Laver tops the bill

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31730, 13 July 1968, Page 11

Laver tops the bill

“T THINK Rod is the best player in the world, amateur or professional.” This statement was made Identically by Sir Norman Brookes before the United States singles championships in 1962, and by Harry Hopmen after Laver had won. Both Australians and both intense supporters of amateur tennis, they may not have been unbiased. That year Laver became the second player to win the coverted grand slam — Australian, French, Wimbledon and United States titles in the one year. Altogether he won the championships of nine countries and was only the fourth man to win Wimbledon two years in sue cession. For the third year he was instrumental in keeping the Davis Cup in Australia. It was perhaps the most successful year in tennis any amateur ever enjoyed. But when Laver turned professional for a £50,000 contract in January, 1963, it

had become the best professional must surely be the best player in the world. But only now, after a tournament in which all the leading profesionals and all the leading amateurs competed, can there be no dispute; Laver Is the world's best tennis player. The famous Wimbledon courts have been kind to Laver. It may not be generally realised that last week he played in his seventh singles final there. Twelve years ago, at the age of 17, he was runner-up in the junior event. In 1959 he lost his first men’s final to the Peruvian, A. Olmedo, and the next year a compatriot, N. A. Fraser, won their final. Since then he has won four finals there, all in quick time, all in three sets, only one an advantage set. In 1961 he beat the American, C. McKinley. 6-3, 6-1, 6-4, in 56 minutes; the next year he took four minutes fewer to beat another Australian, M. Mul-

ligan, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1. Last year when a world professional championship was played at Wimbledon for the first time, Laver beat K. Rosewall, 6-2, 6-2, 12-10. This year the 29-year-old Laver again showed his ability to bring his game to a brilliant peak for Wimbledon finals in which he allows opponents no relief. He lost a set to E. L. Scott, of the United States, in the first round, one each to the American, M. S. Riessen, and the Englishman, M. Cox, in the third and fourth rounds, and he had a tough five-setter with another professional, R. D. Ralston (United States), in a quarterfinal. But his final against A. D. Roche had the usual pattern—6-3, 64,6-2, in about the hour he allows. The tough left-handed service, the bullet-like winners from baseline and net, the lightening reflexes, the disconcertingly deceptive wrist flicks into the narrowest of openings on both forehand and backhand, and the twist of the mouth or embarras-sed-looking half-smile which hide fine sportsmanship may be seen in more three-set finals at Wimbledon.

was found that he was not the best player in the world and, like the rest of the professionals, he had to learn the hard way. He lost 21 of his first 23 matches. By 1965 Laver had mastered the professionals too and the exalted position was given to him again. When he won the London professional championship at Wembley that September, Linda Timms wrote in “World Tennis”: “Rod Laver is the best player in the world . .. he has learned to discipline his genius sufficiently to bring him to the top of the cruelly demanding professional game ... he has eliminated his unevenness without sacrificing any of his individuality.” Few doubted that the label was justified. One who had been the best amateur and

R. J, MOORE, the South African amateur who caused one of the upsets in the Wimbledon tournament when he defeated the third-seeded professional, A. Gimeno (Spain), in the third round. Moore reached the quarter-finals, beating T. Edlefsen (United States) in the fourth round, but was then defeated by another United States player, C. Graebner. The picture shows him playing a shot from Gimeno in the third-round match.