LAWN TENNIS Hoad To Meet Cooper In Wimbledon Final

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28321, 5 July 1957, Page 13

LAWN TENNIS Hoad To Meet Cooper In Wimbledon Final

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

LONDON, July 3.

The defending titleholder, Lew Hoad, will meet Ashley Cooper in the second successive allAustralian Wimbledon singles final on Friday. Hoad and Cooper justified their respective first and second seedings in the 1957 championships today, entering the final at the expense of Sweden’s Sven Davidson and the third Australian semi-finalist, Neale Fraser.

The 22-year-old Hoad surged into the final this evening, beating Davidson, seeded fourth and reigning French champion, 6-4, 6-4. 7-5, in a power-packed match.

Ninety-five minutes earlier, the Australian champion, Cooper, had come from behind to overpower his team-mate Fraser for the sixth successive time.

Cooper won, 1-6, 14-12, 6-3, 8-6, after a two hours and a quarter tussle in the broiling sunshine and high humidity. While Hoad was entering the singles final, the veteran, Mrs Thelma Long, and her Chilean partner, Luis Ayala, were engineering a major upset. The unseeded pair beat the mixed doubles top-seeded Americans, Vic Seixas and Miss Louise Brough, 9-7, 1-6, 6-3. Mrs Long and Ayala, though unseeded, have been playing together a long time. Today they were steadier and played more cleverly than the Americans. Mrs Long and Ayala now meet the New Zealander, A. R. Mills and Miss R. H. Bentley, of Britain, for a place in the semifinals. Results:— Men’s Singles Semi-finals.—Ashley Cooper (Australia) beat Neale Fraser (Australia), 1-6, 14-12, 6-3, 8-6; Lew Hoad (Australia) beat Sven Davidson (Sweden). 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals. —M. Pietrangeli and O. Sirola (Italy) beat R. Emerson and R. Mark (Australia), 6-3, 9-7, Women’s Doubles Third Round.—Miss Y. Ramirez and Miss R. M. Reyes (Mexico) beat Miss M. Arnold and Miss K. Fageros

(United States), 8-6, 6-3: Mrs L. A. Hoad (Australia) and Mrs E. van Nielsen (Denmark) beat Mrs T. T. Fancutt (South Africa) and Mrs D. F. Knode (United States), 1-6, 8-6, 6-3.

Fourth Round.—Miss Y. Ramirez and Miss R. M. Reyes (Mexico) beat Mrs L. A. Hoad (Australia) and Mrs E. van Nielsen (Denmark), 6-3, 6-4. Quarter-finals.—Miss A. Gibson and Miss D. R. Hard (United States) beat Miss P. A. Hird and Miss A. Mortimer (Britain), 6-3. 6-0; Mrs K. Hawton and Mrs T. D. Long (Australia) beat Miss S. J. Bloomer (Britain) and Mrs E. C. S. Pratt (United States). 7-5. 6-2.

Mixed Doubles Third Round.—K. Kumar (India) and Miss E. Buding (Germany) beat B. J. Katz (Rhodesia) and Miss V. S. White (Britain), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; K. Kamo (Japan) and Mrs W. Brewer (Bermuda) beat A. Licis (Poland) and Mrs M. C. Cheadle (Britain), 7-5, 6-3.

Fourth Round.—N. A. Fraser (Australia) and Miss A. Gibson (United States) beat G. D. Oakley and Miss P. A. Hird (Britain). 6-1, 6-4; N. Kumar (India) and Miss E. Buding (Germany) beat R. Krishnan (India) and Mrs E. C. S. Pratt (United States). 6-2, 5-7, 6-3; S.' Schwartz and Miss M. Arnold (United States) beat M. Llamas (Mexico) and Miss C. Mercelis (Belgium), 7-5, 9-7; L. Ayala (Chile) and Mrs T. D. Long (Australia) beat V. Seixas and -Miss A. L. Brough (United States). 9-7, 1-6. 6-3; A. R. Mills (New Zealand) and Miss R. H. Bentley beat R. D. Bennett and Miss S. M. Armstrong (Britain). 7-5, 7-5; K. Kamo (Japan) and Mrs W. Brewer (Bermuda) beat I. Pimenal (Venezuela) and Mrs S. Le Besnerais (France), 6-4, 6-3.