Tennis Final To Phillips-Moore

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31595, 5 February 1968, Page 22

Tennis Final To Phillips-Moore

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. In spite of a terrible start, O. Parun (Wellington) took the Australian, B. Phillips-Moore, to five sets before conceding defeat in the men’s singles final at the Wills international tennis tournament.

Phillips-Moore won, 6-3, 6-8,1-6, 6-3, 6-2. After being 4-2 down in the first set, Parun started to hit out but then promptly lost his service to be down 5-3. Phillips-Moore then went quickly to 30-love and took the set with an ace. In contrast to his opponent, Parun moved very slowly to the ball and when the Australian went to 4-2 in the second set it match could soon end. However, Parun began to stroke more confidently and with some fine placements levelled the set at 5-all. He continued to keep PhillipsMoore on the run and scored some beautiful winners, especially down the sidelines. Amid the applause of the large crowd, Parun, who still

had not thrown off a look of extreme tiredness, won the set 8-6. Twice in the third set Phillips-Moore started off his service with an ace. But Panin’s strokes continued to function smoothly and he took the set 6-1 with surprising ease. Phillips-Moore, however, looked much fresher after the break. He regained the initiative with some powerful net play and soon levelled the sets two-all. Although during the fifth set Parun made some fine retrieving shots, Phillips-Moore usually had the final say with a crisply hit volley or a decisive smash. Phillips-Moore had complete control and at 5-2 and match point he served a magnificent ace to take the title. Results:—

Men's singles: B. PhillipsMoore (Australia) beat 0. Parun, 6-3, 6-8, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2. Women’s singles: Miss K. Melville (Australia) beat Miss G. Sherri# (Australia), 8-6, 6-1. Women's doubles: Misses Melville and Sherri# beat Misses A. Suurbeek and A. Bekker (Holland), 6-0, 6-2.

Mixed doubles: J. Gisbert (Spain) and Miss G. SherriS beat R. Crealy and Miss K. Melville (Australia), 7-5, 13-11. Men's doubles: Crealy and Phillips-Moore beat Gisbert and M. Belkin (Canada), 5-3, S-4.