BORG OVERCOMES WEARY LAVER

Press, Issue 33840, 12 May 1975, Page 26

BORG OVERCOMES WEARY LAVER

(N.Z. Press Assn—Copyright) DALLAS.

Bjorn Borg battled through four hours of a magnificent match against a man twice his age before wearing down Rod Laver, 7-6, 3-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-2, to reach the final of the World Championship Tennis Tournament, United Press International reported.

The 36-year-old Australian and the 18-year-old Swede produced one stupendous shot after another in one of the longest matches to be played since the advent of the tie-breaker system.

In the second semi-finals, Arthur Ashe (United States) eliminated John Alexander (Australia).

The Borg-Laver match was finally decided on which player would overcome his weariness and hold serve in the taxing fifth set —and it

was Borg who managed that feat.

Beginning with the fifth game of the fourth set, the two weary players had their serves broken for 10 of the next 12 games. Borg, however, after four successive service breaks to start the final set, finally held his serve wjth one of more than a score of brilliant points that had the capacity crowd on its feet time after time.

Borg captured the first set in the tie-breaker, 7-2, a set that required 67 minutes to complete. But as play progressed in the second set, the Swede appeared to tire. He regained his strength in the third, but Laver broke Borg’s, serve in the twelfth game—the only service break of the set. The match flowed back to Borg in the fourth set. the young Swede having three set points, only to see Laver come back to force a tiebreaker. Borg won this 6-3. In a play-off for third place, Laver beat Alexander. 6-4. 6-2.