$4286 At Stake In Wimbledon Final

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31724, 6 July 1968, Page 15

$4286 At Stake In Wimbledon Final

(N.Z.P. A. -Reuter —Copyright) LONDON. The men’s singles event in the Wimbledon open tennis championships reaches its climax today when the Australian professionals, R. A. Laver and A. D. Roche, meet in the final.

These two lefthanders dispute not only the Wimbledon title but also the leadership in professional tennis.

lian, K. R. Rosewall, the world's number two professional. After a tentative start, Laver has been improving with every round, culminating in a devastating win over the American Negro, A. R. Ashe, in the semi-finals. If he is in the same groove today, he will have Roche struggling. But the younger man has the ability to take advantage of any lapse Laver might make. In both experience and expertise, Laver has the edge. Six years a professional, he stands in the Wimbledon final for the fifth time. As an amateur, he was twice runner-up before winning the title in 1961 and 1962. First-time Finalist

feat from the bespectacled little Californian in last year’s final. But Mrs King, with her returns dipping low over the net, won the game to level at five-all, and that was the turning point. From then on she began to play positive tennis with all the authority which won her the Wimbledon title in 1966 and 1967. Miss Tegart, who has been having physiotherapy treatment for an injured elbow, which caused her to withdraw from the London championships a fortnight ago, seldom has she played more inspired tennis.

The top-seeded Laver, from Queensland, is acknowledged the world’s outstanding player. Now he puts that exalted position at Stake against his 23-year-old compatriot from New South Wales. Roche’s chances at the start of this historic first open Wimbledon were rated lowly by the seeding committee—he gained only fifteenth place among the 16 elite. However, not only has Roche survived in an exhausting milling fortnight of upsets, but he has gone through six rounds for the loss of only two sets. Among his victims was the Austra-

Roche, a professional for only six months, is in the Wimbledon final for the first time. His previous best effort was to reach the last eight in 1966. The match has all the makings of a thriller, but tension always runs high in a Wimbledon final. And this year there is the $4286 first prize at stake and the prestige of being Wimbledon’s first open champion. Tennis fans began queueing at Wimbledon 30 hours before the men’s final was due to start. Equipped with easy chairs, baskets of food, radios and newspapers, they were prepared to sleep the night on the footpaths outside the two main gates. Magnificent Recovery

Yesterday, the American professional, Mrs B. J. King, and the Australian amateur, Miss J. A. Tegart, won through to the final of the women's singles.

The top-seeded Mrs King, the title-holder, was taken to the brink of defeat by the British professional, Mrs A. Jones. But she staged a thrilling fight-back, to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. Miss Tegart, a 29-year-old former Melbourne secretapr, was a more impressive winner. Seeded seventh, she gave a superb display of controlled power tennis to beat the third seed, Miss N. Richey (United States), 6-3, 6-1. When Mrs Jones led a sadly out-of-form Mrs King, 6-4, 5-3, and with her service to follow, the British left-hander looked set to avenge her de-