PROFESSIONAL TENNIS TITLE TO LAVER

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31461, 30 August 1967, Page 17

PROFESSIONAL TENNIS TITLE TO LAVER

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON. The red-haired Queenslander, R. Laver, yesterday won his third Wimbledon title—this time the first world professional championship ever played on the Centre Court.

In the final, Laver defeated K. Rosewall (New South Wales), who thus lost a final on Wimbledon’s Centre Court for the third time.

The score, 6-2 6-2 12-10, accurately reflects the trend of the match. In the first two sets Laver was the cool master—his service was greatly superior, his placements and his volleying immaculate. Rosewall’s game would not click. Frequently he shook his head, rapped his racket on the ground and looked up at the cloudless sky as if to wish

a cloudburst to halt play and give him time to recover form. Rosewall recovered anyway, and the third set proved to be one of Wimbledon’s greatest. The break-through came in the fourth game, and it was Rosewall who made it, taking advantage of an apparent lapse in Laver’s concentration. At 5-4, Rosewall had three set points, but Laver suddenly angled three forehands out of his rival’s reach and eventually broke back. Laver broke through again to lead 7-6 and Rosewall, who had double-faulted on 0-30, threw away his racket in disgust. But the next game produced probably the best tennis of the two-hour match, and it was Rosewall who produced it

A crashing return of service forced Laver to hit long, then Laver netted after Rosewall miraculously returned an ace-like delivery into the corner.

Laver missed a volley, and Rosewall ended an exciting rally by winning the point and the game. Games went with service until the twenty-first, with the capacity 14,000 crowd roaring in excitement Then Laver’s consistency was rewarded with a break-through as Rosewall seemed to wilt a little in the heat.

In the twenty-second game, Laver had two match points on 40-15 and 40-30, and another on advantage. Rosewall saved them all. Laver gained a second advantage on a questionable linecall, and this time he made no mistake.

For Laver: £3OOO first prize money and the honour of being Wimbledon’s first professional champion. For Rosewall: £2OOO of consolation.

The veteran, P. Gonzales (United States), and the Spaniard, A. Gimeno, showed superior combination to upset Laver and F. Stolle (Australia) in the doubles final, 6-4, 14-12.

With Stolle out of touch, Laver had to work that much harder but towards the end of a tight match even he was missing the occasional easy shot