Number One seed Stan Smith of the United States today (Sunday) won the Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship in a sensational 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 finals match against Ilie Nastase, the Number Two seed from Rumania. Smith - last year's finalist against Australia's John Newcombe - played a forceful and tough game, stressing his big serve and strong volleys. While Nastase showed brilliant speed and flare, gaining points which seemed virtually impossible. The 25-year-old Smith, an Army Corporal from South Carolina, played far better than at any other time during the Wimbledon fortnight - but he was also faced with toughest opposition he had yet met.
The Wimbledon crowd, often accused of partiality for one player or another, seamed totally unable to take saidas - cheering and applauding each player's successful points and groaning at their misses.
Stan Smith's win makes it a Wimbledon double for the USA - as his fellow-countrywoman Billie Jean king won the women's title on Friday (July 7). Today's final was a postponement from yesterday, when the finals matches were rained out.
Nastase went on this afternoon to partner Rosemary Casals in the end of the rained-out mixed doubles semi-finals against Billie Jean king and Clark Graebner of the USA. Then, after winning, went on to defeat Evonne Goolagong and Kim Warwick of Australia for the title.
SYNOPSIS: In one of the most outstanding Wimbledon finals in years, number one seed Stan Smith of the Untied States won the Men's singles title by defeating Humania's Ilie Nastace, the number two ???ed. Lying even at two sets each, after more than two and a half hours of superb tennis, Nastase is serving to stay in the match by holding his serve. Smith is leading six-five win no service breaks in the set.
With the score at deuce, it's still anybody's game - and the Wimbledon centre court crowd, often accused of partiality, is playing no favourites in an afternoon of some of the best tennis of the championship fortnight - or even of its 95-year history.
Stan Smith's paints, watching anxiously from the stands, did not have long to wait to see the point which gave their son the title he missed in last year's finals, when he was defeated by Australia's John Newcombe.
And so, the 25-year-old Army Corporal from Sough Caroline made it a double for the USA as he accepted the trophy from the Duke of Kent.
Stan Smith wins Wimbledon singles
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