French Tennis Disrupted

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31380, 27 May 1967, Page 15

French Tennis Disrupted

(N.Z. Preet Atsociation—Copyright) PARIS. Rain and more rain—that has been the story of the 1967 French tennis championships so far, with 16 hours of play lost over the last two days.

The first group of matches were not long started on Thursday morning when players, umpires and ballboys were forced to run for cover.

For the next eight hours groups sat around playing cards, talking and drinking cups of coffee. Only half a dozen matches were completed. One of those Involved K. Fletcher (Australia), who played some extraordinary tennis in the adverse conditions to beat the Scottish champion, J. Clifton, 6-0, 6-2, 64. Th* Australian volleyed and smashed with perfect timing and accuracy and his forehand w*s strong. Clifton became dispirited at this brilliance as Fletcher won the first 10 games, and even though Fletcher waned a little in the last set, he remained the master. The championship erupted

from their quiet existence late in the day, when S. Likhachev (Russia) playing G. Stilwell ( Britain) on an outside court, received several bad line calls from the umpire and walked off.

After two officials arrived and took up line duties at the court, Likhachev resumed. The Russian, who was down before his walk-out went on to win, 2-6, 4-6, 64, 6.4, 6-1