American’s Power Defeats Robson

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30342, 18 January 1964, Page 10

American’s Power Defeats Robson

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, January 17. The United States Davis Gup player, E. L. Scott, has been the basis of most singles discussion at the national lawn tennis championships. Those who have watched him all this week are still not quite sure how to assess his ability. There had been those who thought the greatly experienced Aucklander, J. E. Robson, would prove too clever for him in spite of an 11-year-old difference in their ages, 26 to 37. But at Central Park today, Scott beat Robson in four sets, even though the New Zealander played some wonderful tennis and the American showed some weaknesses.

Scott has now reached the semi-finals in which he will meet the 23-year-old Wellington player, R. N, Hawkes. Hie discussion has changed to whether Scott’s power will match that of the title-holder, L. A. Gerrard, in the final. However, Scott still has to beat Hawkes and Gerrard has tn cope with J. B. Souter, of Wellington, who was in magnificent form yesterday. Today’s play was dominated by the visitors from overseas. Miss R. Bentley, the fifth ranked English woman, was the first finalist of the tournament when she gave the second seeded Miss E. Green, of Auckland, a sound drubbing in the second set after a well-fought first set.

Long First Set So Miss Bentley will meet the winner of the other semifinal between the top seed, Miss J. Davidson, of Canterbury, and the unseeded Miss J. Hayvice, of Wellington. Easily the most interesting of today's encounters was that between Scott and Robson, which had the strange score of 12-10, 0-6, 6-1, 6-3; the first set score was the biggest of the tournament. This set was a fascinating struggle lasting more than an hour. The pattern was of Robson winning his service by intelligent placement, clever lobbing, quick anticipation and determined retrieving; of Scott winning his service by speed of serve, volley and smash. The pattern was upset when Robson dropped his service to be down, 6-7, but he fought back courageously end took Scott’s service with a beautiful return to his feet as the American moved to the net. The pattern was resumed again until Scott took his opponent’s serve again for 11-10 and won the next game.

Backhand Errors The ease with which Robson won the next set was remarkable. He was, indeed, in fine form but was helped considerably by a succession of inept backhand errors by Soott on ground shot and volley. Being the player he is. Robson pounded away at that side of the court and Scott won few points. That was the turning point, for Scott went quickly to a 4-0 lead in the third set and won it 6-1. He came out after the break to take Robson’s service for 4-2 and won the fourth set, 6-3. The third and fourth sets Showed Scott in a new light. His service and smash were still his most potent weapons but the rest of his game tightened up and he showed he could hit bis backmi'i without error. He use" 3 considerable height to great

advantage and, as if that is not enough, he jumps when serving and smashing and sometimes even for ground strokes. Hawkes won the other quarter-final when he beat P. Becroft, the 37-year-old Auckland University lecturer, in three closely-contested sets, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. The match was notable for Becroft losing his chances just when he seemed about to gain control and for Hawkes keeping the ball consistently in play to allow his opponent to make the errors. tn the first set Hawkes found Becroft was not hitting his volleys up so he kept mainly to the baseline and let Becroft net volley after volley. In the second set Becroft twice had service breaks hut immediately dropped his own and in the third set Hawkes enticed him to the net and then passed him. Hawkes played very safely throughout. He has far from a strong, service but he places it well and once the ball was in play he developed rallies to suit himself. Becroft is a good all-rounder with some of his shots better than Hawkes’s, but he could not match Hawkes for steadiness.

Fine Recovery When Miss Bentley went to a 3-0 lead over Miss Green, it looked as if matters would be decided with alacrity, but Miss Green made a fine recovery to 3-4 and 4-5. But thereafter she did not win another game. The appearance of the tall English girl on the court is reminiscent of that of a former title-holder, Miss J. F. Burke, and also of an earlier English visitors, Miss R. Bulleid, who played in Christchurch in 1956. Miss Bentley again stroked with deliberate care to move Miss Green around the court, sometimes at will, and then won the point with a neatlyjudged drop shot. Her variation of length was most disconcerting for Miss Green. In the second set, in which she did not win a game, Miss Green could get up to deuce but not further.

Doubles Upset Late in the day there came an upset when the thirdseeded men's doubles pair, the new combination this season of Gerrard and the 18-year-old leading New Zealand junior, J. S. Halligan, went down in a quarter-final to the scratch pairing of Scott with the veteran E. D. B.

Lusk, a noted administrator. A hard five-setter, the match was played at great pace with Scott’s serving and the support of Lusk decisive in the long run. Gerrard and Halligan made the more errors. Miss Bentley also had a further notable success when she teamed with the young Wellington player, B. P. Taylor to beat the third seeded pair of A. S. Burns and Mrs H. Robson,. 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, in the mixed doubles. Taylor and Miss Bentley were seeded seventh. Results:—

Results (abbreviations: North Shore, N.S.; Auckland, A.; Waikato, Wk.; Wellington, W.; Hutt Valley, H.V.; Canterbury, C.; Northland, N.): — MEN’S SINGLES Quarter-finals: R. N. Hawke (W.) beat P. Becroft (A.), 6-4; 7-5, 6-4; E. L. Scott (U.S.A.) beat J. E. Robson (A.), 12-10, 0-6, 6-1, 6-3. WOMEN’S SINGLES Semi-finals: Miss R. Bentley (England) beat Miss E. Green (N.S.), 6-4, 6-0. MEN’S DOUBLES Quarter-finals: A. S. Bums and Robson (A.) beat K. O’Carroll (N.) and P. Kelly (A.), 6-2, 7-5, 6-2; Hawkes and B. Young (A.) beat J. Taylor and B. R. Boon (W.), 6-2, 6-2, 6-2; R. G. Clarke and J. B. Souter (W.) beat D. Simmonds and P. Thomson, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2; E. B. T). Lusk (W.) and Scott beat L. A. Gerrard and J. S. H’lllgan (A,), 6-2, 8-6, 2-6, 0-6,. 6-2. MIXED DOUBLES Quarter-finals: Gerrard and Miss E. Terry (Wk.) beat Hawkes and Miss S. Clement (N.S.), 3-6, 6-0, 6-3; Scott and Mrs M. Law (W.) beat G. Campbell and Miss J. Glenie (A.), 6-4, 6-2; Taylor and Miss Bentley beat Bums and Mrs Robson. 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.

(N Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) PEBBLE BEACH (Cal)., Jan. 17. R. J. Charles, of New Zealand, on 68, was two strokes behind the leader, Al Balding (Canada), ■ after the first round of the 60,000-dofiar Bing Crosby open golf tournament yesterday. Geoffrey Hunt (Britain Bob Nichols (United States) had rounds of 67.