19YEAR-OLD PACKS WILDING PARK Miss Goolagong star of national tennis finals

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32525, 8 February 1971, Page 24

19YEAR-OLD PACKS WILDING PARK Miss Goolagong star of national tennis finals

(By our tennis reporter) The stands were packed at Wilding Park yesterday for the first time in more than 10 years—harking back to the days of the Gonzales-Hoad and Gonzales-Rosewall clashes. But almost certainly largely responsible for packing them at the BP New Zealand championships yesterday was the 19-year-old part-Aboriginal, Miss E. Goolagong.

Those who went mainly to see her cannot have been disappointed because, appropriately, she played the most interesting tennis of the four singles finalists.,

However, Miss Goolagong cannot have been wholly responsible for this phenomenon of a near-capactiy crowd.

New Zealand tennis officials must now have learnt that trumped-up international contests which the public suspect are exhibitions, no longer draw crowds; the spectacle of hard tournament competition among some of the finest players from overseas will.

Music as well To these attractions was added a glorious day which allowed families to picnic under the trees or in the stands at the breaks. These were not the only picnics being held, because from nearby Woodham Park came the amplified strains of reels. Miss Goolagong and her final opponent, the Dutch woman, Miss B. Stove, played to music and Miss Goolagong called the tune and did the dancing. It took her only 15 minutes to win the first set, 6-1, about half an hour to win the second, 6-4, and there was plenty to marvel at in her tennis.

Then, in the men’s final, there was a great deal to admire in the serving of the two Australian Davis Cup

players, C. Dibley and R. Giltinan, but the very fact that serving was so much the predominant feature of the play detracted from its worth for some of the watchers.

Sympathetic At the trophy presentation after the singles, the South Island manager of the tournament sponsor, BP (N.Z.), Ltd (Mr A. Foubister) said that he sympathised with Mr Giltinan for having to face the services of Mr Dibley; he might well also have sympathised with Mr Dibley for having to cope with those of Mr Giltinan. In the semi-finals on Saturday, Miss Goolagong beat the long-legged American, Miss K. Harter, 6-1, 6-4, but Miss Stove had considerably more difficulty defeating Mrs G. Chanfreau, of France, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Miss Goolagong forced Miss Harter to run and reach, and consequently to make some weaker returns. But for Miss Stove it was touch and go-

Fine recovery The slim, delicate-looking Mrs Chanfreau, who was ranked top in France in 1969, and who is now second after the return of Miss F. Durr from professionalism, was forever on her toes, and using her devastating fore-

hand, hit on the rise with a Continental grip. She won the first set, 6-4, and at 5-4 in the second held three match points. This was where Miss Stove came into the game with her thumping shots; she won the second set, 7-5, and the third, 6-4. On this performance, and the fact that she beat Miss Goolagong in Perth and again in the New South Wales open, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, the 25-year-old woman from Rotterdam was expected to give Miss Goolagong her strongest challenge of the tournament. However, Miss Stove went the same way as four others before her—in two sets and Miss Goolagong had added the New Zealand championship to the Australian title she had won before coming to the Dominion.

She has come a long way from the seven-year-old who first played in the country town of Barrellan, south of Sydney. Purposeful play A distinctive figure with her fuzzy brown hair, an orange ribbon at the neck of her frock, her purposeful walk and businesslike attitude, yet always calm and relaxed, and showing little emotion apart from an occasional glimmer of a smile, she set about victory quickly.

She was helped in this by a deterioration in Miss Stove’s game, especially on the backhand. Almost everything she hit on that side, be it off the ground or volley, drifted out or went into the net. She became so disgusted with it in the second set that she had a practice shot which nearly hit Miss Goolagong and she was quick to apologise. Miss Stove did not appear to be getting her feet into position for the drives or her body down for the volleys.

Miss Goolagong broke service for 2-1 in the second set but Miss Stove then appeared to join issue at last when she broke back in the next game. However, Miss Goolagong broke again for 3-2, and held her advantage to the end playing her deep drives, some with a lot of slice, her speedy half volleys and her wonderful smash. She was even following to net on return of service.

Best umpires The Kramer Trophy for the best umpire at the New Zealand championships was won for the second year in succession by P. C. Angland, now living in Wellington but formerly of Canterbury. Mrs B. C. Lee, of Canterbury won the Salek Trophy for the best woman umpire.