JUGOSLAVS BEATEN AT THE NET Fairlie, Parun, superb in Davis Cup doubles win

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33230, 21 May 1973, Page 24

JUGOSLAVS BEATEN AT THE NET Fairlie, Parun, superb in Davis Cup doubles win

(From ROBERT HORROCKS, N.Z.P.A. staff correspondent)

ZAGREB.

New Zealand's prospects of a place in the semi-finals in the European A zone of the Davis Gup tennis competition soared when Brian Fairlie and Onny Parun won their doubles against Jugoslavia.

fhe New Zealand pair raced to a superb 6-0, 6-3, 6-4, win over Zeljko Franulovic and Boro Jovanovic in 71 minutes to give New Zealand a 2-1 lead.

Earlier, Franulovic; beat Fairlie, 6-2, 7-9,2-6, | ■6-2, 6-1, in a singles' match which was uncompleted at one set all on: Friday. This levelled the tie at 1-all.

Parun had won the first match of the five impressively against Jovanovic. 1-6. 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Fairlie and Parun ' responded magnificently to the greater significance of the double match and they showed themselves to be a strong team. Fairlie and Parun outvolleyed Franulovic and Jovanovic time and again. Their dominance at the net and the inability of the Jugoslavs to smash winners from the high lobs put up by Parun gave New Zealand a notable win. Fairlie was particularly impressive and produced some brilliant volleys at the net. There were few of the baseline to baseline rallies favoured by the Jugoslavs in the singles, because of the tactics adopted by Fairlie and Parun.

Jugoslavia decided to play Franulovic in the doubles in preference to Nicola Spear, but it was Jovanovic who provided the most of many mistakes made by partners who appeared to have a poor understanding of each other’s role. The New Zealanders, on

I the other hand, seemed to [have a much clearer idea of what each other was doing and combined extremely well apart from one short period midway through the second set when Franulovic and Jovanovic won three games in a row. Recovery Fairlie also had a bad beginning before fighting back to 3-all and winning the second set after having lost the first. He showed great determination, in spite of the fact that he was suffering from the aftereffects of suspected food! poisoning earlier in the| week for which he required! hospital treatment. Fairlie resumed much! better and went to a 2-01 lead in the third set. The Jugoslav managed to break Fairlie’s serve to love in the third game, but for the rest of the set the stocky New Zealander displayed a surer touch and looked in complete control. Fairlie chased every return relentlessly and twice produced winning shots off balls that the home crowd had already decided he had lost.

It took Fairlie just 22 minutes to win the third set and go to a lead of two sets to one. Hopes for New Zealand of a second victory were high. But it was not to be. Inspiration Franulovic broke Fairlie’s service in the first game of the fourth set and from then on played with increasing brilliance. The growing inspiration in his play matched the increasing support of the partisan but fail I crowd, and although Fairlie tried particularly hard he found himself being outplayed. The games were closer than the scores for the final two sets suggest, and there were times when it appeared that an ounce of luck could

(have swung the progress of the match back Fairlie’s way. But it was Franulovic who scored points with net cords and obtained the most benefit from a number of doubtful line-calls. Fairlie did little to hold what support he had among the crowd by disputing a number of line-calls and pro-i testing about noise among the I | spectators. Trouble with spectators trying to upset players by talking to them has affected both Fairlie and Parun, and resulted in one person being removed from the ladium during Parun’s match with Jovanovic on Friday. It took an appeal to the crowd from Franulovic to get the silence Fairlie requested in his match. Incidents Alt igh there were these incidents during Fairlie’s match they in no way detracted from the play of Franulovic. The 25-year-old player has been troubled by an arm injury and his play appears to improve as the arm warms with the exercise produced during a match. Although not a powerful hitter of overhead shots he controlled them admirably during the singles and was always a formidable player of ground strokes. OTHER TIES (N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON. Scores in the other Davis Cup (European zone) matches at the week-end were: Section A.—Russia led Hungary 2-1; Netherlands led Rumania 2-1; France gained a winning 3-0 lead over Norway.

Section B.—ltaly gained a winning 3-0 lead over Bulgaria; West Germany gained a winning 3-0 lead over Britain; Spain led Sweden, 2-1; Czechoslovakia gained a winning 3-0 lead over Egypt.