The Courtship Of Margaret Smith

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30956, 12 January 1966, Page 2

The Courtship Of Margaret Smith

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

PERTH, January 11. The Wimbledon champion, Margaret Smith, laughed happily last night and said: “I cannot deny there is a romance between us.” The 23-year-old “queen of tennis” had been asked about rumours linking her with the West Australian Olympic swimmer, John Ryan, aged 22. Miss Smith was tracked down by reporters at a water Polo match in Perth in which Ryan was playing. She declined to answer further questions and walked away. Ryan could not be contacted. The couple have been seen together socially almost constantly since Miss Smith arrived in Perth recently for the West Australian tennis championships. On Saturday, after beating the American, Nancy Richey, in the women's singles final, she went with Ryan to a night trotting meeting and then to a nightclub until 2 a.m.

On Sunday night they were partners at a barbecue at Royal King’s Park to celebrate the end of the championships.

Ryan was a member of the Australian swimming team to

the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He competed in the freestyle sprint events. Last year he was named Western Australia's “sportsman of the year.”