FRASER BEATS OLMEDO

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28987, 31 August 1959, Page 14

FRASER BEATS OLMEDO

Dramatic First Match

(N.Z Press Association—Copt/rtqht

FOREST HILLS, August 28.

The Victorian left-hander, Neale Fraser, aged 25, pulled off the greatest win of his tennis career when he upset the Wimbledon champion, Alex Olmedo, 8-6, 6-8, 6- 8-6 in a dramatic opening match of the 1959 Davis Cup challenge round in sweltering heat today. Put 23-year-old Barry Mackay matched feat for the United States, when he thoroughly beat the Queenslander, Rod Laver. 7- 6-4, 6-1. Australia’s Davis Cup team captain, Harry Hopman, gripped Fraser’s hand as the exhausted Australian left the court, and the pair grinned at each other. Hopman then took Fraser-across the West Side Club centre court right up to his father and mother. Judge and Mrs Fraser. Judge Fraser, who had chainsmoked his way through the match, looked at his son and said simply: “Wonderful, son. wonderful.”

The two players had taken the court in 88deg heat. Games went with service to 5-all before a crowd of 6000 —about half the stadium’s capacity. Olmedo gained two set points when leading at 6-5, but it was the Australian who broke through first to take a vital lead in the thirteenth game. Then he held his service to love to win the first set 8-6. in 41min.

Olmedo gained a quick 2-0 lead in the second set. but Fraser broke back to level at 2-all. Games then went with service until the thirteenth game once more, only this time it was Olmedo who came out on top. He took Fraser’s service to 30. and then won his own service to win 8-6 and level the set scores

Fraser, obviously disappointed, did not let the lapse unnerve him. however, and with great serving and volleying, took the third set 6-4 without being in bother at any stage.

Fraser, though under great strain, was performing marvellously at the expense of Olmedo, clearly tired and dejected as he left the court for the break. Olmedo had shown none of his Wimbledon form. The fourth set developed into a service battle and very little else.

Games went to 6-all as each player strove for the all important break-through, but Fraser was not to be denied.

In the thirteenth game once again, with Olmedo behind 15-30 on his service. Fraser unleashed a burst to win the last six points of the match. He took Olmedo’s service with two beautiful passing shots, and

then gained three match points with his booming service. The last point he tucked away for the match with a forehand volley from the net that left Olmedo hopelessly stranded. The Mackay-Laver match opened at a cracking pace with Mackay holding a tremendous service for 1-0 after Laver had returned brilliantly to force the American to advantage point. Laver held two advantage points in the fifth game, but Mackay fought back to hold his service and lead 3-2.

The games continued with the service until the twelfth, when Mackay forced Laver into a succession of volleying errors to take the first set, 7-5. Fine angled shots by Laver gave him a 3-2 lead in the second set. But Mackay returned service brilliantly to’take Laver’s service. Laver outed lobs to give Mackay a 5-4 lead. He then smashed Laver’s service to 15, displaying fantastic touch to take the second set 6-4 in 19min.

Mackay was giving Laver no chance to get into the match as he kept up his remarkable service to win the first game in the third set to love. Laver was down 15-40 in the next, but struggled to 1-all. Then Mackay tied him up again in the third game. Mackay’s big weakness has been an inability to get down to his shots in the forecourt, but he was giving Laver no opportunity to exploit this today. Mackay held his service and then broke through Laver for 3-1. He won the next game, in spite of three double faults. Mackay gained ihis first two match points at 40-15 in the seventh game, double-faulted, bul then clinched the match with a great first service to take the set 6-1. and even the tie.

CASHMERE CLUB At the annual general meeting of the Cashmere Lawn Tennis Club the following officers were elected:— President, Mr C. S. Bullen: vicepresidents, Mrs E. E. Williams, Dr. D. McLeod, Mr A. J. Derbidge; secretary. Miss L. Y. Cooper; assistant secretary, Mr A. B. McCallum; treasurer, Mr R. M. Minson; club captain, Mrs K. W Shirlaw; vice-captain, Mr I MacDonald; auditor, Mr H. N. Pyne; committee, Mesdames Lovegrove, Campbell. Murie and Rhodes, Miss Cutler. Messrs Healey, Odgers, Shirlaw, Betteridge and Cairns; delegates to C.L.T.A.. Mesdames Murie and Lovegrove. Messrs Healey. Odgers, Shirlaw. MacDonald and Cairns; delegates to J C.L.T.A., Miss Cutler and Mr Lawn.