ASHE BEATS PARUN

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33653, 1 October 1974, Page 30

ASHE BEATS PARUN

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) SAN FRANCISCO. Overcoming three service breaks in the second set, the third seed, Arthur Ashe, pulled out a 7-6 point tiebreaker to defeat Onny Parun, of New Zealand, 6-4, 7-6, in the semi-finals of the $lOO,OOO Fireman’s Fund international tennis tournament.

Parun, who beat the No. 1 seed, Jimmy Connors, in a quarter-final, was down 1-5 in the second set to Ashe, and managed to win the next five games to force the tiebreaker. Ashe dominated Parun with his powerful serve, but showed signs of letting up in the seventh game, hoping that Parun would make his own mistakes. The gamble did not pay off. “I thought it would be over in one more game,” Ashe said.

Ross Case (Australia) will

face Ashe in the final for $16,000. Case, unseeded in the tournament, easily beat Charles Pasarell (Puerto Rico) in the other semi-final, 6-2, 6-4. “I’ve never beaten Ashe before,” said Case, who has faced his opponent, four times previously. “I hope to reverse those decisions.’’ Ashe won this tournament in 1970. and Case is making his first appearance in the championship. In doubles competition, the No 1 seeds, Stan Smith and Bob Lutz (United States) beat Case and G. Masters, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, in the semi-finals. Smith and Lutz will face the Australian team of Sydney Ball and John Alexander.

Meanwhile, Miss Evonne Goolagong won the final of the $50,000 Virginia Slims of Denver tennis tournament, when she beat Miss Chris Evert for the second time this month.

Miss Goolagong ended Miss Evert’s 56-match winning streak with a 6-0, 6-7, 6-3, win previously. This tirrte the Australian girl won 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.

Miss Goolagong took home the first prize of $lO,OOO and made it three wins from four matches this year against the Wimbledon champion. The match ended on a disputed line call with the linesman ruling that an Evert placement to the right corner was long. Miss Evert, forced ,to three sets for the first time in the Denver tournament and visibly shaken by the final call, refused to talk to anyone after the match, claiming that she was too tired.