TENNIS TITLE

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32776, 29 November 1971, Page 24

TENNIS TITLE

Laver loses to Rosewall (NZ.PA.-Reuter —Copyright) | DALLAS (Texas). K. Rosewail, aged 37, rolled back the years to win the new world crown of professional tennis on Friday and the richest prize offered for; one match —$U 550,000. Nothing could have made the occasion better for Rosewall than that the man he beat was his arch rival over nearly a decade, a fellowAustralian, R. Laver, still; ranked as the best player in the world. Laver, aged 33, who thei previous week-end became the first professional to earn ; Sim in his career, won $20,000 as the losing finalist in the first world champion-: ship of tennis, the newly! established symbol of pro-:, fessional supremacy. The two emerged from an , eight-man play-off the pre-., vious week-end in Houston toh reach the climax of a mas-:i sive 20-tournament circuit. 1’ Rosewall’s deft lobs and I top-spin serves kept the hardhitting Laver off balance for most of the match. Rosewall; won the tie-breaker in the! third set, 7—3 and in the I 1 fourth set he won the tie-! breaker 7-4, to win 6-4, 1-6, 7-6, 7-6. Laver had won eight ofthe pair’s nine previous meet-' ings.

Hawke Cup.— Hawke’s Bay (353/8) scored an easy first innings win over Poverty Bay (51) in a Hawke Cup elimination match at Gisborne during the week-end.