Aust, tennis washed out

Press, 30 November 1978, Page 32

Aust, tennis washed out

'NZPA Melbourne i | Play in the second round: Joi the Federation Cup : women’s tennis team tournament at Kooyong, Meli bourne, was abandoned at t 4.15 p.m. N.Z. Daylight Time I yesterday. Only 14min of play was II possible as fierce rain fell .(on the courts. Tennis fans) .'saw little action in the) ; morning session. After a] i slight, delay in starting play( , ram quickly halted it on r three of the four courts., • I The courts were covered (immediately and the covers, were still there after mid-; 11 day. ,' On the centre court, Rus-] ■isia’s Natalja Chmyreva had' (quickly run to a 4-1 lead : over Nenni Delmestre (Yugoslavia) when the referee, i Jim Entink, ordered a halt I after being called to the: court by the central umpire. : At the time light rain was:

falling and spectators were (huddled under umbrellas in the stands. On the main outside court, Australia’s Dianne; Fromholtz. was leading Japan’s Kiyaoko Nomura, 2- when trie pair was sent scurrying for shelter. In the clash between Petra Deihees (Switzerland) and. 'Rumania’s . Florenzta Mihai J play continued a little long-' |er before it was stopped] with the Swiss girl leading, 3The opening singles in the Argentina-France clash did not. get underway. Mr Entink added a disappointing note for the' crowd when he announced] just before mid-day that the Weather Bureau had warned it would not be advisable to remove the plastic covers from the courts at that stage, because further rain was, threatening.