Word: laver
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...league tennis. Before last week, Nastase was acknowledged as the world's best on clay. His victory over Ashe-coupled with his close battle against U.S. Champion Stan Smith at Wimbledon last July-proves that he is a top contender for the position last held by Rod Laver: the game's premier player on any surface...
...Rosewall's drinking is confined to an occasional glass of beer. Stan Smith's most colorful expression is "Aw, shoot." Rod Laver does not even smoke. The tennis world has, in fact, sorely lacked an outstanding male player with personality to match since the heyday of dashing, temperamental Pancho Gonzales. Now there is a promising candidate for Pancho's old role. He is Breezy-Mannered Bachelor Bob Lutz, who last week became the first American in ten years to win the U.S. Professional Tennis Championship...
...knocked out top-seeded John Newcombe of Australia in the first round, scoring the final point in a tense tie breaker with typically audacious anticipation of a cross-court drive. "Fortune favors daring," Lutz later explained. Lutz's other victims, in order, were New Zealander Brian Fairlie, Aussie Laver, South African Cliff Drysdale and Dutchman Tom Okker. Okker was out-hustled in the final by Lutz, who earned $10,000 for his 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 triumph...
...side." Relaxing in Cleveland last week in a blue and pink striped Pierre Cardin shirt, blue velveteen blazer and color-coordinated bellbottoms, Lutz attributed his sudden rise to a newfound confidence. "Tennis is 70 to 80 percent psychological," he said. "After you beat Rosewall or Laver once, you say to yourself, 'I can do it again...
Lutz quickly grabbed the $10,000 first prize and headed off to Cleveland. The vultures shifted loyalties to Okker and Laver, both of whom lost in the second round of the Cleveland Classic Wednesday...