TENNIS UMPIRES UNDER ATTACK

Press, Issue 33846, 19 May 1975, Page 16

TENNIS UMPIRES UNDER ATTACK

iNew Zealand Press Association—Copgriphti

LONDON

British tennis umpires on Saturday came under attack in the aftermath of the sensational centre court incidents in the British hard-court titles last week.

After Hie Nastase’s disqualification and Roger Taylor’s walk-out, the British Lawn Tennis Association issued unprecedented instructions to umpires and linesmen, advising them to be more flexible in their decisions.

Nastase was disqualified When he refused to play on after disputing a call from a linesman. Taylor walked the court after a serve, which appeared to ace the Spaniard, Manuel Orantes, was called out. OUT OF WIMBLEDON Nastase later announced that he would not play at Wimbledon this year. He said he would never again play under Captain Mike Gibson, who is tournament referee at the hard-courts title and at Wimbledon. In a terse note from the championship committee — after an emergency session —the umpires were told that a little more diplomacy might have avoided the incidents.

This instruction had Nastase and some of the other world stars at the tournament jubilant — and some senior umpires dismayed. One senior umpire, Mr E.j Knight, an umpires’ general council member, said: “I don’t see how you can suddenly issue by-laws to the rules of the game. ■ “In the past year or so the players have agitated about I the type of surfaces they want to play on, the balls I they want to use, and the i clothes they want to wear. Now they want to interfere with the rules of the game.” PARUN INVOLVED The New Zealander, Onny Parun, featured in another incident on Saturday. He and Guillermo Vilas (Argentina) forced the organisers to re-

schedule the men’s single final for today instead of yesterday. Rain washed out the semi finals on Saturday and Vilaand Parun rebelled at th prospect of playing two singles matches on the one day.

The top-seeded Vila? clashes with Orantes in one semi-final, while fourthseeded Parun meets Patrick Proisy (France) in the other Both Vilas and Parun decided that the grand prix points at stake in the championships were too important for them to accept the suggestion by Captain Gibson that both matches be playec! on the same day. In his quarter-final, Parur beat Jan Kodes (Czechoslovakia), 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.