Emerson In Champion Form

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31097, 28 June 1966, Page 19

Emerson In Champion Form

• CN.ZPA-Reuter— Copyright) LONDON. The 1966 Wimbledon tennis championships have entered their second week with the men’s singles title-holder, R. Emerson, of Australia, looking every inch a champion. The 29-year-old Queenslander, with his crushing power and speed of foot, has raced through four rounds to reach the last eight without dropping a set He has regained the former soarkle. consistency and confidence which had been missing in his early season play, and is now a hot odds-on favourite to take the title for the third successive year. The biggest threat to his title hopes could be M.

Santana, of Spain, who showed the best form among Emerson’s rivals during Wimbledon’s showery first week. The 26-y ear-old Spaniard, holder of the United States title, is seeded to meet the champion in the semi-finals tomorrow. But he, like two other seeded men, the Australian T. Roche (two) and the South African, C. Drysdale (seven), is a round behind Emerson at the halfway stage because of Saturday’s rain. The delay will put added pressure on this seeded trio during the next three days as they cannot now enjoy the customary day’s rest between rounds. Emerson will be meeting his unseeded compatriot, O.

Davidson, for a place in the semi-final. The uncompleted quarterfinal position in draw order is: Emerson v. Davidson, Santana or Wilson v. K. Fletcher (Australia) or J. Mukerjea (India), D. Ralston (United States) v. B. Hewitt (Australia), J. Leschly (Denmark) or Drysdale v. C. Richie (United States) or Roche. Women Players Form in the opening week indicates that the 1966 women’s champion will come from the first four in the seeding list—the defending j champion M. Smith (Australia), the former champion' M. Bueno (Brazil), Britain’s' Mrs A. Jones and America’s' Mrs B. J. King. Miss Smith and Miss Bueno, |

finalists for the last two years, are approaching their brilliant best and could provide the climax to the event yet again. Miss Bueno is at present a round in arrears because of the rain. The quarter-final position is: M. Smith v. T. Groenman (Holland), Mrs King v. A. van Zyl (South Africa), K. Harter or N. Richey (both United States) v. Mrs Jones, F. Durr (France) v. J. Tegart (Australia) or M. Bueno. B. Wilson, Britain’s last survivor in the men's singles, has retired from the championships. He injured his knee during his match with Santana and was told that the injury needed complete rest for at least 10 days.