Wimbledon veteran beaten by Fairlie

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32634, 16 June 1971, Page 30

Wimbledon veteran beaten by Fairlie

6V.Z.P.A.-Reuter— Copyright) LONDON. B. Fairlie, of New Zealand, has beaten K. Fletcher, of Australia, in a first-round match at the Rothmans grass-court championships.

Fletcher, playing in only I his third tournament since J deciding to make a comeback < after a car accident in 1969, I showed some of his old flair i early in the second set when < t l i < 1 t ( 1 1 I t 1 l J < i 1 t r I t < e t n F a fl b I

he broke Fairlie’s service. But he did not have the stamina to stay with the fast-moving New Zealand professional. Fletcher, who bad his thirty-first birthday yesterday, three times reached the men’s singles quarter-finals at Wimbledon. He first reached the Wimbledon doubles and mixed doubles finals in 1963. This year he had been told by the Wimbledon referee (Captain M. Gibson) that he would have to qualify to play in the fourth open championships. Mrs M. Court is to meet the British novice, Miss J. Wainwright, in the first round of the women's singles. Mrs Court is the defending champion and the No. 1 seed. The great P. Gonzales, aged 43, will make a rare appearance in England when he meets the young Italian. A. Panatta. Gonzales, who has Just retired from the world chamaionship tennis group, has had had recent wins over R. Laver and if not as speedy, las lost little of his flair. Panatta, Italy’s new Davis 3up star, is one of the most ■xciting prospects in world ennis. Another veteran, F. Sedgnan, aged 42, playing in the lothmans tournament and it Wimbledon for the first ime since 1952, when he won >oth titles, meets Britain’s R. faylor.