Injured Emerson Loses To Davidson

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31098, 29 June 1966, Page 19

Injured Emerson Loses To Davidson

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter —Copyright)

LONDON. R. Emerson’s two-year reign as Wimbledon men’s singles champion ended dramatically on the Centre Court yesterday.

The top-seeded Emerson injured his shoulder in a heavy fall and was beaten, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, by his unseeded compatriot, 0. K. Davidson. The injury, which occurred early in the second set, blunted Emerson’s renowned delivery and depressed his whole dynamic game, particularly his return of service, which is one of his matchwinning shots. After the match he was [taken to a local hospital, where strained ligaments were diagnosed. Later he went to London for treatment, after scratching from the men’s doubles, in which he had been top-seeded with F. S. Stolle.

Emerson, who had conceded only five sets in winning 18 successive singles matches at Wimbledon since his last defeat in the championship in 1963, looked set for another swift win in his quarter-final match with Davidson. In drizzling rain, he won the first set in 15 minutes. But in the third game of the second set he chased a drop shot, slipped on the greasy turf and slid into the base of the umpire’s chair. He was obviously in pain from his left shoulder, and he had difficulty in throwing up the ball to serve. When Davidson, a 22-year-old left-hander, raised his own game to play the best tennis of his career, Emerson was fighting a lost cause. A Brave Rally The champion staged a brave rally in the fourth set to try to keep the game alive. He pulled up from 1-5 to 4-5, but then Davidson, in spite of a nervous double-fault, held service in the next game for the most unexpected win of his career.

“I am terribly disappointed,” Emerson said after returning from hospital. “I had set my heart on winning the title for the third time. But that is how it goes." Davidson said “If Emerson had not been hurt, I would have won about five games, probably with the score of 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. “Emerson is too sporting a character to complain. He kept telling me he was all right, but I knew he was in pain. He told me that he thought he heard something crack when he fell. “It was not the way I wanted to win.” In the semi-finals Davidson will meet either the Spanish champion, M. Santana, or the Hong Kong-based K. Fletcher, of Australia, who are a round in arrears because of Saturday's rain. In the bottom half of the draw, R. D. Ralston, America’s leading player, reached the semi-finals for the second successive year, eliminating an Australian, R. A. Hewitt, 7-5, 6-2, 11-9. Results:— MEN’S SINGLES Fourth Round

K. N. Fletcher (Aust.) beat J. Murerjea (India), 2-6, 10-8, 9-7, 3-6, 6-1: *E. G. Drysdale (S. Africa) beat J. Leschly (Denmark), 3-6, 6-1, 8-6, 3-6, 8-6; *A.

D. Roche (Aust.) beat C. Richey (U.S.), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Quarter-finals O. Davidson (Aust.) beat *R. Emerson (Aust.), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; *R. D. Ral'S'ton (U.S.) beat R. A. Hewitt (Aust.), 7-5, 6-2, 11-9. WOMEN'S SINGLES Fourth Round •Miss N. Richey (U.S.) beat Miss K. M. Harter (U.S.), 6-2, 6-4; *Misis M. E. Bueno (Brazil) beat Miss J. A. Tegart (Aust.), 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. MEN'S DOUBLES Third Round •W. Bowrey and 0. Davidson (Aus>t.) beat R. Hewitt (Aust.) and A. A. Segal (S. Africa), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-0; M. Cox and A. R. Mills (Britain) beat *R. Emerson and F. S. Stol'le (Aust.) by default; E. C. Drysdale (S. Africa) and M. F. Mulddgan (Aust.) beat R. W. Barnes (Brazil) and R. E. Holmberg (U.S.). 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

♦K. N. Fletcher and J. D. Newcombe (Aust.) beat M. Satana and J. Arilla (Spain), 2-6, 7-5, 9-7, 6-4; R. 0. Ruffe’.6 (Aust.) and T. Okker (Netherlands) beat T. Koch and J. E. Mandarine (Brazil), 16-14, 7-5, 9-11, 6-2.