U.S. TITLE HER THIRD OF BIG 4

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30855, 14 September 1965, Page 19

U.S. TITLE HER THIRD OF BIG 4

Miss Smith, Santana Win Singles (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright)

FOREST HILLS, September 13.

Margaret Smith climaxed a tremendous year’s tennis by regaining the United States championship yesterday. She defeated Billie Jean Moffitt of the United States in the final, 8-6,7-5.

Miss Smith’s win gave her three of the world’s four major titles—the Australian, Wimbledon and United States championships. She was runner-up in the French titles.

In the men's singles final 27-year-old Manuel Santana brought Spain the title for the first times, defeating the South African, Cliff Drysdale, 6-2, 7-9, 7-5,6-1.

Then Miss Smith and Fred Stolle clinched the mixed doubles with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Frank Froehling (United States) and Judy Tegart (Australia).

Miss Smith had to fight rather harder for her victory than had been expected andj the determined Miss Moffitt I saved three match points be-| fore going down in the 12th' game of the second set. Miss Moffitt had had two opportunities to win the second set on her own service when leading 5-4, but she put a volley into the net and then was unable to handle a lob enabling the Australian to reach deuce.

Miss Smith passed the American at the net, produced a whipped forehand return of service to break service and went on to win. Miss Smith lost the French

title to Lesley Turner, her Australian teammate. “My ambition is to win the grand slam for women. I’ll probably continue trying next year,” Miss Smith said after yesterday’s final. TOUGHEST MATCH She said this was her best year in tennis and she attributed it to the fact, “I get more fun out of the game now—l’m not as tense as I once was.” I She praised Miss Moffitt. “This was the toughest match I I've had,” she said. “The other girls usually stay at the baseline. Billie Jean went to the net and forced I me.” j Santana took two hours and 18 minutes to knock off Drysdale. “BETTER PLAYER”

During the game the South African committed 12 foot faults during the rain-inter-rupted match but he did not attempt to use that as an alibi. “Manuel was simply

the better player,” he said. “Those foot faults didn’t beat me and neither did the intermission (a 30-minute break because of rain at 5-5 in the third set). “Santana beat me with superior shots. That’s all there was to it.” Santana’s win lifted Spain’s hop ” for the Davis Cup. He said after the match: “This is really something for me as everyone called me only a clay court player.” Drysdale estimated Santana as “the first or second player in the world. Manuel has a much better service return than any other player,” he said.

It was probably Santana’s best ever performance on grass. On his way to the title Santana beat Arthur Ashe who had beaten Australia’s Roy Emerson in a quarter-final. When Miss Smith teamed with Stolle to win the mixed doubles title it was the fifth successive year in which she has been a member of the winning team and the second time she has combined with Stolle-for the title.