N.Z. pair face Wimbledon challenges

Press, 29 June 1987, Page 21

N.Z. pair face Wimbledon challenges

By

PETER O’HARA

NZPA staff correspondent in

Wimbledon

Wimbledon’s No. 2 court is the venue for the third round singles tennis match between Kelly Evernden and a former champion, Jimmy Connors, of the United States, this evening (N.Z. time).

His fellow Kiwi, Belinda Cordwell, will play her third round singles against Puerto Rico’s Gigi Fernandez about the same time oncourt No. 5. The match that precedes Evemden’s will decide whether the defending champion, Martina Navratilova, or another American, Peanut Louie Harper, will meet the winner of the Cordwell-Fernandez game. Evernden and Connors have played each other before at Wimbledon, when the American won, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1, two years ago in the second round.

The Kiwi approaches this match with new confidence, having won his first Grand Prix tournament at Bristol a week ago and with his form sharpening at Wimbledon. Evernden shaped up in improving form for a return match with Connors as he won through to the third round on Saturday. The Davis Cup coach, Jeff Simpson, said Evernden was “very good all round” when beating a South African, Danie Visser, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1.

"He didn’t lose his serve at all, which is excellent over three sets, especially against a good grass-courter like Danie Visser.

“Kelly showed good concentration throughout the whole match.” Evernden said, “If I keep playing well I hope to have a good shot at it.”

The New Zealander knew his game was steadier than the tired showing in the four-set first round win over an American, Dan Goldie. Fernandez, ranked

thirty-yeighth in the world, is acknowledged by Cordwell (157) to be “gifted and tough.”

The Puerto Rico No. 1 put out the fourteenth seed, Katerina Maleeva, of Bulgaria, in the first round and her career victims include the West German, Steffi Graf, a firm favourite to win the 1987 Wimbledon title.

While the Kiwi, aged 21, was subduing England’s Julie Salmon 7-6 (74), 6-0 on court No. 10 on Saturday, Fernandez, aged 23, was next door beating a Moscovite, Svetlana Parkhomenko, in three sets, in spite of a heavily-strapped hamstring that hampered her running.

A Navratilova doubles partner, Puerto Rico’s stocky first professional woman athlete should ensure Cordwell has to play a steadier game in the third round than produced so far at Wimbledon. Cordwell’s effort in winning her first-ever senior singles matches at Wimbledon is a credit to her fighting qualities and has been a big boost for New Zealand tennis. However, she has struggled to get on top of both her opponents in spite of a favourable draw.

A Spaniard, Arantxa Sanchez, aged 15, required her to come from 2-4 down in the final set of her first round match. On Saturday Cordwell scored six consecutive points to recover from 1-4 in a tiebreaker which proved to be soul-destroy-ing for the Brighton woman.

The New Zealand qualifier said after the victory over the British No. 5,

aged 22, “I feel I’m at the bottom rung. “I know it’s going to be long and tough from here on in but at least I’ve got my foot in the door.”

The Kiwi had to calm herself during an inconsistent first set against Salmon. As well as claiming two service breaks she conceded two, including one when she seemed sure to take the set from 5-4.

“I was a bit quick snatching at the ball, instead of just biding my time and making the shot. “I thought to myself ‘you’ve got to calm down and make the shots or else you are going to get beaten’.” Cordwell declared that over all she was satisfied with her present “solid” game. The form was confirmed by a doubles match later in the day when she and an Australian, Anne Minter, beat a South African, Karen Schimper, and Japan’s Masako Yanagi, 6-2, 6-3, in their first round doubles. Cordwell said, “I had a feeling it might come together somewhere along this way. I’ve been knocking on the door, winning matches then losing close pnes. I knew it was going to turn round.

“I though it would happen in the next two weeks or here. I had my fingers crossed it would happen here.”

Cordwell said she knew Fernandez was “gifted and tough, but perhaps the pressure will be on her.

“I haven’t got much to lose. Here I am in the third round and mentally

I’m hanging in there well.”

There was pressure on her to keep calm in a first set contested vigorously by Salmon, who was beaten in three sets by the New Zealander at Edgbaston two weeks ago.

A shot that looked out put Salmon ahead, 4-1, in the tiebreak and Cordwell demanded that the umpire keep an eye on the line.

She said the dicey decision got her angry and “that helps.” “I though ‘you’re getting this,’ and hit the ball more solidly.” Later, when she was well in command at 4-0 in the second set against a folding Salmon the New Zealander surprisingly earned a code violation for “court abuse” when she hit a ball at the net in disgust.

The match was errorridden but Cordwell showed flashes of her serve-and-volley game which can power opponents off the courts.

She struggled to hold serve in the first set and will be looking to get more first attempts into court against Fernandez. While Cordwell guaranteed herself $12,500 by reaching the third round, Evernden, aged 25, pocketed $16,000. He had a bonus of £6O from a 6-1 £lO bet he placed on the upset of the tournament, Australian Peter Doohan’s second round defeat of the defending champion, Boris Becker. Evernden knew Doohan’s game well, having partnered him to an Auckland semi-final last year.