Italian Title To Newcombe

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31975, 30 April 1969, Page 15

Italian Title To Newcombe

(X Z P.A -Reuter—Copyright) ROME. J. D. Newcombe won the men’s singles in the Italian open tennis championships yesterday by beating a fellowAustralian professional, A. 1). Roche, in the final.

Newcombe, the 1967 Wimbieton champion, won a closely-fought match. 6-3. 4-6, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3, to take the first prize of $4300.

The victory, achieved after nearly three hours of toil on the centre court, was revenge for Newcombe, who was eliminated by Roche in the quarter-finals of the Australian championships earlier this year, the last time the two players had met. Newcombe, aged 24, was seeded number two and the left-handed Roche, aged 23, was top seed. FIRST MAJOR WIN Miss J. Heldman, the sec-ond-ranking American, gained her first title in a major world tournament when she won the women's singles final. She beat Miss K. Melville, the 21-year-old Australian, by 7-5 6-3.

The men's final opened with both Newcombe and Roche playing cat-and-mouse tactics, waiting for the other to attack. Newcombe, showing more agility against an opponent slow to find touch, forced the only two service breaks to take the first set comfortably. Both continued to play fe in the second set and rarely tried any fancy shots. Roche levelled the match, but his tight game went astrav early in the third set and he dropped service after holding two game points and missing two easy mid-court volleys. He lost his serve again in the eighth game to love to give Newcombe the set. Newcombe surrendered his own service without a point in the eleventh game of the fourth set and Roche went on to square the match once more. But Roche appeared to be tiring and Newcombe again dictated the pace in the final set He tool; Roche's serve

to love in the sixth game and never relaxed his grip to clinch the title on his first match point. It was a match more remarkable for tight control, incisive serving and fine courtcraft than the spectatcular rallies and attacking play the 5000 crowd had expected. The men’s doubles title was left undecided when bad light halted play with Roche and Newcombe level with the Dutchman, T. Okker, and the American, M. Riessen. 6-4,1-6.