Nine National Titles Won By Laver In Year

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29931, 19 September 1962, Page 13

Nine National Titles Won By Laver In Year

/"INLY two players, Don- ” aid Budge, of the United States, in 1938. and Rod Laver, of Australia, in 1962, have won the “grand slam” of tennis Australian, French. Wimbledon and United States titles in the one season—and there are some interesting parallels between them.

The Least significant of these is that both are redheaded. But both have been noted for equable temperament, which has often not been associated with redheads.

Both “grand slams” have included the winning of Wimbledon for the second year in succession and only four players have done this since the challenge round was abolished in 1922—F. Perry (Britain), in 1934, 1935. 1936. Budge in 1937 and 1938. L A. Hoad (Australia) in 1956 and 1957, and Laver.

Budge and Laver have both been important in the Davis Cup aspirations of their countries. In 1937 Budge was a member of the American team which regained the cup for the United SU es after it had been away for 10 years, six of them in France and four in Britain. Laver was also a member of a team which regained the cup in 1959. although be lost both his singles in the challenge round; it was N. A. Fraser who was the hero of that match. Since then it haa been Laver who has been

mainly instrumental in keeping the cup in Australia. Another marked similarity has been in the figures offered and the players’ attitude to turning professionaJ immediately after triumphs. This month Laver indicated that an offer of 75.000 dollars for a two-year guarantee was too low. He thought he should get at least 100.000 dollaars. He ruled out any chance that he would turn professional before the challenge round in December. In October. 1938. Budge refused 75.000 dollars a year to turn professional and asked for 100.000 dollars. Negotiations were later successful and he made his professional debut in January, 1939.

In 1937 Budge won Australian, Wimbledon and United States titles and the next year he added the French for his "grand slam.” The tennis correspondent of "The Times” said then: 'There never was any doubt that Budge, who stands head and shoulders above his contemporaries, would win the four great championships of the world within a year. . . . The fact that Budge has lost only one set and that against his friend. Mako, in winning both the Wimbledon and American chacnpioneikpa speaks for itself” Budge retired from tennis

in 1941 to run a laundry business in Manhattan, but he took a great interest this year in Laver's attempt to equal his achievement. “I’d feel a hypocrite if I didn't admit that I feel mixed emotions about another freckle-faced redhead sharing my coveted title,” he said, and he had a game with Laver before the United States championships began. He was also among the crowd of 8000 at Forest Hills which saw Laver beat R Emerson in the final and he was ungrudging in his comment that Laver deserved bis “siarn

‘The Times” tennis correspondent of 1938 would surely have been able to make a similar comment about Laver this year. In the year before the feat he did not equal Budge, for he lost both the Australian and United States finals to Emerson. and in the French he was put out in a semi-final by M Santana, of Spain, the eventual winner. But from the beginning of the Australian season at the end . of last year he has been completely in control round the world. After beginning with wins in several state championships in Australia, he has won, among other tournaments, the open championships of nine countries— Australia. Italy. Switzer-

land, France, Norway, England (Wimbledon), Ireland, Germany, and the United States. With these included, his “slam” is even “grander ”