Lawn Tennis 1960 Wimbeldon Will End An Era

Press, Issue 29236, 21 June 1960, Page 6

Lawn Tennis 1960 Wimbeldon Will End An Era

(NX Press Asaoctatton-CoMriaMl

. : . LONDON,' June 20. ere» at WtasbtoMa toswnaw Mr the aimMl fMtaitfU rf draasn, excitement, and broken beffee. One hundred and twenty-eight men will hold the stage when the, curtain goes up on the seventy-fourth Lawn Tennis Championships, the modest title by which Wimbledon is officially known. . . / In the absence of the 19S0 champion, the Peruvian, A. Olmedo, who is now a professional the honour of opening * proceeffina on the Centre Court falls to R. Laver, the Australian runner-up a year ago. When Laver walks on court with his British opponent, G. yi’ATtfaw the game. Next year will see professionals as well as amateurs at Wimbledon, unless there is a sudden change in the climate of opinion when the International Lawn Tennis Federation meet in Paris next month to vote on open tournaments. But the immediate question Is: who will win this in a. Wimbledon of mediocre talent among the men? N. Fraser (Australia), B. Mackay (United States) and Laver are

nuko aR the runnin&*%ut form, has been so variable in recent months that there are at least 10 men from whom the winner through seven rounds to become afainina ayd tiiwiyfiy* merit play almost as Important a part as stroke-making. Fraser, seeded number one, has probably the easier half of the draw than Mackey. He beat Mackay in four gets In the deeidiiw rubber of the Dnvis Cup challenge round last summer, and then went on to win the United States singles title. The powerful left-hander has, however, done little of note on his present tour. Mackay, a fighter to the last, was an imwinner of the Italian title in May. If he can recapture that form the coveted Wimbledon trophy win be his. Laver, R. Emerson (Australia). N. Pietrangeli (Italy), L Ayala (Chile), R. Krishnan (India) and the rising young B. Buchholz (United States) are an potential threats. And there are some extremely dangerous unseeded players “floating** in the draw, Including the tall Spaniard, A. Gimeno, who is probably the best “outsider* after his brilliant triumph in the London grass court championships at Queen’s Club last week. The women do not start until Tuesday, traditionally “ladies’ day.” All home supporters look to six-foot Miss Christine Truman to win but the Essex girl may have to wait yet another year. The defending champion, Miss Maria Bueno, of Brazil, and the American, Miss Darlene Hard, runner-up last year, are likely to ’ustify their selection as the two top seeds. Current form favours the chubby Californian, but Miss Bueno is such a talented and dynamic player that she must be taken to continue her reign as queen of the courts for another year.