TENNIS Old Score To Settle Before Wimbledon Crown

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30176, 6 July 1963, Page 5

TENNIS Old Score To Settle Before Wimbledon Crown

(N.Z J*. A .-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, July 5. Top-seeded Margaret Smith, the 20-year-old Australian champion, will meet an old rival, the unseeded American, Billie-Jean Moffitt, in the final of the women’s singles at Wimbledon on Saturday.

A year ago, Miss Moffitt provided the shock of the Wimbledon championship by toppling Miss Smith in her opening match when the Australian was a hot favourite for the title.

In the semi-finals yesterday before a capacity crowd of 18,000 on the centre court, Miss Moffitt decisively beat Britain’s Mrs Ahn HaydonJones, 6-4, 6*4. Miss Smith beat America’s top player, Darlene Hard, 6-3, 6-3, to become the first Australian to reach the Wimbledon women's final. Miss Smith will start favourite to beat the chubby little American on Saturday The tall, broad-shouldered Australian from Albury, New South Wales, has dominated women's tennis for the last twq years and has won every major title except the Wimbledon crown. , Big Hitters The men's singles final today between the Australian Fred Stolle and the American Chuck McKinley brings together two colourful big hitters. McKinley, who lost to Rod Laver in the final in 1961, is favoured by the bookmakers to win. Stolle, however, has twice beaten McKinley in the past two months, once on a hard court and once on grass. In their six clashes to date, he has beaten the American four times.

Results (asterisk indicates seeded players)»

Women’s Singles Semi-finals.—Miss B. J. Moffitt (U.S.) beat »Mrs A. HaydonJones (Britain), 6-4- 6-4; -Miss Smith (Australia) beat -Miss D. R. Hard (U.S.). 6-3. 6-5. Men’s Doubles Semi-finals.—J. C. Barclay and N. Daemon (France) beat *R. Emerson (Australia) and M Santana (Spain). 6-2. 7-5. 3-6, 6-3. Women’s Doubles Quarter-final. —Miss A. Dmitrieva (U.S.S.R.) and Miss J. Tegart (Australia) beat Miss C. J. Jaster (U.S.) and Miss N. A. Turner (Australia), 6-1, 6-3. Mixed Doubles Quarter-finals. —R. D. Ralston (U.S.) and Mrs Ann HaydonJones (Britain) beat E. C. Drysdale and. Miss M. Hunt (South

Africa) 6-2, 6-4; *K. N. Fletcher and Miss M. Smith (Australia) beat W. Bungert (Germany) and Miss R. Schuurman (South Africa). 6-2, 6-1; R. A. J. Hewitt (Australia) and Miss D. R. Hard (U.S.) beat A. R. Ashe and Miss C. E. Hansk (U.S.). 7-5, 6-1; *F. S. Stolle and Miss L. R. Turner (Australia) beat Jovanic (Jugoslavia) and Miss J. Leifrig e (Francei by default.