Okker Richer But Not Very Confident

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31780, 10 September 1968, Page 19

Okker Richer But Not Very Confident

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

FOREST HILLS (New York).

T. Okker, of the Netherlands, was SUSI4,OOO richer yesterday but not very 7 confident about his chances of winning the men’s title of the first United States open tennis championship.

Okker, who will meet A. Ashe (United States) in the final today, said he thought the lanky Negro’s big service might be too much for his own retrieving game.

“I don’t know how I can do against Arthur,” Okker told reporters after sweeping past the Australian professional, K. Rosewall, in four sets, 8-6, 6-4. 6-8, 6-1, to gain the final round.

“He has such a big serve. He serves so many aces. I have lost to him four times and beaten him only once.” Okker lost in the first round to Ashe in the 1964 United States championship, then an all-amateur event, and was knocked out of this year’s Wimbledon open by Ashe in a four-set quarter-final. Ashe earned the final position opposite Okker with a four-set win over another United States Davis Cup player. C. Graebner, 4-6, 8-6, 7-5, 6-2. Okker will at least have his prize money to console him. That he has it at all is the result of a peculiar, often misinterpreted ruling of the International Lawn Tennis Federation which permits “registered” amateurs to play, if they so choose, for prize money rather than for the expenses they would normally be paid. Own Choice Okker and the 23-year-old Briton, Miss V. Wade, who beat the top-seeded Mrs B. J. King, the American professional, to win the women’s final, made the choice to play for pay in the rich United States tournament, and have fattened cheque books to show for it.

Miss Wade, born In England, raised in South Africa, and now a resident of Kent, beat Mrs King, 64, 6-2, in just under three-quarters of an hour and earned $6OOO top prize money. Mrs King, the Wimbledon open champion, and Rosewall, the winner of the French open, earned $3OOO and $9OOO for their secondplace finishes. The Okker-Rosewall match had money at stake because both Ashe and Graebner are amateurs and not eligible for prize money. Women’s Doubles The opening match today will pit Mrs M. Court (Australia) and Miss M. Bueno (Brazil), both amateurs, against Mrs King and another American professional, Miss R. Casals, in the final of the women’s doubles. After Okker plays Ashe, the 24-year-old Ashe will take to the court again to complete a semi-finals doubles match in which he and the Spanish professional are playing Graebner and C. Pasarell, also of the United States. If that match can be completed, the winner will play the American doubles specialists, R. Lutz and S. Smith in the doubles final.