New Zealander had led overnight, 3-6, 8-6, 6-3, with a 3-0 advantage in the fourth set, and he let Hughes get only one more game before clinching the match. Results were:— Women’s Singles First Round.—Mrs D. P. Knode (United States) beat Mrs L. A. Hoad (Australia), 4-6, 9-7, 6-1; Mrs R. C. Panton (Britain) beat Miss J. A. Fulton (Britain), ,6-2, 7-5; Miss R. Schuurman (South Africa) beat Mrs M. Weiss (Spain), 6-4, 6-2; Mrs E. C. S. Pratt (United States) beat Miss E. E. Waters (Britain), 6-1, 6-0; Miss K. Fageros (United States) beat Miss P. J. A. Wheeler (Britain), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Miss J. Rook (Britain) beat Miss J. E. Lintern (Britain), 6-4, 6-4; Miss A. Mortimer (Britain) beat Mrs C. T. Clark (Britain), 6-0, 6-0; Miss R. F. Woodgate (Britain) beat Mrs A. Bernheim (Belgium), 2-6, 6-2, 6-0; Mrs C. J. van der Storm (Netherlands) beat Miss H. Moorley (Britain), 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. Mrs P. Chatrier (France) beat Miss B. Knapp (Britain), 6-2, 6-4; Mrs I. Vogler (Germany) beat Mrs J. M. Wagstaff (Britain), 6-3, 6-2; Miss M. Arnold (United States) beat Miss P. M. Burrell (Britain), 6-0, 6-0; Miss C. Mercelis (Belgium) beat Mrs I. J. Warwick (Britain), 6-2, 6-0; Miss S. J. Bloomer (Britain) beat Miss P. E. Ward (Britain), 6-1, 6-3; Mrs S. Le Besnarais (France) beat Miss J. A. Fitzpatrick (Ireland), 6-2, 6-4.

Miss V. S. White (Britain) beat Mrs H. G. Macintosh (Britain), 7-5, 6-4; Miss P. J. Curry (Britain) beat Miss P. Barril (Spain), 6-4, 6-3; Miss R. M. Reyes (Mexico) beat Mrs J. W. Cawthorn (Britain), 6-3, 6-2; Mrs B. I. Shenton (Britain) beat Mrs A. H. Thomas (Britain), 2-6, 7-5, 9-7; Miss I. Ending (Germany) beat Mrs H. Kaufmann (Switzerland), 6-0, 6-3; Miss G. E. Woodgate (Britain) beat

Mrs J. G. Holt (Britain), 6-0, 7-5; Miss P. Edwards (Britain) - beat Mrs P. C. Bramley (Britain). 6-1, 5-7, 6-2; Miss S. M. Cox (Britain) beat Mrs A. Enzen (Switzerland), 6-1, 7-9, 10-8; Miss C. C. Truman (Britain) beat Mrs M. Cranadak-Milorija (Jugoslavia), 6-1, 6-1; Miss P. A. Hird (Britain) beat Mrs V. A. Roberts (Britain), 6-1, 6-1. Second Round.—Mrs W. Brewer (Bermuda) beat Miss M. V. Nielsen (Denmark), 6-0, 6-0; Miss D. R. Hard (United States) beat Miss R. H. Bentley (Britain), 6-2, 6-0; Mrs L. B. E. Thung (Holland) beat Miss M. H. de Amorim (Brazil), 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. Miss V. Puzejova (Czechoslovakia) beat Mrs G. Bucaille (France), 6-1, 6-2; Mrs J. E. Robson (New Zealand) beat Mrs E. Broz (Austria), 6-1, 6-2. Miss Louise Brough (United States) beat Mrs Mary Hawton (Australia), 6-2, 6-0; Miss F. de la Courtie (France) beat Mrs S. B. Worrall (Britain), 6-4, 6-1; Miss S. M. Armstrong (Britain) beat Mrs J. L. Deloford (Britain), 10-8, 3-6, 6-2. Miss Althea Gibson (United States) beat Mrs S. Kormoczy (Hungary), 6-4, 6-4; Miss M. Hellyer (Australia) beat Miss M. J. de Riba (Spain), 6-1, 6-0. Men’s Singles

First Round.—E. Martinez (Spain) beat D. L. M. Black (Rhodesia), 6-3, 8-6, 6-2; F. Contreras (Mexico) beat G. Mezzi (Belgium), 9-7, 6-1, 6-3; R. Haillet (France) beat G. Sjowall (Norway), 6-4, 11-9, 6-3; W. W. Woodcock (Australia) beat M. P. Hann (Britain), 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2; H. R. Buttimer (United States) beat A. A. Charnock (South Africa), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2; R. K. Wilson (Britain) beat O. H. Garrido (Cuba), 6-3, 6-2, 6-3; R. Emerson (Australia) beat G. J. Shea (United States), 8-6, 6-3, 6-1; J. C. Molinari (France) beat G. L. Ward (Britain), 6-4, 9-7, 11-9; A. Hammersley (Chile) beat A. Gimeno (Spain), 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; Ashley Cooper (Australia) beat A. E. Dehnert (Holland), 6-2, 6-1, 9-7; J. Brichant (Belgium) beat R. Garrido (Cuba), 7-5, 6-2, 6-2; I. Pimental (Venezuela) beat W. Alvarez (Colombia), 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.

W. A. Knight (Britain) beat R. Huber (Germany), 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3; P. B. Frankland (Australia) beat H. F. Walton (Britain), 6-3, 3-6, 8-6, 6-0; J. A. Pickard (Britain) beat J. van Dalsum (Netherlands), 6-0, 6-1, 6-2; A. Segal (South Africa) beat L. A. Gerrard (New Zealand), 6-3, 6-3, 15-13; J. Ulrich (Denmark) beat C. Fernandes (Brazil), 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 8-6, 6-4; E. P. Argon (Uruguay) beat G. N. Bassett (United States), 8-6, 6-4, 6-4; G. Mulloy (United States) beat D. J. Lawler (South Africa), 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4; C. T. Parker (New Zealand) beat D. B. Hughes (Britain), 3-6, 8-6, 6-3, 6-1; G. D. Oakley (Britain) beat R. K. Nyyssonen (Finland), 6-1, 2-6, 11-9, 6-3. J. Cranston (United States) beat J. Javorski (Czechoslovakia), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; H. Flam (United States) beat P. Blondel (Switzerland), 6-3, 6-3, 7-5; P. S. Eisenberg (United States) beat A. Licis (Poland), 6-1, 6-3, 8-6; J. E. Barrett (Britain) beat R. V. Sherman (United States), 4-6, 10-12, 7-5, 6-3, 6-1; R. Krishnan (India) beat Nicola Pietrangeli (Italy), 6-4, 6-3, 6-4; G. D. . Owen (Britain) beat I. Panajotovic (Czechoslovakia), 6-2, 6-1, 9-7; P. Remy (France) beat S. Holberg (Denmark), 6-4, 6-2, 6-3; J. J. Lesch (United States) beat M. Llamas (Mexico), 6-2, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4; S. Schwartz (United States) beat D. Gunson (Britain), 7-5, 7-5, 6-4; Trevor Fancutt (South Africa) beat Colin Hannam (Britain), 6-3, 7-5, 6- N. Fitovitz (Britain) beat G. L. Paish (Britain), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; Sven Davidson (Sweden) beat A. Bey (Rhodesia), 6-3, 9-7, 7-5; U. Schmidt (Sweden) beat I. Ribeiro (Brazil), 6-2, 6-3, fr-3; K. Neilsen (Denmark) beat P. Scholl (Germany), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; D. W. Candy (Australia) beat N. Nath (India), 6-3, 7- 6-3; Franz Saiko (Austria) beat Guy Koenig (South Africa), 9-7, 9-7, 6-4.

A. R. Miles (Britain) beat J. D. Hackett (Ireland), 6-2, 6-1, 6-3; M. E. Green (United States) beat R. Mark (Australia), 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.