SOUTH AFRICA: HAROLD SOLOMON BEATS BRIAN GOTTFRIED IN ALL-AMERICAN SINGLES FINAL OF SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Record ID: 472784

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: HAROLD SOLOMON BEATS BRIAN GOTTFRIED IN ALL-AMERICAN SINGLES FINAL OF SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS.
  • Date: 28th November 1975
  • Summary: 1. GV Gottfried in blue shorts serves to Solomon and loses rally 0.11 2. GV Spectators 0.14 3. SV Solomon serving ZOOM BACK TO GV OF GOTTFRIED netting ball 0.34 4. SV Spectators 0.37 5. GV Next set with Solomon serving and nets ball, losing rally to Gottfried 1.04 6. GV Spectators 1.07 7. GV Solomon serving, Solomon hits net
  • Embargoed: 13th December 1975 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
  • City:
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics:
  • Reuters ID: LVA5OQN502CT79ALP8GPO0YUTA74
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: American Harold Solomon won the South African Open Tennis championships on Tuesday (25 November) by beating fellow countryman, Brian Gottfried 6-2, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 in the finals.

    It was a gruelling match which lasted three hours forty minutes and included a thirty minute interruption for rain.

    Solomon pounded the baseline and destroyed his opponent's confidence and composure. The win earned him about 30 thousand Rand (about ???17,000 sterling) in prize money and place in the Masters Grand Prix tournament in Stockholm later this month.

    Solomon had previously been beaten by Gottfried in Melbourne when Gottfried won form the baseline. But those tactics failed in Johannesburg. On the occasions when Gottrfied ventured forward on a slowish surface that suited Solomon, he invariably floundered in the face of fearsome passing shots.

    Gottfried took the third set but it was a shortlived reprieve and Solomon had no trouble in the fourth and final set.

    SYNOPSIS: American Harold Solomon, seen here receiving a serve, won this year's South African Open Tennis Tournament on Tuesday. He beat his fellow countryman, Britain Gottfried by 6-2, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 in gruelling final.

    The match lasted three hours forty minutes, with a half hour break because of heavy rain. Solomon pounded his opponent's baseline and destroyed Gottfried's confidence and composure.

    Solomon did lose one set. He was down by five games to one in the third set, but managed to fight back to five-all before losing the next two games to Gottfried. But it was had no difficulty with the fourth and final set, winning that by six games to one.

    Spectators were treated to fine tennis, particularly by Solomon. He had previously been beaten by Gottfried in Australia. Then he was beaten from the baseline bit these tactics didn't work in Johannesburg.

    The slow surface suited Solomon and when Gottfried did venture forward he invariably floundered in the face of passing shots.

    Solomon's win brings prize money of about seventeen thousand pounds.It also assures him a final place in the Masters Grand Prix tennis tournament to be played in Sweden. He was actually ninth in the Masters standings but American Jimmy Connors has pulled out giving Solomon a place in the final eight.
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