London Title For Fairlie

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31991, 19 May 1969, Page 24

London Title For Fairlie

(W.Z, Press Association—Copyright)

LONDON.

The 20-year-old New Zealander, B. E. Fairlie, was superior to G. R. Stilwell, Britain’s most successful player this season, in the men’s singles final of the London hard-court tennis championships at Hurlingham on Saturday.

Fairlie won, 11-9, 6-3, in a tough, 95-minute struggle.

It was his third win in successive days over leading British players and his.third win in three meetings against Stilwell, aged 23. In his semi-final Fairlie beat the British No. 1, M. Cox, 6-3, 6-3. Fairlie reeled off seven games in succession from 3-3 to win the first set and open up a winning lead in the second against the top seed. Cox dropped point after point trying to force Fairlie out of his stride. Too i-.any of his heavy first services went astray and almost every time he moved up to the net he was beaten. He twice broke Fairlie’s service in the closing stages, but it was only putting off the inevitable.

Stilwell swept into the final even more easily, beating an Essex youngster, D. Lloyd, 6-1, 6-1. Fairlie, energetic, skilful and persistent, ran and cha: d every chance against Stilwell. Even a nasty tumble in the sixth game of the second set was not enough to quell his zest. With blood streaming from a gash on his knee, he kept up the pace. Recovered, Then Faded

Stilwell recovered well after going 4-1 down early and twice was on the verge of a vital break-through in the first set. He had three points for a service break in the eleventh game but lost the initiative with three bad shots. He had another grand chance when a lucky net-cord gave him a 9-8 lead. This time he lost his own service.

Fairlie, countering brilliantly, clinched the first set with a series of delightful strokes, two games later.

Stilwell, clearly baffled by tfie all-round competence of his opponent, fell away quickly in the second set. He stopped the rout briefly with a service break in the, third game, but immediately threw away the advantage and the New Zealander raced to victory.

Mrs M. Court, of Australia, took the women’s singles title with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Miss M. A. Curtis (United States).