LAWN TENNIS N. Pietrangeli Wins Italian Title

Press, Volume C, Issue 29515, 17 May 1961, Page 5

LAWN TENNIS N. Pietrangeli Wins Italian Title

(N.Z.P.A .-Reutef-Copgright)

TURIN. May 15. The men's singles final of the Italian international tennis championships was won today by N. Pietrangeli. of Italy, who beat R. Laver, 6-8, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2. Mario Bueno (Brazil) won the women’s singles when she beat Australia’s Lesley Turner, 6-4, 6-4. The Australians, N. Fraser and R. Emerson, won the men’s doubles title when they beat the Italian Davis Cup pair, Pietrangeli and O. Sirois. 6-2. 6-4. 11-9. Pietrangeli, who is generally rated as Europe's outstanding amateur, wore down Laver with relentless stroking from the backcourt. While Laver tried to play an aggressive game, mainly at the net, Pietrangeli remained in the backcourt swinging away with all the power he could muster. Eventually he forced Laver into error after error. The

Kalian scored many points with accurate drives, but he scored almost as napny from Laver's mistakes'. It was the second time that both Miss Butfno. the Wimbledon champion, and Pietrangeli had won the Kalian titles. Miss Bueno won in 1958, and Pietrangeli in 1957. Miss Bueno was clearly the favourite after easy wins in earlier rounds. Miss Turner, playing in her first major European tournament, was unseeded and few had heard of her.

She got into the final by upsetting three stars—Ann Haydon (Britain). Darlene Hard (United States), and Sandra Reynolds (South Africa).