LAWN TENNIS Gerrard Wins Singles Title At Cumberland

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28868, 13 April 1959, Page 6

LAWN TENNIS Gerrard Wins Singles Title At Cumberland

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.)

LONDON, April 12. Lew Gerrard, the 21-year«-old New Zealand Davis Cup p/ayer, brought off his second big surprise of the British tennis season yesterday afternoon when he beat R. Becker, who ranks fourth in the Lawn Tennis Association’s list, 6-3, 6-2, in the final of the men’s singles in the Cumberland club tournament. On the previous day Gerrard had upset all tennis predictions by beating R. K. Wilson, the holder of the title and Britain’s number three player, 6-4, 3-6, 8-6, in a semi-final. The New Zealander thoroughly deseryed his win, which was all the more satisfactory because until now he has not been very impressive on hard courts. His ability to play widely angled passing shots from either side of the court helped him time after time in the game against Becker. The Englishman, admittedly, was not playing at his best, but

Gerrard was in such a winning vein most of the time that a much superior Becker would have been needed to give him the sort of opposition his play warranted. Gerrard’s last two performances

have given a great uplift to New Zealand’s Davis Cup prospects against Ireland, which have already been enhanced by the early elimination in the Cumberland tournament of J. D. Hackett, Ireland’s leading player, whom the New Zealanders will meet in the Cup match. With a fortnight’s tournament tennis ahead of him Gerrard should be in top form for Dublin. Miss Ruia Morrison, the other New Zealander in the finals at the Cumberland club, was not strong enough to withstand Britain’s number two player, Miss S. J. Bloomer, who defeated her 6-2, 6-4 in a match which was played almost completely from the baselines. The New Zealanders played in most unpleasant conditions—squally and cold—and on courts made slippery by morning showers. Becker opened his service with a fault. He seemed immediately disconcerted and let Gerrard take the first game with no effort at all. He recovered quickly to win the next two games, which were both unenterprising tennis, but a high ball which landed on the line at the end of a long forehand duel gave Gerrard the advantage in the fourth and the New Zealander evened the score at 2-all with a smash which beat Becker completely. Each won his next service but Gerrard broke through in the seventh game and consolidated in the eighth after the first deuce of the match. In the final game of the set Gerrard did not look even slightly troubled. He was in the right place every time and had Becker so nonplussed that Becker allowed the New Zealander a love game.

Becker was no match at all for Gerrard in the second set. The New Zealand was unlucky in the second game when a characteristically low fast one across the court just went out. but he repeated the -stroke with the very next return and this time it was just inside. Gerrard here had his first and only real lapse and could be heard reprimanding himself as he let Becker take a love game on the New Zealander’s own service. Gerrard hit out wildly several times, netted and double-faulted as well. But his recovery was not long delayed and a bewildered Becker found himself attacked on all sides. Becker was down another two games before he had a chance to retaliate. Miss Morrison seemed uneasv when she opened against Miss Bloomer, and early in their encounter it looked as though Miss Bloomer’s consistent baseline punch would wear the New Zealander down.

Miss Bloomer had an easy first set win By hard plugging Miss Morrison took the second set to 4-all before Miss Bloomer showed any signs of forging ahead. There was practically no net play throughout the match and the points Miss Morrison did get came when she was able to catch Miss Bloomer out of position. The New Zealander had a chance in the eighth game when she led 4-3. She had the advantage after one deuce but she slipped on the damp court when endeavouring to return one of Miss Bloomer’s backhands and her opponent, who seldom left an opening, did not let her in again. Miss Morrison scored only one more point before the match and set ended.