Women Withdrawn On Match Day

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31880, 7 January 1969, Page 13

Women Withdrawn On Match Day

(N.Z. Press Association— i Copyright) MELBOURNE. The American tennis promoter, Mr G. Mac Call, early yesterday withdrew the four top women professionals from the Victorian open—less than five hours before the tournament was due to start.

The four, Mrs B. J. King, Miss R. Casals, Miss F. Durr and Mrs A. Haydon-Jones, were accepted into the draw for the women’s singles and doubles only on Sunday. The president of the Victorian Lawn Tennis Association (Mr H. Hopman) said he received a telephone call from Mr Mac Call yesterday morning withdrawing the four women professionals. Mr Hopman said Mr MacCall told him from Los Angeles the four “very definitely and finally cannot play in your tournament.” This is the final blow in a bitter row between the Victoriar association and the professional promoters that resulted in all professional players boycotting the Victorian tournament.

The dispute arose when the association rejected the! promoters’ financial pro-,

posals for the state’s first open tournament. Negotiations between the two groups later broke down.

Mr Hopman said in a typewritten statement that tournament officials accepted the four players’ late entries on Sunday after a telephone call from Mr P. Jones, the professionals’ manager-on-tour in Perth.

Mr Jones, husband of Mrs Haydon-Jones, told the Victorian president he had complete authority to lodge tournament entries while on tour.

The four women are members of the Mac Call professional group. The two Americans, Miss Casals and Mrs King, were due in Melbourne yesterday from Hobart after playing in the Tasmanian. open. Mrs Haydon-Jones (Britain, and Miss Durr (France) last week played in the West Australian open in Perth.

Tournament officials have had to remake the draw after Mr MacCall's decision. Mr Hopman said the promoters’ withdrawal move was a blow to future negotiations on open tournaments.