Service supports masters winner

Press, 19 December 1988, Page 40

Service supports masters winner

PA Auckland The former Wimbledon tennis champion, John - Newcombe, often played :■ the clown in losing to y fellow Australian, Tony Roche, in the singles final of a grand masters i; tournament in Auckland '? yesterday. Newcombe’s humour, :-j sometimes at the

of his own out-of-touch backhand, was relished by a crowd of 1000 and even had Roche smiling. Roche ;■ beat Newcombe 6-3, 7-6, serving three aces in the tiebreaker which was won 7-2. Newcombe said Roche’s • decisive serving was the : best he had seen from his long-time doubles partner in 20 years. “It was just

the best I think jl can remember him serving against me,” Newcombe said. “He got 90 per cent of his first serves in and I only got two chances to break him.” Newcombe and Roche later won their first masters doubles title, beating fellow Australians, Owen Davidson and Ken

Rosewall 6-3, 6-3, in a splendid final. Scores: — Singles semi-finals: T. Roche (Aust) bt K. Rosewall (Aust.) 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4; J Newcombe (Aust.) bt R. Ruffels (Aust.) 6-3, 6-4. Final: Roche bt Newcombe 6-3, 7-6 (7-2). Doubles final: Roche/ Newcombe bt Rosewall/O. Davidson 6-3, 6-3.