King-Austin clash today’s highlight

Press, 3 July 1979, Page 32

King-Austin clash today’s highlight

NZPA-Reuter London The women’s quarterfinals, headed by Billie Jean King against Tracy Austin, put their event firmly in the spotlight at the Wimbledon tennis championships today after a week of playing in the shadows of the men. While the startling upheavals of the men’s singles have made the headlines since the tournament began, climaxed by the defeat of the second-seed John McEnroe, on Saturday, the eight leading women have been going about their work in businesslike fashion and all have survived to today’s quarter-finals. Today’s line-up has the defending champion and top seed Martina Navratilova, of the United States against the No. 6 seed, Dianne Fromholtz of Australia, the second seed. Chris Evert Lloyd, of the United States against the Australian Wendy Turnbull, the eighth seed, the third seed, Evonne Cawley of Australia against the fifth seed, Virginia Wade, of Britain, and Austin

against King, the fourth and seventh seeds. Between them, five have won 11 Wimbledon singles titles, including the last eight, and they constitute the strongest quarter-final line-up the event has probably ever known.

Of the four matches, the King-Austin clash stands out. Mrs King, aged 35, is a living legend, as widely respected for her accomplishments on court as for her achievements off it.

She first played at Wimbledon in 1961 •— this is her nineteenth Wimbledon. She holds six singles titles as well as 13 doubles and this year she may well break the over-all record of 19 which she shares with Elizabeth Ryan, for she is also in the women’s and mixed doubles. She gave the women’s game increased status by her widely-publicised victors' over Bobby Riggs in 1973. She almost single-handedly brought about the formation of the women’s tour in the United States and she was largely responsible for the establishment of the Women’s Tennis Association.

Her career has been plagued by leg injuries which have necessitated operations on both knees and one ankle. After winning her sixth singles title in 1975, she announced her retirement from competitive singles. She played and reached the quarter-finals in 1977 and again last year but had no intention of competing this time until after entries closed. Then she decided she felt fit enough and her late entry was accepted. She has had no trouble for four matches and says she feels fine, and is playing better than at any time since 1975.

She has never played Miss Austin, who at 16 was not even bom when Mrs King started out, and who was only three when Mrs King first won the singles in 1966. This is Miss Austin’s third Wimbledon and she has grown so much in confidence and stature in two years that she is now firmly regarded as the next world champion of the women’s game.

She has beaten all the other leading women at one time or another and most notably defeated Mrs Lloyd on clay in this year’s Italian championships to end Mrs Lloyd’s 125-match victory streak on that surface. Whether Miss Austin wins at Wimbledon this year or not, she insists she will not be over-awed by Mrs King when they meet today. “Billie Jean is not going to intimidate me. I’m ready for her,” Miss Austin said. "I didn’t know if we would ever play because of our age difference. But I’m looking forward to it.”

It will be a contest between Miss Austin’s powerful and accurate groundstrokes and the all-round game and centre-court presence of Mrs King.

Miss Navratilova and Mrs Lloyd, who may provide a rematch of last year’s final, should defeat their Australian opponents while Mrs Cawley, picked by many as this year’s likeliest champion, should beat Miss Wade.

But Miss Wade, at 33, cculd provide a surprise.

She is probably playing bet-1 ter than at any other Wimbledon after suddenly running into form following a disappointing early summer in Europe. While coming through four matches without problems, she has appeared more i patient and relaxed than' ever and is close to rivalling ; Mrs Cawley as the “blithe ■ spirit” of these championships. In the men’s quarterfinals, to be played tomorrow, ten of the 16 seeds failed to reach the last 16 and only four have made it t- the quarter-finals. As a result, the line-up for the last eight features just one match between two seeds — the fifth-ranked American, Roscoe Tanner, against Tim Gullikson. the fifteenth seed. Borg will play the veteran Tom Okker, of The Netherlands, the top seed’s semifinal victim last year; Connors meets his compatriot Bill Scanlon, while Adriano Panatta, of Italy, and the American, Pat Dupre, contest the fourth semi-final place. . L