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Big break for
leading junior
TOP TEENS I1V SPORT
No. 2
By Cynthia Robinson
-
?
. Most teenagers lucky enough to make a
world trip do it on a shoestring, but 17-year
old Tony Roche is doing it in luxury style,
thanks to his talent in hitting tennis balls.
J?OR Tony (pictured at
right), a powerful left-
hander regarded by experts as
the best player of his age in the
world, recently left on a six
month trip with the official
1963 Australian men's tennis
touring team.
It's a glamor trip which will
cost him nothing, but if he had
to pay for it himself it would
add up to about £4000.
On this trip, Tony - the
"baby" of the four-man team
will play in Singapore, Penang,
the Middle East, Rome, Paris,
London, New York, Los
Angeles, Japan, Hong Kong,
and Manila.
Tony, who has already been
on two tennis-playing trips to
the States and one to Indonesia,
was born in Tarcutta, N.S.W.,
and began to play tennis at
school when he was nine.
His mother and father played
tennis locally "just for fun" and
encouraged his interest.
Tony's first break came
through an N.S.W. junior de-
velopment programme which
provides divisional coaching
schools in country areas.
From the time he was 13 he
kept receiving invitations to
play in Sydney, so he decided
to move to the city and concen-
trate on breaking into "big
tennis."
And it didn't take him long.
By 1960 he'd made a name as
an up-and-coming star, and in
the following two years he was
chosen to represent Australia in
the Junior Davis Cup matches
in Miami, U.S.A.
Tony-who, when he's not
playing tennis, works on the
promotions st j ff of a Sydney
sporting-goods firm-showed his
brilliance during the latter tour
when he won the Orange Bowl
none Help
Tournament. This is, in effect,
the world junior title.
During the past Australian
season he won the junior singles
titles of three States and the
Australian Hardcourt title.
His best senior performances
were his victory over Roy Emer-
son in the Queensland singles
and his narrow loss to Rod
Laver in the Victorian singles.
Tony, a bronzed champion of
5ft. lOin. and 12 stone, thinks
much of his success could be due
to the fact that his father is a
bulcher and he's always been
enthusiastic about steak for
"breakfast, dinner, and tea."
"I'm sure all this steak has
helped to toughen me up for
the physical endurance tests
which really close matches can
develop into," he said with one
of his beguiling grins.
'Tony, who plays golf when
tennis permits and keeps in
shape with a little weightlifting
and a lot of running, enjoys
parties after tournaments, but
has no special girl-friends al
present.
This year will be his firsi
Wimbledon. It probably won';
be his year to win the title, bu;
stranger things have happened
And everyone who know -
Tony wishes him luck ?- foi
he's a delightfully natural
straightforward teenager . .
unspoiled by his success.
NEXT WEEK:
Dianne Bowering
$