BLEAK DAY FOR DAVIS CUP HOPES Frenchman beats Parun; last N.Z. player out

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32524, 6 February 1971, Page 44

BLEAK DAY FOR DAVIS CUP HOPES Frenchman beats Parun; last N.Z. player out

(By our tennis reporter)

The atmosphere at the BP New Zealand tennis championships at Wilding Park yesterday changed in more ways than one. The thermometer showed a sharp drop from Thursday’s 90 degrees and at the same time, a gloomier mood in the crowd could be sensed.

Spectators may have been vicariously affected by the overcast sky, or they may have feared for New Zealand’s tennis future when they saw the holder of the men’s title, O. Parun, of Wellington, succumb to the steadier play of the Frenchman, J. L. Rouyer.

It was suggested that a black flag should be raised in place of the New Zealand one flying at the end of the Memorial stand, over the court where Parun suffered his reverse.

Rouyer was not considered one of the stronger overseas contenders. He was only the sixth seed and at home he is now ranked fifth to the second of his compatriots in this tournament, J. B. Chanfreau. And yesterday, Chanfreau met his match in the second member of the Australian cup team, C. Dibley. An old story

The grass should have been in favour of Parun against a Continental used to clay surfaces, but he did not recover as well when down as he does in many of his matches. He was also faced with one of the tie-breakers which plague him; again he lost it to be a set behind at the break. Now the United Nations “general assembly” that this tournament was in its beginning has been reduced to a select little “security council” which will complete the rest, and most important part, of the business.

In today’s men’s singles semi-finals will be two Australians, a Czech and a Frenchman, and the women will be an Australian, an American, a Dutch woman and a Frenchwoman. Clash of power Two men who !ook as hard as nails will meet in one men’s match, between the towering, 6ft 4in Czech, V. Zednik, with features like a pugilist, and the lean and hungry-looking Australian, C. Dibley, who gives the deceptive impression that his last job is more likely to have been in the bush than in Sydney, but who is a fine tennis player.

The major challenge to Dibley is to break the Czech’s phenomenal service, described aptly yesterday as: “Now you see it, now you don’t” The New Zealander, D. A. Parun, took one service from Zednik on Thursday and also won a tie-break; the Australian, R. Keldie, won the first set yesterday, 6-4, lost the second, 3-6, then lost a tiebreak in a set in which he dropped a service but then broke back. Finally, he was beaten 6-3 in the fourth after Zednik broke in the second game. Keldie, his long hair kept in place with a tight white

headband, his demeanour very calm, and his features expressionless behind his drooping moustache, contributed some of the best shots of the match, passing ground strokes down the line and desperation volleys which he leapt to. But he always had this considerable service disadvantage hanging over him. The penultimate one of the match must have almost broken a hole in the netting. Far from casual Dibley may have more power than Keldie. He certainly got the better of a hard-hitting encounter with Chanfreau, when he won, 7-6, 6-0, 4-6, 6-3. Chanfreau wore his windbreaker almost throughout and could hardly be blamed for that. He looked very casual between points, but this was far from the case during them when his top-spun passing shots flashed across the net. This match attracted a great deal of attention from spectators looking down on court three from the top of the centre court stand. And one was interested enough to shout to the umpire, another well-known tennis player, the Austrian, H. Kary, who advised him “to come a little closer.”

Many did, and they saw a competent performance from Dibley, who covered the net well and put his volleys and smashes away very decisively indeed—one smash went over fence and hedge from the bounce. Easy victory In today’s other men’s semi-final, Rouyer will meet the top member of the 1971 Australian cup team, R. Giltinan, who had the easiest of quarter-final victories yesterday, beating the other Czech, M. Holecek, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. He was able to keep his jersey on all the time, and that was not very long, because Holecek made too many mistakes to match Giltinan’s strength of service and volley. A handsome, blond-headed young man with a quiet demeanour, Ciltinan now looks a very strong contender for the title. Rouyer, the Frenchman with the close-cropped black hair, would have to raise his game to beat Giltinan.

When Parun was down 4-6, 6-1, 6-7, to Rouyer, it was still expected that the defending champion would produce one of his typical recoveries in a five-setter.

The fourth set, which Parun won, 6-3, did nothing to dispel this impression, but in the fifth, when he dropped his service for 1-3, he looked very dejected. Once again his ground shots, especially his forehand, did not serve him well at any stage. Another blow The very last match of the day brought more disappointment for R. N. Hawkes, of Canterbury. Earlier he had found he had not been selected in the Davis Cup team, or in the side to play against Australia. And then he and L. Olander, of Sweden, were beaten in a tie-breaker fifth set in a men’s doubles quarter-final by Rouyer and Chanfreau, 7-6, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6.