U.S. Professional Tennis Championships at Longwood; Longwood 1970

WGBH TV resents the 1970 United States professional tennis championship from the Longwood Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill Massachusetts. Your commentator for these matches used to call a columnist for The Boston Globe. Hello I'm Bud Collins and we've reached the climax of the U.S. professional tennis championships along with me to help describe as Donald L. former U.S. Davis Cup captain from Washington D.C. This is been a tremendous tournament. Good weather and excellent tennis. The top seed JOHN NEWCOMBE the Wimbledon champion was gone fast. Clark Graner beat him in the first round and so we've come into the finals with two Australians two left handers two country boys fighting it out for the championship and $12000 first prize they are of course Rod Laver and Tony Roche. We have. Something a bit different this year no more grass at Longwood. We have a plastic carpet in the stadium a uniter for final court. The plastic is here and the game of

tennis and Donald L.. What makes this so different and I think Bud that the little Nobbles on the inside of that plastic surface when the ball hits it grips into those. And so therefore it's a slower bounce. It's a higher bounce. You don't have any more quote bad bounces like you had on grass and therefore you have tremendous rallies and you're going to see Laver and having that marvelous rallies from all court all positions on the court. And it's really a much higher slower bounce which makes for longer rallies and better tennis. So actually although the court is slower the tennis is going to be livelier and that's not the only radical step in these 1970 U.S. Professional championships this year. We've eliminated the deuce. Set the long marathon said with sudden death. Get used to that term sudden death because it's going to be used in the U.S. Open at Forest Hills as well and what this means is I want to set. Reaches six all in games at will and with a nine point sequence at best of nine points the winner

must win five points and the set. And right there that's called sudden death. We had it the other day very dramatically when Cliff Drysdale played Kenny Rosewall. It was six in the second set Drysdale had won the first so they went into sudden death. It went to four points off the next point was match point for Drysdale and set point for 0 as well. Drysdale won it and he won the match. So if we get to six all look for sudden death WGBH is most grateful to the following companies who have helped make the coverage of the 1970 championships possible. The New England Mutual Life Insurance Company Zaire department stores. And the converse Rubber Company makers of athletic footwear.

Today we're going to bring you the highlights of the championship singles Rod Laver against Tony Roche. The match has begun so let's go down on the court and join the Rod Laver serving at 4 3. First set US Professional championships. The prize today is $12000 in flavor makes it his earnings will stand at one hundred thirty thousand dollars for this year. Tony Roche who has been out much of the year with a shoulder injury has earned thirty two thousand dollars. This will be his biggest paycheck but if he one never gets right. Labor beat him in Philadelphia the indoor open there that was 10000 first. Let alone.

All bosses in the stands. On an. Angle. Oh. He's got it. All good right. With a. Load of. Reflexes. Rod Laver.

Number three. What we want levers coked up for this one. Oh. What he did he. Still. Have a young. Rabbit. That. Just keep reaching waterways is he looking long. They both won both love the blood even. Well. That's going out of Deuce.

Thank you. Oh well. Oh. Man a label. The call just today as the leader to rally on the line. This is a roach in a 7 game no 3 5 against him. Service going to blow.

Oh. Got the corner Thank you lady. Oh. Thank you for this favorite shot that really didn't go either Saturday you were here and you really have no choice there but to take a guess. Oh. And again. The old.

It was a good log. Tony. Backs himself into setpoint. Want to. Drag. That. One. Up to. Go to the bathroom. Down A. Very deep Bali road coming in late but from that of a seeming to lower your cholesterol right back down the long. Shot we're going to show you that last point. Just a second all right. Is Roach serving setpoint. If labor is for hand. Jobs in those labor starts moving from the spot.

On the dead run. And he whistled a bar right by the road she was leaning towards that side down the line. For the set. Marvelous shot she took. And that's a good spot. Donal I think. Labor was trying hard to break there because they'll now have the serve to lead on that side saddle stead of starting to serve and serve in the beset with isms. Well that's a big advantage because he comes around and you start serving 1 Love 2 1 3 2 and he's always got that lead. So conceivably although Roche won the toss and lost that opening game he might never be ahead in this match. If you're following serve the way the patterns. And psychologically that's a big advantage for Rudd. That's just what. Rob was saying last year when he played Tony in his toughest match on the Australian team which actually started the Grand Slam he just tried like anything to serve first in the last set even Lloyd lost the foresight by a big score. He one of the first serving up 1 2 1 2 0 0 0.

And finally broke him in wanting to send back live. Oh good luck. We're just beginning the second set. Rod Laver has won the first 6 3. This is for the title. But Collins and Donald L. with you at long. Haul first double fault for later. That's one of his only apparent weaknesses but is that second serve which occasionally leaves but only occasionally. Oh. That would be a low chest tight Agha just around his neck to absorb some of the perspiration.

Thank you. What if Labor's hitting one shot if both of these make it look so easy. Certainly in touch. There's the backend dropshot. What 30. Timely Times got a ball

rolled out finally has been hijacked. Oh. Golly he didn't have to let him off. At school back here right in the last about seven points the baby is just a late work in the balls with the first game of when he looks like it was just another average shot for him. He's a genius as a shot makers in that match they played in Brisbane. Last year opening up the Grand Slam temperature was over 100 they played longer than four hours they kept towels and ice box beside the court just draped themselves in those frozen towels every change game. Now Labor is changing changing sweatbands on his wrists often on a hot Australian day. He would put. Wet cabbage leaves

inside that hat. Feels that's a good way of keeping cool. At a tossed salad quaff you're. In the Russian dressing was terrific. He was saying yesterday that he didn't know how old that hat was once as he was about 10. Good golly by rote. This is three out of five sets of studies doubt. That sex all in any set of. People a little. Tiny ball a little bout a gun a volley behind you I mean if you came in and you

put the ball back to where they were who just loved it was a. Good serve against anybody else walking goal should be out of the match the way he's playing right now he's struggling to stay even bolt. That big bounce off the top of. Her. Game. Was the one all told. Take. Her.

ROD LAVER something in his eyes. Tony Roach hopes it's a lump of coal. Get it out. Oh. Oh. Oh what a lot of Labor's getting great depth honester. But this reef serves involving two or three inches a line

means you're really confident. Oh two games one was a labor of labor Tony Roche. Yet to threaten you got to do Cod aim. All players are. Like that. But he hasn't. Had a breakpoint has been broken once or self in the first game of the match and then again in the ninth game of the set. Giving LAVER The first set. 6 games to 3. I think but that there's Jimmy. Going all around I was up in the official stand next to Dr. Hall and Katar Sam Fitch who just poked his head in there Jimmy of an alan. The Newport rebel the man who invented vast scoring

VSS says that Alan simplified scoring system and one. Feature. Next to Jimmy has said Derville. The US Davis Cup captain. One feature of vast Is this sudden death sequence we've been using. Best five of nine points at Forest Hills the US Open. First two weeks in September they also will be using sudden death when any set. Reaches six games. And they'll be a lot of crying about that went on that's sometimes too prescious crass. I think it's going to be awfully exciting but very exciting as you said the most sundering response in the crowd has been to one of those sudden death sets in which Russia fan already beat lots and Raven are 5 4 the other night on legit quiz and I was like. Oh. Oh. Oh.

Oh goody. I get the feeling but the Tony Roche is struggling very hard just to stay even in this match stay on serve. Try to get a break. To be 30. Thank you. Fine sir I wrote. It all. Six victories of peace in their lifetime rivalry. Let. Those of us. Roach lost the 1968 Wimbledon final to lay it.

All out. The call from John Wyman. So I need a line buddy. Thanks. To hold. A grudge but it's got to. Leave me alone rolling inside it was obvious all. Seconds covering his back a little bit too much and labor serving down the middle to clean the deuce court to his forehand. With. The. Law. Labors on a full or a day fine half volley on that point shots lobs smashes. Serving better to use low. First serve after

first serve in the difference. Oh. There's a driver Tony to be there for one of his own. I. Assume look Tony had that old drop shot of his he regretted it because. Labor has the legs. Welt. Three to. Four later. Who has yet to lose his share of the labor. He was a scrawny kid again when he was growing up like a souter on Langdale then Rockhampton his father. Whose name is

Roy Laver was a cattle man. Roy is just over 70 years old now. Rocket rod was the youngest of three boys he has a younger sister the two boys were ticketed by their father to be fine tennis players the Lavers likes tennis they had at court and their property out there in Queens when they played every night after work they had a few light bulbs hanging out and played at night and it wasn't until labor was about 9 or 10 years old that his father decided that he might take lessons with his brother. Brothers they had a coach named Charlie Hollis who was teaching the two older brothers Trevor and Bob and Mr Laver Sr. thought that those two would be champions but Charlie Hollis took a look at Rod Laver he said he's got eyes like a hawk. He's a scrawny kid we've got to build him up but he's going to be the tennis player in the family and Charlie Hollis was absolutely right. So we're back on the court. Labor used to work out. At snow hills gym in Brisbane when he was a teenager a

gym where the boxers worked out. He went through all of boxing routines Except he didn't want to become a fighter but he wanted to build himself up even did some sparring. That's because the road serve there but the linesman in the chair the Empire's had waited. And labored into it a plater not. Good Sara Rue de la Roche starting to find the price his serve that he had yesterday. Oh. And it's a good little. Book to.

Write of. 30 50 it is a school AGM but he makes great shots look like average life. It's like having mice in the house you cover one hole and they find another. Oh what he did. That someone later loves to jump all over. The dog if you need clarity comes over the tops of the tremendous left arm of his that his body seems to hang from. 0.

0. 0 3 0 0 0 Charlie on the surface. But missed the road so I motion on Roach revolt as that boy lost items in pretty fast. It's a good first volley way inside the service line. They repeat it. That's like a dream. Yeah it's a lot of skin to go out and landed on the sideline. Tony says oh nice shot DR ROD LAVER serving. Oh he's the champion lol. Only punch of INS always has one more U.S. pro titles and labor rate labor is 5. 0. 0. 0 all those who are very close. Jack what do you call. The linesman says Oh and he may just call quickly decisively.

Did he study a little bit of a chance glimmer for Tony right here 15:30. For you all. Well Tony getting a commercial for that new camel rack and see you can stomp on it doesn't hurt a bit. It's aluminum. Oh oh. Thank you. 40 30.

Great shot. You. Probably. Want to. Make that charge again during a very deep Labor tried to have a ball hit from the baseline. Mr Tony's got him a deuce. Only the second time in the match the Tony's got this. Good scratch. I did a lot. Of whistles of disapproval from the crowd. Oh.

Her name her. Came out of the deuce. Situation All right. Wanted for frankly the later to see Donnelly that the first call on the baseline which was so close and Jack what here call it out was Labour's shot here it comes. Let's see what we think. Well just inside the sideline. Here it comes streaking down down down down. Down. Down down well it's about say let's bring it back where it hit. You see where that hit. Could well have been out it looks as though the ball's long on the line from the angle right there. We will just stand you delighted that the call was out. Yeah I think so. Rod Laver. Always won it all during this career of his two grand

slams the championships of every place. But maybe I swan in Antarctica. He's won everything now trying for this U.S. pro championship. He leads 6 3 4 3. The server will be Tony Roche. Now let's go down to the court and see what they're doing in between games they're just taking. Sips of water Laver. Says that he likes to take. A salt tablet or two. Well before playing and thinks it's too late. Once you get in the match he will sip a little water rinse. His mouth out but he drinks very little during a match. Tony Roche 25 years old the butcher boy from Tarka. Looked. Very big in Dublin where he won the regional. Over Labor.

Oh. Yeah. Goody low labor has not had the big year he had last year the slam year but he has won the South African. Service winners 40 0. 0 0.

For all. Game for most of the road. Games off or all. Like I said. If Laver can is first serve in this game but missed five out of the last. Nine in the last. Look. Gave Roche a chance to get to deuce twice. Finally to the second story roto rooter shot out of love. Did he. Hit the ball well.

There's an under spend approach in the ball just hugs to the choir kids in low and that age they're 15. Well I will call. This three out of four first serve but this goody holes a weakness we've seen this in his first serve with. Oh. He 40 Tony Roche. Has had to wait the better part of an hour to get a break point but now he has one.

And he'll have a second serve to look at. That sound a little later is. It. Right back with you on the stadium court at Longwood now Tony Roche serving to make this match even. Though it's by foreigners so. Good over here. I get a lot.

Of. Confidence begin spurting within Tony Roche. Oh. Goody. Well he did over me for. A little. Longer right. What he told before Laver could get set point for Tony Roche. Oh. Labor says no not that time. Another said what he did a very hard man to put across a set point on Rod Laver

waiting for the serve. Oh but he missed it and the set goes to Tony Wright and this crowd is getting a better. Game and second set the room six games out of the roll. Call Rhodes. Sawyer. I mean he's played a great match and great Charlie. Year after year here. What the American public always seems to want the underdog to win. Well everybody likes labor but they've seen him win here in Boston an awful lot. He's taken more than twenty nine thousand dollars away from the Merchants Bank the sponsor. Now he's waiting for people to settle the stadium is completely filled just like it was there quietly. Probably about five thousand to fifty five hundred people in here.

Set up piece Rod Laver leads off in the third. Hill take a look. We all count. Ace give me. Five aces belabored. Usually the stage. Would look. Like a game Tony Roche whose game is believing he's had shoulder trouble

most of the year took a rest. The hot weather. Has brought him back in the tram ride. And Donald L.. You were we were talking about Arthur Ashe we were talking about people making excuses for players but I don't think it's an excuse. That what you were telling me before the matches seems to be true and I think you can talk about it this time if you will that Arthur has a badly injured heel really does but he has a sort of month old growth in the bottom of his left heel that has been developing callouses visually about a year ago the pressure of the shoe being against that. It's continued Now it's no longer callous but it's actually becoming a soothing little growth there like I love the way you really get to diagnose and treat that you've got to put out a little bit of the support an issue that is not so it's not hitting so hard against the back into the shoe. He's taking a lot

of treatment this week and next week and also change the shoes. Very definitely is going to be a different type of shoe different footing back there for the Davis Cup at Forest Hills. Is he playing Columbus this week. Wait wait and see. He's entered We hope he'll play. And it's just going to depend on how he reacts to these different tests this week Tony Roche. Takes the ball's. Third set one set off. Labor has won the first game of the third. Oh. Down the line I'm good thank you. It was lovely

just guessed right. Stay right on the spot with the ball. It is. Already. Causing roaches to volley into the net. On the verge of being broken. Broken.

Free love. Very happy of that. Lot of good controls right good looking right all right. 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 I thought oh yeah that other ball of Labor thought was on the line with us getting off of the lines we call fall. I. Understand. What a pity.

Let's play three games tonight. Roach is right. They only want that. Tony Roche came from the town as the name of the place he no longer lives there. Sheep town about 250 miles northwest of Sydney. It was very apparent playing in the junior tournaments around there that he was going to be a good player he moved into Sydney where you could get expert instruction he and John Newcombe were contemporaries but Rod Laver was one of his heroes as a boy he was saying that in 1962. Remember for still as Tony was saying well we found out a couple of days later the Sydney papers finally got up to terra cotta we

found out later and won the Grand Slam and we really wanted him to win I was cheering for him then but I cheer for him no longer and it was the last match of the Grand Slam last year on that court at Forest Hills where Laver beat Roche. To conclude the slam the championships of Australia France England and the United States no slam for Laver this year he did not enter the Austria and he did not enter the French and he was beaten at Wimbledon after winning four straight titles and the fourth round by Roger Taylor another left hander he has had problems with left handers. He's up a bit on Tony Roche today but Laver has the break. Now let's go back to the court. Labor's walking out first. Don it's kind of interesting thing that last year when Laver was playing against Denis Ralston at Forest Hills and Denis took him into five sets that Laver found when he walked out on the court the first man as he is now there was complete silence.

And then when Ralston walked out the place went mad because Ralston was an American and he said I've learned and it came back to me right away from playing in Mexico the same thing happened. I've learned that when I play Arthur Ashe or any American favorite that I walk out. Wait till they walk on the court and walk out at the same time it's at least I share the applause he said I know it's not for me but at least I I'm not going to go out there and feel silly when nobody claps and then the other guy knocks down the place. Look he's got his work cut out here but because I feel the longer the match goes the better his chances are so Labor's trying to end it early not have any long set match not even get into the tiebreaker to make him even now I'm very unhappy over there and you know it. Labor can't stand the tiebreaker. Let the club. He says that he was nervous parts of Genesis in. The call but I think that's a really neat service tiebreaker to make it.

The sudden death then it is a winner and a loser at some point in the match. That gets abrupt All right. What do you. Want to eat. Lol Tony Roche wears a copper bracelet to ward off evil spirits and shoulder injuries. The bracelet is beneath his sweatband so you can't see it. The label laid we gave the wad. If.

ROD LAVER The server Tony Roche receiving the title match. All the third biggest prize in tennis $12000. Oh. Look a lot of the biggest is 20000 for the U.S. Open at Forest Hills which. Was the low the third straight Australian final here last of 0 Laver beat John Newcombe the last two years in the finals. Fight.

For one for labor. In this tournament. You're right a championship is a grand prix tournament. Could you just. Explain what this Grand Prix series is this year above the Grand Prix was started by Jack Kramer and he conceived the idea and finally sold it to the tennis associations around the world. Last May their 18 tournaments in it they take 10 percent of the advertised total prize money here in Boston for example 50000 so they put 5000 into a bonus pool. Pepsi Cola is a sponsor of a Pepsi Cola has put up one hundred twenty five thousand dollars to match $75000 in the pool from tournaments. So there's a $200000 package that they're all playing for each of these 18 tournaments they get bonus points. In other words grant three points here it's a Number One group tournament. The winner gets 11 points the runner up gets seven points in the current standings among the top 20 which their top 20 prizes first prize is

25000 to the winner. ROD LAVER stands pretty far back with 11 points. But should he win today he would jump up to 22. He got 22 points in and lie in third place. Tony Roach is it 10 points mainly because these boys did not play the French championships which was the first grand prix tournaments and Roche won he would have 21 points or if he lost here he would have 17 points moving into about six place. So you can see that very rapidly of course with far stills being a class A Grand Prix turnit which means more points 15 points from 15 to the win 11 to the runner up at Forest Hills that they're going to be moving right back into contention. All right Tony Roche serving out one full third set. Oh. Look at it.

Tony Roche was dieback involved there but that's his best shot and he missed it the looser of the set. It's over the baseline and normally would never make a sloppier on that shot. There's a lot psychological in this match I think because Tony knows he's never been right in a really big tournament he's beaten many times six times and got a start sometimes. Doesn't. Look good. With the old.

Oh. Goody goody. Goody which is down another service great point. The labor to do it 5 1. There's the. Second one. Coming. Just yet. It'll work up better and better

get it laid up. Again. Tomorrow I start that it will. Be Released. I was told to write like that will be serving for the third set. Of today's shots buddies put together back to my sister and eyes I've never seen two better shots to birds or the Rod Laver. Oh. The political and the real slow. Aloha to the 30 to the. Stronger he gets. He's Australians of. It's out.

You all. Is Australians are so well trained by Harry staying fit aged well. Oh. Real tribute to her but it is a pop up reference to six wonderful Australian champions over and over. Even even they know they don't always agree with his policies. Realize what a great impact he had on their lives. Oh. That's really old. Labor at that point.

Oh let me put it just in the see you want to rest. Already. Right. I see the label I don't like take the radical right take another mention of either one of them which they both want to get out of the club. Labour's picked up his jacket over their. Coats never seem to be thinking about well just run away and hide somewhere and try to pull himself together. Oh and I'm part Jim Sullivan confirms that war with WGBH is grateful to the following companies who have helped make possible the

coverage of the 1970 us pro tennis championships. The New England Mutual Life Insurance Company Zaher department stores. And the converse Rubber Company makers of athletic footwear. Will return to our coverage of the 1970 us professional tennis championships from Longwood in just one minute. This is PBS the Public Broadcasting Service.