European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 30, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday june 30, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 25 briton Wade upsets Evert in semis by Robert Musel Wimbledon up third seeded Virginia Wade covering the court in Aston Ishing fashion gave Britain an unexpected Silver Jubilee present wednesday by beat ing the top seed and defending Champion Chris Evert 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 to reach the finals of the $373,440 Wimbledon championships. But the wildly cheering Hometown crowd of 15.000 in Center court failed to get the first All British women finals in 16 years when seventh seeded Betty stove Defeated fourth seeded sue Barker 6-4,1-6.6 4 to become the first dutch player Ever to reach the finals. And she did it on one Good leg. Evert was beaten but not disgraced inner one hour 55 minute Duel with 31-year old Wade who was faster and fitter than Ever before and. For the first time in the 16 years she has been playing Here free of the mental Burden of carrying the British Hopes with time she said she decided to forget about the gasps groans and cheers that have always worried her in the past. Evert said afterwards that she just could t get herself psyched up for the match."1 was on the defensive the whole time she said and i just could t reach Dee inside and pull out what i needed to win. I just did t have she said she had no excuses and seemed upset when reporters kept asking Why she had played below her Best form. It just proves i m human she said and i Don t think people give me enough credit for the matches i , twice an losing semifinalist and delighted at reaching her first finals said i think i be just got the will Power and the guts to win this also has the Speed about the court a backhand overhead smash that bothered Chris and a lob that is Good More often than was immediately installed a Strong favorite to beat stove in Friday finals which will be played in the presence of Queen Elizabeth making Only he second appearance Here and then Only be cause it is the 100th Wimbledon. Wade said she knew the Queen did t care much for Tennis but maybe we can show her that she anything could change her majesty s mind it was the Battle Between the 22 year old it. Lauderdale player and the Veteran briton Only two weeks from her 32nd made one of her rare strategic mistakes in the match trying to lob an chop her Way out of trouble against an opponent who got to both strokes and whose answering and effective tactic was to Rush the broke service to 2-0 in the first set and held her own service to 3-0 in a game i which Evert had eight break Points. Wade broke again to 4-0 and ran out the set wit Chris double faulting at set Point. Evert had trouble All the Way in winning her second set. She broke Wade to open the set and forced the briton into Long Baseline allies. Evert dropped her service to 3-3 on three errors. However she broke Back to Lead 4-3 on a lob for advantage Point Fol Lowed by a Long rally that ended when Wade was wide with a backhand. Evert then served at love and held on for the rippled through the third set to become the first British woman in the finals since 1969. She held her service in the first game in which Evert got an ova Tion for sportsmanship rare in these Days of High returned a Ball that the Umpire thought was All right but she advised him it had been a double Bounce. The Point gave Wade the game and she broke Evert to 2-0 in the next game. Evert held her service to 1-3 but after that nothing she tried seemed to help and she even got two bad bounces of the Ball one of which gave Wade 40-30 in the fifth game of the final set. In contrast the stove Barker match was 90 minutes of tedium. In the first set the 32-year-old dutch woman playing with her right knee heavily bandaged held he service Only twice out Barker managed to hold hers Only once. Barker brought her Strong forearm into the game to take the second set but despite the vocal urgings of the crowd the end Wasa foregone conclusion. They broke each others services to Ope the third set and stove broke again to 4-2 with both spraying the court with errors. The 21-year-old British girl had four break Points in the ninth game and lost All of them. Stove had a match Point at advantage but rushed a forehand Volley into the net. Barker then scored the game Winner with a forehand served the last game. Stove had another match Point at 30-40 and again rushed a forehand. Barker double faulted to give her a third match Point. On this one the British girl dribbled a weak forehand into the net. Evert had six double faults. Twice Heball failed to Bounce True on the worn grass of Center court and both times it Cost Evert a Point. Wednesday s results women ssi noles semifinals ii. Bruin. Del clan Evert i. . To. 44.�i Billy stove i Holland Del sue by or 41, Brit lm.t4.14.t-4 women a doubles sue Imp plan and Lehv in Arlen. Britain Del univ Boi Holl and Liana Kun South ainu 11. M. M the villains britons forgiving of Nasty treat Connors with contempt Byril Grimsley Wimbledon England a the two villains of Tennis Hie Nastase and Jimmy Connors. Wimbledon loves the one and has a deep seated dislike for the other. U is one of snort s strange paradoxes. When Nastase. The mad romanian arrives at this hallowed shrine of the Lawn game five rackets cradled in one Arm and his pretty wife Dominique clinging to the other drooling women almost scratch each other s eyes out fighting to reach his line of passage. Teen agers scream and Giggle. Middle aged women gush. Even old Gray haired ladies in bonnets nudge Forward to bestow a smile. There s a marked contrast when the cocky Young Connors acknowledged to be the Best player in the world is driven Lothe main Entrance of the jaded Green club House in a Chauff cred limousine Mother Gloria hovering Over him like a doting Hen. Animosity lad. That one a Man was heard to say. Spilt ing on the no respect for the added a woman in the crowd. There is a Low buzzing sound. No Hearty cheers in Hearty go get pm. Jimmy Laddie just a few muffled Boos. The contrasting mood has been carried Over to the courts during the opening six
