ROBSON HAS GRUELLING BATTLE WITH PIERCY AT WIMBLEDON

Evening Star, Issue 26136, 25 June 1947, Page 6

ROBSON HAS GRUELLING BATTLE WITH PIERCY AT WIMBLEDON

(N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent.)

((Rec. 11 a.m.) LONDON, June 24. 5 The only New Zealander to get through to the third round at Wimbledon was Robson, who had a marathon struggle with the lanky, sinewy Engglishman, E. J. Piercy, whom.he beat after two and a-half hours in the fifth set, which went to 13-11. Spectators , were lined four deep • around court No. 7 to 'watch two tevenly-matched players. There was very little to choose, between the two men; indeed, the match very nearly went to Piercy. When leading 6-5, he was sitting comfortably with a. 40-15 lead on (Robson’s service. ■ The New Zealander managed to win both match points to even up at 6-6. A few games later (Robson had the opportunity of ending the game. Leading at 9-8, he had the final points to win. Piercy lobbed a sitter in a frantic effort to return the ball. He was well out of court and spreadeagled, and Robson had all AVimbledon to himself. He leaped in with a tremendous smash and sent the ball yards out of court to a chorus of groans. This unsettled him, and he followed with a double fault, and the game went to Piercy. Five games later, however, the New Zealander made no mistake. Robson might perhaps have ended the match earlier if his serving had not struck a. bad patch in ’ the second and third sets, and if he had gone in fof mors kills at the net. He won the first set by moving up to the net, but then he decided to stay on the back lino while also producing a string of double faults. Robson was also playing to theEnglishman’s forehand, ‘ his strongest point, and Piercy. was , not really, troubled to take the next, two jsets. In the fourth set Robson immediately ■. broke through Piercy’s.: service, lie could not hold the advantage, and had to repeat the 'performance .again to go ahead, 5-3, and eventually win on nis own service. - ' It was apparent before'the fifth set had gone very far that both, player* were tiring. Both lost their services, for six games in a row. At 8-8 they began winning, their services again and playing sojne very long rallies. Robson was now playing more on Piercy’* back hand, tactics which paid dividends. When Piercy took his, service to. love and led, 10-9, however, it seemed-ha had found a new reserve-energy. The New Zealander was not finished, and J finned him' down on his. back hand, ‘ evelled up and went ahead to lead, only to lose his own service. There 6eemed to be no end to the game!' T he spectators were ; now packed,even peering over the. canvases at-the - end of the court. Tired though they were, both players still found breath to call congratulations as the- other" scored winning shots. The end came when Robson had once more broken through the service and was leading, 40-30. He came up to the net, hit a backhander obliquely across the court, and Piercy fcorild only grin, standsand" watch it. It was a grand game, and, as more than one spectator observed, worthy of the centre court. BOLD v. CUCRLLI. Bold went down fighting to the Italian, C. Cucelli. The Italian was a harder hitter and an all-round better player, but at one stage he became over-confident, and lost the ; set as a result. He had taken ;theJi'st.;two sets fairly easily, Bold having trouble with his backhand, and many of bis shots drooping wearily into the net. In the third set Cucelli was leading 5-2, and he gaye the air of a' man suddenly deciding to have a little; practice: He hit everything—hard—but the harder he hit the more steadv Bold became At 5-3 the Italian had.2 match points in hand. Bold,-with true Kiwi tenacity, won them both, arid, * before Cucelli knew what happened, he had lost the >set, 8-6.. Then came a break in the game while the ballboy went for new balls. This seemed to unsettle Bold* He got badk into his stride to .recover from 5-1 to 5-3, too late, and Cucelli was now playing more than a mere practice game. He went in for the kill, and that was the end of that. Both AlcKenzie and Barry were beaten in the second round, McKenzie by the Argentinian, E. Alorea. and Barry by the Englishman, D. H. ' Slack. -