“GO IT ALONE”

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31421, 14 July 1967, Page 11

“GO IT ALONE”

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter— Copyright) LONDON. Wimbledon would “go it alone” with an open championship if the British Lawn Tennis Association agreed to such a step being taken. This was strongly intimated by Mr Herman David, chairman of the All-Eng-land Club, after he learned that open tennis had once more been rejected by the international federation.

Britain and Australia failed in their joint bld to open up Wimbledon and other top amateur championships to professional players when a British proposal for a voluntary experimental two-year period of open tournaments

was outvoted by 139 to 83 on Wednesday. Four countries, totalling 25 votes abstained. The proposal required a twothirds majority. This means the problem of amateurs and professionals playing together has been shelved for another two years. Constitutionally, the matter cannot be raised again before 1969.

The hard core of the opposition came from Communist countries who want to get tennis back into the Olympic Games. Those who voted in favour of open tennis Included Australia, Britain, Austria, Canada, South Africa, Switzerland, Jamaica and New Zealand.

Those against included, besides the Communist nations, Greece, India, Japan, and Turkey. France and the United States abstained. It was the fourth time in eight years that similar moves by Britain had been defeated by the international federation. “I really had not much hope this time,** said Mr David. “Now I think the time has come to sit back and think again about what is to be done. “One’s patience cannot last forever. “It seems we have come to the end of the road constitutionally, and the only way to make the game honest is by unconstitutional action but any unconstitutional steps must be taken by the British Lawn Tennis Association." Broun Beaten By Cox (NZ.P.AReuter—Copyright) FELIXSTOWE. The New Zealander, H. Broun, took M. Cox (Britain) the full distance before losing to him in the East of England tennis championships on Wednesday. Broun was beaten 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, Another New Zealander, B. E. Fairlie, had a victory over the Canadian, V. Rollins, 5-3, 7-5, to enter the fourth round.