Parun wins first match in U.S. titles

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32702, 3 September 1971, Page 30

Parun wins first match in U.S. titles

(N.Z.P.A. -Reuter-—Copyright)

NEW YORK. The on-form New Zealand player, O. Parun, dropped a set, but won his first-round match against an American, S. Stewart, in the United States Open tennis championships at Forest Hills, New York.

He beat Stewart, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. In a shock defeat, the No. 1 seed, the Australian, J. Newcombe, was beaten by the unseeded J. Kodes, of Czechoslovakia, 2-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-2.

Newcombe, heavily favoured to win his second United States title, after his Wimbledon victory in June, won the first set easily, but then Kodes, the winner of the French Open for the last two years, outplayed Newcombe the rest of the way, breaking his service twice in the fourth set to win the match.

The 25-year-old Czech won both tie-breakers easily —each by the score of 5-1. In both the tie-breakers, which are decided on a best-of-nine points basis, Newcombe won the first point on his service, only to have Kodes come back to win five straight points.

FINAL SET ■ln the final set of the 2J hour match on the stadium court, at the West Side Tennis Club, both players .exchanged service breaks at the start. Kodes then held service in the third and fifth games, while achieving his key break-through in the sixth game to go ahead, 4-2. Both players held service in the next two games to make it 5-3 to Kodes.

In the ninth game, the Czech Davis Cup star, given virtually no chance of winning the tournament, served superbly, and finally took the match with a marvellous backhand down the line. Newcombe, who appeared tired near the end, was passed time and again by Kodes’s classical backhand. Further, Newcombe’s service, generally regarded as the most formidable in tennis, was badly off form and he was guilty of numerous double-faults.

TACTICAL ERROR Later, Newcombe said he felt tired and sluggish during the match.

“I also made a tactical error by going on the court thinking than Jan could not beat me,” Newcombe said. In their only other meeting this year, Kodes beat Newcombe in the . Italian Open Championships. Newcombe’s stunning defeat, before a crowd of 5000, was a severe blow to the promoters of the tournament. His early elimination removes perhaps the best player in tennis from the tournament, which was jolted before it began when the defending champion, K. R. Rosewall, and five other top contract professionals announced that they were by-passing the event.

Newcombe’s defeat marked the first time in 21 years that

i a top-seeded player had been ousted in the first round. It was only the fourth time this has happened in the 70-year history of the United States championships. First round results:— Men's singles O. Davidson (Australia) beat R. Maud (South Africa), 6-3, 7-5, 2-6, 6-0; J. Kodes (Czechoslovakia) beat J. Newcombe (Australia), 2- 7-6, 7-6, 6-3; A. Ashe (United States) beat R. Knight (United States), 6-3, 6-4, 6-1; J. Alexander (Australia) beat J. McManus (United States), 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; P. Barthes (France) beat T. Howard (United States), 6-4, 6-2, 7-5; O. Parun (New Zealand) beat S. Stewart (United States), 6-3, 3- 6-2, 6-3; A. Pattison (South Africa) beat R Brien (United States), 6-3, 7-5, 6-1; H. Rahim (Pakistan) beat P. Doerner (Australia), 6-1, 6-4, 7-6; R. Gonzales (United States) beat R. Kreiss (United States), 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; S. Matthews (England) beat R. Russell (United States), 6-7, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 6-3; M. Orantes (Spain) beat V. Zednik (Czechoslovakia), 6-4, 7-5, 6-4; R. Lutz (United States) beat G. Stilwell (England), 6-0, 6-4, 6-4; J. Cooper

(Australia) beat G. Masters (Australia), 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; M. Cox (Britain) beat R. Keldie (Australia), 7-5, 6-0 7-6; A. Stone (Australia) beat J. Clifton (Britain), 6-2, 6-2, 6-0; R. Carmichael (France) beat A. Munsoz (Spain), 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4; I. Nastase (Czechoslovakia) beat J. Loyo-Mayo (Mexico), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4; R. Tanner (United States) beat J. Paish (England), 6-4, 6-3, 6-0; T. Koch (Brazil) beat P. Cornejo (Chile), 3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 7-6; R. Holmberg (United States) beat L. Alvarez (Argentina), 6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4.

Women's singles Miss R. Casals (United States) beat Miss E. Stove (Netherlands), 6-3, 2-6, 6-3; Miss W. Shaw (England) beat Miss G. Hansen (United States), 6-1, 6-1; Miss N. Truman (Britain) beat Miss J. O’Hara (Canada), 6-2, 6-0; Miss K. Kemmer (United States) beat Miss C. Graebner (United States), 6-4, 7-6; Miss P. Teeguarden (United States) beat Miss C. Molesworth (Britain), 6-4, 2-6, 6-3; Miss J. Dalton (Australia) beat Miss V. Berner (Canada), 6-0, 6-1; Mrs G. Chanfreau (France) beat Miss J. Sawamatsu (Japan), 6-2, 6-1; Miss A. Palem Ova-West (Czechoslovakia) beat Miss G. Moran (United States), 6-2, 6-3.