N.Z. women win tennis

Press, 15 June 1977, Page 38

N.Z. women win tennis

NZPA staff correspondent Eastbourne

The New Zealand women’s tennis team won its first ever Federation Cup international tie when it sensationally beat Belgium, 2-1 yesterday. The team will play the winner of the South AfricaJapan clash, and South Africa looks likely to come through that encounter. The match will be played only a few days after the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) met with Commonwealth leaders, denounced South Africa’s apartheid policy and confirmed that the Government would encourage sports bodies not to meet the republic.

New Zealand went into yesterday's match with only a 50-50 chance of winning and the tie was not decided until a remarkable doubles match in which Christine Newton (Christchurch) and Pauline Elliott (Waikato) had come back from a second set deficit.

Earlier Miss Elliott had surprised spectators by picking up the form that has deserted her in England this year by beating the Belgian No. 2, Monique van Haver, 7-5, 6-4. But her improved performance was dimmed when the New Zealand No.l, Judy Connor, unexpectedly went down to Michele Gurdal 4-6, 6-2, 8-6. The deciding doubles match was played at a I furious pace, with the young New’ Zealand girls keeping up the pressure from the start. Miss Newton played some tremendous shots, especially overhead and at net, w'hiie Miss Elliott fired some fine forehand returns of serve. The New' Zealand manager, Marilyn Law’rence, elated at this rare success, said the two girls had been “psyched up” before the match and were determined to win. “I told them to sit on the line. Pauline set it all up and Chris hit them away,” she said. They won, 6-4 7-5.