Semi-finals May Be All Australian

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32005, 4 June 1969, Page 15

Semi-finals May Be All Australian

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) PARIS. Australians will be trying for a monopoly in the semi-finals of the men’s singles when the last two quarter-finals are played in the French tennis championships today.

The title-holder, K. R. Rosewill, and the 24-year-old lefthander, A. D. Roche, are already in the semi-finals, and today J. D. Newcombe and R. A. Laver will be attempting to join them. However, Newcombe will

have a tough match against the Dutch professional, T. Okker, who beat him in the final of the Monaco open in April. Since then, the 25-year-old Newcombe has become the Italian champion and has improved his hard-court game. As in Monaco, the match will essentially be a contest between two contrasting styles—the big service and volley of Newcombe and the more orthodox hard-court game of Okker. In the other quarter-final, Laver will clash with another top touring professional, A. Gimeno (Spain). Although Laver has yet to show his best form, it seems likely he has been conserving energy for the tournament’s final stages. Fortunate Victor

Gimeno, on the other hand, made a poor impression in his fourth-round match with M. Santana (Spain), and only won through to the quarterfinals when Santana was forced to retire because of injury. The first two semi-finalists in the women’s singles seem likely to be Mrs M. Court (Australia) and the American title-holder, Miss N. Richey. Mrs Court will meet the young Australian, Miss K. Melville, and Miss Richey will play another American, Miss J. Heldman.