RUN OF PLAY IN AUST. TENNIS

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33113, 2 January 1973, Page 10

RUN OF PLAY IN AUST. TENNIS

I.vz. Press Associatiow —Copwriijh; • MELBOURNE. -lan. 1. The New Zealander. O. Parun. had hichances against J. D. Newcombe in the final of the Australian Open men’s singles todaj. However. Newcombe won. (»-.’, (i-<. <-•>, t»-l. U,... I renorirsn chiit it sAHiI

In the first set. Parun, always struggling on his service. dropped his third serving game hut before he did this', he survived no fewer than nine break points. However, it was a different .story in the second set. Both had early chances to break service but the break did not come till the seventh game when Parun let a Newcombe passing shot go and it landed jin. Then on the next point he netted the easiest of backhand volleys. Newcombe at this stage 'was in full cry on service. In every service game there , would be at least one screaming Newcombe ace. sometimes two and occasionally three. In addition, he often caught Parun with extremely welljudged lobs. Parun, however, was not downhearted and thanks to a mishit of an attempted fore-

hand passing shot—it ended up as an unplayable lob oil the wood-—he broke back (•* level at 5-5 all and two gamelater ihe players went int* the tie-breaker. Newcombe led b\ ti\u points to tour in this but he dropped both points on his main service, and Parun made no mistake to win the tiebreaker seven points to fixe and the second set. 7-6. Two Parun aces enabled him to hold his opening third set service and the scojes went game tor game till Parun had his chance in the ninth game when he had Newcombe down. 0-30. but three incredible passing shot> from Newcombe and a netted vollev from Parun enabled Newcombe to .scramble out The set should have been decided by a tie-breaker, hut two bad volleys from Parun enabled Newcombe to break through to win. 7-5, and lead two sets to one. ! The fourth set saw New|combe start in top gear and Parun immediately in trouble Newcombe lifted his game to great heights as he ; slammed down one first service after another, returned I service with power and direction. and volleyed magnificently. The New Zealand champion had no answer, and Newcombe was for the first time jin 12 attempts, the Australian singles title-holder.