Queensland title to Mike Estep

Press, 24 November 1980, Page 40

Queensland title to Mike Estep

NZPA Brisbane The fast-talking American, Mike Estep yesterday took a big step forward on his comeback trail when he won the Queensland Open men’s singles tennis title against the South Australian youngster, John Fitzgerald. But Estep had to struggle for 100 minutes before he finally overcame the bubbling Fitzgerald 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. “I’ve got to talk fast,” said Estep after the match. ‘‘l suffer from multiple pellomona, which is a disease of the vocal cords. I have had ten operations so far to remove growths from my throat.” Estep, aged 31, also suffers from a recurring tennis elbow which has kept him out of the game since 1977. To make matters worse his thigh was heavily bandaged yesterday because he went into the final with a strained groin. The diminutive Estep —■ “I’m the only Texan in the world under six feet”— displayed devastating fullpower drives to back his stinging service. Fitzgerald showed his great fighting spirit to take the second set after five ser-

vice.breaks in the first had ended with the American going one-up. But Estep, in the final 16 of the 1975 Wimbledon, was able to call on his considerable experience and held off Fitzgerald’s strong challenge to take the Queensland title. In the women’s singles a West Australian junior. Elizabeth Sayers, had the biggest win of her career — and capped it off by completing a fine double. Miss Sayers, aged 17, beat the top seed, Sue Barker, of Great Britain, 6-2, 6-1, in the women’s singles final and then came out less than an hour later and took the junior girls final 6-3, 6-2, from Linda Cassell, of Queensland. Miss Barker, upset by the defeat, considered cancelling her remaining Australian commitments and going home, but she relented and later booked a flight to Melbourne for this week’s Australian women’s championships.

Miss Sayers is also flying to Melbourne to play in the qualifying rounds in an attempt to get a start in the ■■ rich tournament.