THE CHINA MAIL, JULY 19, 1989.
SNIPPETS FROM WIMBLEDON
H. W. AUSTIN remains alone to
SPORTS PARADE
Shayes was guilty of many inexcus-only a week of serious match play has carry Britain's hopes in the Wim-able mistakes, yet at times his play been proved definitely wrong.. Next bledon lawn tennis men's singles cham- was faultless. Especially was this the summer he will need to start earlier pionship. Five home players went on case when he had his chance in the than he did this year to stand any real to the court on July 1, writes a cor- second set, but eventually Riggs's cle- chance of success. respondent, to try to reach the fifth ver scheming beat him.
Riggs did
Nevertheless he began yesterday's round; three of them went down to practically all his work from the back effort as though he had reached the overseas competitors, and the other, of the court, and when he did go up peak of his form. He was keeping a
EMBERS of Kowloon Cricket Club Mwho played Hong Kong Cricket D. W. Butler, was put out by Austin, he forced errors from Shayes.
fine length and winning his services a
·8-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Elwood Cooke, another American lot more easily than Cooke up to three- Club on the latter's new bowling green "seed," beat John Olliff, the Old Pau-all. It looked only a question of time on Saturday were greatly impressed some of the line, 6-1, 6-1, 6-4. Cooke was hardly before Austin would break through the by the form shown by extended, except perhaps in the third American's service, but instead he fad-"novices" in the opposing team.
ed right out, and with two love games Alec Pearce, whose total experien- set, when Olliff took him to 4-all.
Miss Mary Hardwick disposed of one Cooke found himself an easy winner ce, I am told, extends over a period of not more than a month, showed par- of America's challengers in Miss Gra-of the first set. cyn Wheeler, 7-5, 9-7. Miss Wheeler
ticular promise. missed her chance in the second set when, after leading 5-2, lost a set point at 5-3.
In the women's singles, Britain has eight players in the last sixteen-Miss Margot Lumb, Miss Kay Stammers, Miss Valerie Scott, Mrs. D. L. Little, Mrs. E. G. Macpherson-Grant, Miss Mary Hardwick, Miss Jean Saunders, and Miss Peggy Scriven.
The last eight men in order of the draw are H. W. Austin, E. T. Cooke (U.S.A.), F. Kukuljevic (Yugoslavia), H. Henkel (Germany), E. Smith (U.S.A.). F. Punces (Yugoslavia), Ghaus Mohammed (India), and R. L. Riggs (U.S.A.).
As everyone hoped would be the case, Austin is running into the form which by next Friday will probably make him Wimbledon champion for the first time. There were some who ex- pected Butler to go very near to beat-
ously threatened.
It was nearly Austin at his best, and Butler played his part well, to make it easily the finest lawn tennis match of the championships so far.
Kukuljevic gave another fine dis- play of firm forehand driving and con- beat trolled cannon-ball serving to Murray Deloford in straight sets. If his winning streak continues, Kukul- jevic may give trouble.
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ONE Batin would soon put that right. back with the feeling that but no, he still could not do anything to stop the American. Cooke got hold of the Englishman's notoriously weak Austin considerable service, and played it where he liked for winners. It was not until Cooke had won ten games in a row that Aus- tin broke the sequence in the third set by capturing the service for one-all. After that he was routed.
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ing him on Saturday butelightful dis- THERE were no surprises among the pelled all fears with a
"be-
women's matches, although Mrs. play of easy stroke-making which gan at the very moment he was seri-Little gave the crowd a fright by drop- ping the first set to Miss M. Slaney, a Droitwich school-mistress," by but she won the next two, 6-0, 6-1.
3-5,
Perhaps the most disappointing of all was Miss Alice Marble, American favourite for the title. She won easily enough against Miss B. G. Beazley but at no time was she hitting the ball saving herself as much as possible for with any speed. She probably the strenuous week ahead,
was
There was nothing particularly at- tractive about the opening set in which Butler did a lot of hard running to level at 4-all after being 1-4 down. Austin was then making too many mistakes and from the eighth to the thirteenth games inclusive neither player could hold his service. Austin broke the sequence to win the set, 3-6, 6-3, Gatwright Miss Mary Heeley)
6-3,
Miss Helen Jacobs (U.S.A.) beat Miss J P. Curry (Great Britain), 6-3, 6-2,
BUT
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UTLER, without being able to stay at the net for any length of time,
made the most of his volleying powers
In an all-British match. Miss Peggy Scriven, the left-hander, beat Mrs. D.
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VIMBLEDON, July 4.--One of the
THE
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HERE was one skip in the Cricket Club side, who although showing some skill as a bowler, was badly lack- skipping. ing in the finer points of His opposite number in the K. C. Č. team, "himself a former First Division player with a wealth of experience, on one occasion good-naturedly pointed out the advantages of drawing on one hand when the other skip was about to go up on the other.'
"If you
backhand,"
go up on the he said, "and carry the jack, with your two back woods you might get a three."
а
Almost as surprising was the easy win of Puncec, who beat Eugene Smith. the 23-year-old Californian schoolmas- ter, 6-0, 6-2, 6-2., Smith, an unseeded player, had done so well that many
The Cricket Club man followed these thought he might win the title. There instructions to a "p" and scored
a good excuse, however, for three! The K. C. C, man was Smith's defeat. He had a bad shoul- heard to remark in a very plaintive "I told you what you should der, which was strapped up before the voice: match, and although he concealed it as do but I didn't tell you to do it!" much as possible, it pained him every time he hit the ball.
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ANOTHER unexpectedly easy task was that of Henner Henkel, of Germany. who beat F. Kukuljevic, of Yugoslavia, in about forty-five min-
Kukuljevic utes. 6-1, 6-3, 6-2.
hnd established the reputation of being the hardest hitter in the championshins but his power was not combined with accuracy. Time and time again he re-
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then
ENERAL opinion of bowlers who played at H. K. C. C. was that the green was a very good one. At the moment the grass is a bit heavy but a perfect draw can be obtained on either hand and it is very true.
R.
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RANKLY I have never thought very much of South China's chances of winning "A" Division of the Lawn despite their meri- torious victory over Chinese Recrea tion Club.
in the second set, and broke the service favourites at Wimbledon is out. turned the 'ball either wide of the lines Tennis League,
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this
year at
to lead 4-2. It was at this point that Austin suddenly found his length. He In forty minutes yesterday H. W. Aus-or into the net. had Butler running all over the court, tin's chances of winning the men's chasing corner shots, drops, and lobs, singles championship.
Bobby Riggs, America's No. 1, and and, although Britain's No. 1 had to least, were irretrievably shattered by the most puzzling player in the cham- fight for his points, Butler could only the seventh ranking American, Elwood pionships, did a lot towards dispelling hinder him, not stop him, and with T. Cooke, who beat him in the quarter-s form as a result of his earlier dis- the uncertain impression gained about four successive games Austin went out finial 6-3, 6-0, 6-1. · with the set.
A packed Centre Court saw one of plays. He beat Ghaus Mohammed, the Butler held Austin to 3-all in the the worst defeats Austin, has suffered Indian. convincingly, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. For third set, but from 15-40 down against for a long time. After making a fine once there was a concentrated effort cently, to win for 4-3. Butler almost beaten long before the match officially some of his shots across Mohammed's the service, Austin pulled up magnifi- start he crumpled completely, and was about the whole of Riggs's display, and retrieved his position in the next game, ended. Great Britain, as a result of body as he came up court were gems. leading 40-love, but again Austin over-this surprising defeat, has lost all di- hauled him with two great passes down rect interest in the men's champion- the sideline, and a sharply angled vol-ship. ley enabled Austin to increase his-lead. He was held off momentarily, and Butler saved three match points before he lost in the tenth game. Towards the end Austin was volleying as well as ever he did.
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IN the women's singles we have two competitors in the last eight-Miss Kay Stammer and. Miss Mary Hard- wick. To-day they meet Miss Helen Jacobs (U.S.A.) and Mrs. S. Sperling (Denmark) respectively.
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Mrs.
[ISS-Jacobs, finalist five times, and once the winner, beat Miss Mar- got Lumb, 6-2, 7-5, in a match charac- terised chiefly by spin, while Fabyan won a hard three-setter with Mrs. Dorothy Little, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2. Mrs. Little played very poorly in the first wards, but ruined her chances with a set; improved tremendously after- crop of errors in the sixth game of the final set.
R.
L. RIGGS, America's No. 1, had Although he is 32, Austin has not no easy task in beating R. A. finished chasing the elusive champion- Shayes, 7-5, 6-8, 6-4, 6-3. He dropped ship. His comment after his defeat Miss Stammers, after a close fight in the second set mainly on his own er- yesterday was, "It all makes good the first set. against Madame Henrotin. rors, but credit had to be given to practice for next year's Wimbledon." won 7-5, 6-2, and Miss Hardwick Shayes for holding on after Riggs had Lack of practice has been Austin's triumphed in an all-British match led 5-3, and had, in fact, seven set downfall this year. His idea that he against Mrs. MacPherson-Grant, 6-4. points.
could come to Wimbledon and win after 8-6.
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Now, however, unless they have a dark horse up their sleeves, I feel that from C. R. C. are more remote than their prospects of lifting the shield
Reason? W. T. Wang, who has been the chief cause of their success, has left the Colony. This player, during a comparatively brief stay in
ever.
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Hong
Kong, created a very favourable im- pression in the League, and his per- formance against Tsui Wai-pui in the exhibition games at C.R.C., when he won the first sot and gavo the impres- sion that he only lost the other two. because of the frightful conditions pre- vailing that day, more than confirmed this view.
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HAVE heard a whisper that Wang play-off with C. R. C. but I can't help thinking that that is rather far- fetched. In any event, I cannot see South China again beating C. R. C., on a neutral ground, if they get as far as qualifying for a play-off-they have yet to beat I. R. C
may return here if it comes to a
DERUSAL of England's Test team play against West Indies with its strength, As in the First Test, there will be a bit of a tail but such is the quality of the batsmen selected that no great misgivings should be placed in this^department.
selected a few days. Be one
Both Verity and Gimblett have been dropped. Whereas I can under- stand the omission of the former, who, despite excellent feats against some of the weaker counties is report- ed to be losing much of his old skill, I must confess to keen disappointment that Gimblett is not playing
..
His form this, season has been really remarkable, he is young, and a possible Test player for many years pay If it were felt that room-had to, be made for Fagg, who. I admit, is worthy of selection. I would much rather, some tried player such as Paynter were dropped.
It was generally cohe series of Tests, while? bó taken of the fact
be regaine
the forthcom minds
or this risksOT of the younger blay ing at the Hoop-of- awould be “blooded: 2/
that this Would
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