GERRARD HAS CRAMP, BEATEN

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30977, 5 February 1966, Page 13

GERRARD HAS CRAMP, BEATEN

(A’ew Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND. An attack of cramp, the first time he had ever suffered from this complaint in his life, greatly contributed to eliminating New Zealand’s last hope, L. A. Gerrard, from the men’s singles in the Wills international tennis tournament at Auckland yesterday.

Gerrard, who led his opponent, the Chilean, P. Rodriguez, by two sets to one, started to suffer from cramp after he had served an ace during the seventh game of the fourth set. At this stage the score was level, at 3-3, but he lost the vital seventh game when he served a double fault. Gerrard won only four more games, two in this fourth set when he fought back from 3-5 down to level to 5-5, and two in the fifth set.

He said after the game he had felt the cramp come on during the fourth set “It started in my right thumb and then went to my index finger," he said. “It affected me every time I went to serve. 1 could not grip my racquet properly.” Gerrard was very disappointed after the match, and he had every reason to be. He had played magnificent tennis to win the second and third sets, and looked as though he was in for a fourset victory when the players took the spell. Lacked Full Power He was in agony with cramp in the leg after serving the last point of the eleventh game, to trail 5-6. and was troubled by his leg for the whole of the following game which he lost to make the score two sets each. In the fifth set it was obvious that Gerrard was not hitting the ball with full power and he lacked strength in his service. On two occasions in the final set he had to force his right fingers open with his left hand, and the fact that Rodriguez won his service to love on three out of his four services showed how much Gerrard’s game was affected by the cramp. Rodriguez, along with the Australians, R. A. Emerson and F. S. Stolle, and the Englishman, R. Taylor, will contest the semi-finals. Long First Set Emerson beat the Spanish player, J. Gisbert, 6-4, 6-2, 7-5. while Stolle, after a long first set which went with services for the first 18 games, defeated the Australian University player, P. Keller, 11-9, 6-4, 6-4. Emerson will play Rodriguez today in one semifinal and Stolle will play Taylor in the other.

semi-finals of the men's doubles. Robson and Burns will meet Stolle and Emerson, while Gerrard and Fairlie, who have acquitted themselves extremely well so far this season, could win their way into the final against Rodriguez and Taylor. Results: MEN'S SINGLES Quarter tinals.—R. A. Emerson (Australia) beat J. Gsbert (Spain). 64. 8-2, 7-5; P. Rordiguez (Chile) beat L. A. Gerrard (Auckland), 8-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-S. 6-2. F. S. Stolle (Australia) beat P. Keller (Australia), 11-9, 8-4, 6-4, R. Taylor (Britain) beat R Ruffels (Australia), 6-2, 6-4, 6-0. WOMEN'S SINGLES Quarter-finals. —Miss M. Smith (Australia) beat Mrs E. Stephan (Auckland), 6-1, 9-7: Miss A. Jenkins (Australia) beat Mrs M. Rodriguez (France), 6-3. 63: Miss K. Melville (Australia) beat Mrs J. Blgneli (Auckland). 6-0. 6-3; Miss L. Turner (Australia) beat Miss B. Vercoe (Auckland), 6-3, 6-4. MEN'S DOUBLES Quarter-finals.—J. E. Robson and A. S. Burns (Auckland) beat P. B. Becroft and E. D. White (Auckland), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4: Gerrard and B. E. Fairtie (Auckland) beat R. Russell (British West Indies) and Gisbert, 6-3. 6-3, 6-1; StoMe and Emerson beat K. H. Long and D. Cassidy (Auckland). 6-4. 6-4, 61; Rodriguez and Taylor beat Keller and Ruffels, 6-4. 6-3. 5-7, 6-3. WOMEN'S DOUBLES Quarter-finals. —Misses Smith and Turner beat Misses Deirdre i Kerr-Taylor (Auckland) and H. Ward (North Shore). 6-2. 6-1: Miss A. Glenie (Auckland) and Mrs Bignell beat Misses C. Fleming (Auckland) and Jenkins. 8-6, 2-6, 6-1: Mesdames H. Robson (Auckland) and Stephen beat Misses P. Rogan (North Shore) and M. McKegg (Northland), 6-3, 6-3; Mrs Rodriguez and Miss Melvillle beat Misses S. Clement (North Shore) and Vercoe, 6-1, 6-3.

Semi-final.—Misses Smith and Turner beat Mliss Glenie and Mrs Blgneli, 6-0, 6-0.

Taylor, whose game seems to have improved greatly since competing in the New Zealand championships in Auckland last month, was in fine form to overwhelm the young Australian, R. Ruffels, 6-2, 6-4, 6-0. Four Australians will contest the women's semi-finals. They are the Wimbledon champion, Miss Margaret Smith, who will play Miss Anne Jenkins in one semifinal, and the second-ranked Australian player. Miss Lesley Turner, who will meet Miss Kerry Melville. Two New Zealand pairs, A. S. Burns and J. E. Robson, and Gerrard and B. E. Fairlie, have reached the