FIRST ROUND OF MEN'S SINGLES DECIDED AT WIMBLEDON

Evening Star, Issue 26136, 25 June 1947, Page 7

FIRST ROUND OF MEN'S SINGLES DECIDED AT WIMBLEDON

LONDON, June 23. A big crowd attended Wimbledon for the opening of the All-England lawn tennis championships. The men’s singles monopolised the first day. The title-holder, Petra, 'had the honour with Butler of opening on the centre court. All the seeded players had comfortable wins. Four New Zealanders also won through, but Malfroy was beaten. The 19-year-old Barry won a marathon match against Paish. Paish had match point in the third set, but the young New Zealander saved the vital- point, and then battled on to win that set and the next two. The Australian Davis Cup players, Bromwich, Pails, Geoff Brown, and Long, all had straight-set victories, but the former Wimbledon champion, Crawford, was eliminated. . Another Australian, Sidwell, was defeated when he was outlasted in a marathon game by the American, Budge Pattv. Drobny and Segura provided a high standard of tennis on the centre court. The little man from Ecuador never gave up the hunt, and made some spectacular recoveries. . Drobny sometimes exclaimed aloud when he mishit.

Tom Brown, of America, and Sturgess (South Africa) provided one of the day’s - best matches on the centre court. The crowd showed its appreciation of many fine shots by the two players, who are similar. in style. Sturgess fought back gallantly in the second and fourth sets, but both tired in the fifth set after a gruelling struggle. Brown produced winners when they were most needed, especially in the last two games. Petra was convincingly superior to Butler, and was applauded for some spectacular placements. Kramer, .No. 1 seeded player, won his match with the 'loss of only one game. The results' were ns follows :

Men’s Singles.—First round (first eight results in order of seeding): Kramer heat Moss 6-0, 6-1, 6-0; Bromwich' heat Spitzer 6-1, 6-2, 6-4; Tom Brown beat Sturgess 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 2-6, 8-6; Pails beat Cater 6-1, 6 : 0, 6-1; Geoff Brown beat W. ’Robertson 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 ; Drobny heat Segura 7-5, 7-5, 6-3; Petra beat Butler 6-2, 7-5, 6-0; Falkenburg heat Washer 6-2, 6-2, 6-2; Barry beat Paish 0-6. 4-6, 8-6, 6-4, 6-4; McKenzie beat Carles 6-4, 6-0, 6-3; Robson beat England 6-3, 6-2, 1-6, 6-0; Bold beat J. L. Morea 9-7, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2; Finkleraut beat Malfroy 6-1, 8-6, 6-1; Long-beat Hansen 6-1, 6-1, 6-0; Harper heat Brichant 6-1, 6-1, 6-2; Ellmer beat Crawford 5-7, 8-6, 8-6, 6-0; Patty beat Sidwell 4-6, 6-3, 3-6. 6-2, 6-3. Other first round winners were:— Fannin, Destreman. Rinkel, Cucelli, Najar, Kemp, Ahmed, Johansson, Tloczinski, Grandet. Bose. Baxter, Walton, Slack, Mehta, Abdesselam, Skonecki. Pellizza, Habe, Billington, Carter, Clioy, Lister. Jones, van der Neynde, Bergeleti. Misra. Manmohan, Barton, Stauho, Bjerre. Cernilf, Stopla, Michelmore. Piercv,. E. Morea. Mottram. Geelhnnd. Gieaus, Mohammed, Khan. Peten. Rurae. Ruchi. .Spyehala, Beloford, Mered’+h. Redl. and Asbotli.