Noah sinks in Aust. Open

Press, 27 December 1980, Page 30

Noah sinks in Aust. Open

NZPA Melbourne Yannick Noah, of France, achieved a doubtful record in the opening round of the Marlboro Australian Open at Kooyong yesterday. He was beaten by John Austin, and was the first player beaten in the openingi day’s singles. A little later he had won $1260 first-round loser’s cheque and yesterday afternoon was on a flight to Paris via Frankfurt. i It was the final chapter ini a disastrous trip to Australia; for Noah, aged 20, who was seeded number nine in the tournament and has a world ranking of 26. By the time he returns to Paris late today he will probably just about break even on the trip where he had set out to prove that he could cope with grass courts just as well as he does with the overseas clay surfaces. Noah paid $2OOO for his round ticket to Australia and to that must be added accommodation and other expenses. But with only one win in four , tournament appearances he will find the going tough to balance his budget. “I came here wanting to try to do well but I found the grass courts really different from the clay I am used to,” he said. “Grass is not my surface, although in the past I have beaten some good guvs on grass. I am not quitting Australia altogether because of the recent results and maybe will come back later.” Noah, who first came to Australia as a junior, aged 15, plans a three-week holiday in France before he begins practice for the Davis Cup clash against Australia in the New Year. It was on Davis Cup prospects that Noah sounded a big warning for Australia which will be facing France on indoor courts in Paris: “I think it will be really very close and on the rankings of the likely players I think we can win on the hard surface,” he said. . Austin said his win

against Noah was one of his better ones.

I It was <r from his best i— he excelled himself when She defeated one of New i York’s hottest properties. ■ John McEnroe, in the first ground of a tournament in Atlanta a week before the I United States Open. Austin explained modestly after yesterday’s victory: "It is hard for the seeds in the first round. They always have to play very well. The i pressure was on Yannick, and I had nothing to lose. His [serve was sitting up a little and 1 was' able to return very well." The American, who is seldom in the spotlight compared with his pig-tailed sister, said the fact that he is known as Tracy’s brothgr does not bother him at all.

“Everyone else makes a big deal about it," he said. “I am very proud of Tracy and what she has done, but it is nice when 1 can do something. "Tracy’s always been oriented to number one. I’d like to be >but I don’t have the game for it." The young American, Tim Wilkison, lost his chances of taking an early lead against the tournament’s number five seed, Brian Gottfried, of America. Wilkison, aged 2’. a left-hander, served for the first set 5-3. He had scored the first service break of the match for a 3-1 lead.

Early in the first set Gottfried appeared to be having trouble with his, toss-up while serving and was handicapped by a number of double faults.

A double fault handed Wilkison the first break point and Gottfried followed with another to give his young opponent the service break.

But Gottfried managed to claw his way back into the match when he broke Wilkison’s serve in the crucial ninth game. From then on Wilkison did not win another game in the first set, which Gottfried took 7-5. Games went with service in the second set where the two were level at 4-4.