India loses to Britain

NEW DELHI, MARCH 3. Britain proved too strong for host India, as it recorded a 6-0 triumph in the pre-quarterfinals of the Columbus Trophy international veterans tennis tournament, organised by the International Lawn Tennis Club of India, at the Gymkhana Club courts here on Saturday.

Enjoying the fine weather and the well-manicured grasscourts, the veterans showed a thing or two about playing the game in right earnest, as they competed in two age groups, over- 55 and over- 65.

The Indian line-up of Daljit Wallia, Ramesh Gautam, Akhtar Ali, G. Palani, C.V. Ranganathan and Prem Mehta could not extract more than 16 games from the British, with the younger lot accounting for 12 of those games.

There was an interesting tie between Holland and France, and the former prevailed on the basis of more games won. The two teams had won three matches each, Holland winning the over-55 event 2-1 and France clinching the over-65 event with a similar margin. The two teams had also won the same number of sets. Eventually, in the tabulation of games won, Holland was ahead 63 to 48.

In the quarterfinals, top-seeded South Africa, which had a bye in the first round, will take on Japan and the second- seeded US will meet Belgium. In the two other matches, Britain will meet Argentina and Germany will play Holland.

The Minister of Law, Justice, Company Affairs and Shipping, Mr. Arun Jaitley, inaugurated the tournament.

lThe results (pre- quarterfinals): Japan beat Luxembourg 6-0: Over-55: Michio Fujii bt Jaess Neuman 6-0, 6-1; Hitoshi Hirose bt Guy Gilniat 6- 2, 6-4; Hitoshi Hirose and Ichiro Konishi 6-0, 6- 1; Over- 65: Atsushi Miyagi bt Jan Jilemnicky 6-0, 6-2; Susumu Matsura bt J.G. Kirschgesser 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Atsushi Miyagi and Kunio Miyaji bt Jan Jilemnicky and H.G. Kirschgesser 6-2, 7-5.

Britain beat India 6-0: Keith Bland bt Daljit Wallia 6-0, 6-2; Alan Purnell bt Ramesh Gautam 6-2, 6-3; Keith Bland and Richard Tutt bt Akhtar Ali and Daljit Wallia 6-2, 6-3; Donald Shears bt G. Palani 6-1, 6-1; Brian Storr bt Prem Mehta 6-1, 6-0; Donald Shears and Ken Buswell 6-0, 6-1.

Argentina beat Switzerland 6-0: Daniel Harms bt Daniel Auberson 6-2, 6-3; Norberto Herrero bt Jurgen Buttkus 6-1, 6-4; Daniel Harms and Norberto Herrero bt Daniel Auberson and Jurgen Buttkus 6-3, 6-4; Eduardo Polledo bt Rudi Glaus 4-6, 6-0, 7-5; Hector Rossenvaser bt Alain Couteau 4-6, 6- 2, 6-0; Eduardo Polledoo and Hector Rossenvaser bt Rudi Glaus and Alain Couteau 6-0, 6-4.

Germany beat Denmark 5-1: Harold Elschen Broich bt Carsten Hauch 6-1, 6-0; Uwe Gottschalk bt C.M. Sharma 6-0, 6-0; Harold Elschen Broich and Uwe Gottschalk bt Carsten Hauch and S.K. Ranawat 6-3, 6-1; Werner Rautenberg lost to Soren Hojberg 4-6, 4-6; Pit Baum bt Poul Ehlers 6-3, 6-1; Werner Rautenberg and Pit Baum bt Soren Hojberg and Jan Raffel 6-2, 7-6 (11-9).

Holland drew with France 3-3 (won on games 63- 48): Evert Schneider lost to Michel Bozigues 1-6, 2-6; Hans Adema van Scheltema bt Philippe Lagarde 6-2, 6-1; Evert Schneider and Hans Adema van Scheltema bt Herve Clement and Philippe Lagarde 6-3, 6- 0; Jaap Arends lost to Guy Schram 3-6, 4- 6; Michael van Berckel bt Felix Sarrailh 6-1, 7-5; Jaap Arends and Michael van Berckel lost to Guy Schram and Larcy Sears 2-6, 4-6.

Belgium beat Hungary 5-1: Pierre Mignot bt Zoltan Gyorgy 6-1, 6- 1; Ronald Bettens bt J. Claus 1-6, 1-5 (retired); Pierre Mignot and Ronald Bettens lost to Zoltan Gyorgy and J. Claus 4-6, 6-7 (3-7); Charles Smidt bt Ivan Safar 6-1, 6- 0; Jacques Mercier bt Victor Dojcsak 7-6, 6-2; Charles Smidt and Jacques Brichant bt Ivan Safar and Victor Dojcsak 6-1, 6-1.

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