Notable players in N.Z. open tennis

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32542, 27 February 1971, Page 14

Notable players in N.Z. open tennis

(By

A. M. MENZIES)

TN the field for the third x New Zealand open tennis tournament at Auckland next week are the winner, C. Dibley, and runner-up, R. Giltinan, of the men’s singles in the national championships at Wilding Park earlier this month. Now also the two top players in the 1971 Australian Davis Cup team, they were unable to gain seedings in the men’s field of 32. Nor was another Australian, P. Dent, who was earlier named top in a likely cup team, but who, a few days later, became one of the newest of the World Championship Tennis contract professionals. This shows the quality of the men’s field. That the United States Federation Cup players, Misses P. Hogan and S. Walsh, cannot make the four seeds in the field of 16 has similar significance in the women’s singles. The first two opens certainly had greater men players R. Laver, A. Roche, J. D. Newcombe and R. Gonzales in 1969, T. Okker and R. Taylor last year—but this year’s tournament has an interesting, deeper group of Mr Lamar Hunt’s new men, his second line of battle. The others

are playing in Calcutta for more money. This has led to the remarkable situation in which' the group in the New Zealand open is led by a New Zealander, the country’s first man to play under;contract, B. E. Fairlie. When his change in status was announced last October, Fairlie was placed at 19 in the W.C.T. 32. In his first tournament at Philadelphia this month he more than justified that placing by beating the number 17, M. Cox, of Britain, and the number eight, the Spaniard, A. Gimeno, before losing to Laver. So at the age of 22. and until the latest of the Australians, J. Alexander and P. Dent, were also sucked into the bag, the youngest of the group, Fairlie returns to his home town a well-blooded professional. He will have plenty of opposition from his own group and from others, mainly Australians and South Africans. On last year’s world circuit he had wins over the Australian W. Bowrey, seeded fifth, and the South African, F. McMillan, seeded seventh, a win (to reach the quarterfinals of the United States open) and a loss with R.

Ruffels, of Australia, seeded second, and a loss to R. Carmichael, an Australian who lives in Paris, seeded third. These and the other seeds, the South African hippie, R. Moore, seeded fourth, R. Crdaly (Australia), sixth, and A. Stone (Australia), eighth, plus Dent and another South African, R. Maud, are all members of the W.C.T. circus.

They bring excellent records. Carmichael, now aged 30, last year scored over such distinguished opponents as A Ashe, R. Lutz, K. Rosewall, C. Pasarell, M. Santana, C. Drysdale, as well as Fairlie, Moore, Stone and Dibley. Moore, whose long hair, striking dress and delightful demeanour made him such a hit at the first New Zealand open, in which he beat Gonzales to reach the semi-finals, also numbers Laver, Roche and R. Emerson among his victims in recent years. Bowrey, aged 27, the 1968 Australian champion and top-ranked Australian in 1969, had the distinction in 1967 of winning Australian. South African, Italian and United States doubles titles.

The 6ft 4)in Crealy caused a sensation at the beginning of last year when he beat

not have as many competent players as the men’s but its best ones are better. None of the men are among the world’s top 10; the women have two plus others close to it Widely known are the exploits of the world champion and grand slam winner, Mrs M. Court. She, of course, is top of the 10 but the prospect of another clash here between Mrs Court and the 19-year-old part-Aboriginal, Miss E. Goolagong, now New Zealand champion, is perhaps the most exciting one of the tournament.

Miss Goolagong is not yet a “first tenner” but she surely must be next year. To date she has conquered Mrs Court (1), Miss R. Casals (3), Miss V. Wade (4), Miss K. Melville (6). Miss J. Heldman (7), Miss K. Krantzcke (8) and Miss F. Durr (9). Her wins over Mrs Court (to take the Australian title) and Misses Wade and Durr have been recent and after the first 10 period. Now 28, Mrs Court would not appreciate another Joss to Miss Goolagong. In the 1969-70 period to the U.S. Open, she won 21 tournaments, including the slam, and lost only eight, including three to Miss King and the New Zealand open to