Stars’ Volleys at White House Serve Drug Fund

The first pro-amateur tennis tournament ever held on the White House tennis court Saturday produced a light-hearted display by some of the game’s top talent, dogged efforts from show business and political figures and $450,000 for the Nancy Reagan Drug Abuse Fund.

Sparkling blue skies and temperatures below Washington’s usual muggy summer climate made the event more like a party than a contest. Professional tennis player Pam Shriver, with the game score at 4-4 in the fifth doubles match, appealed to the crowd: “Doesn’t everybody want to finish this with a tie-breaker?” The suggestion won applause and quick agreement from umpires Tom Selleck and Brooke Shields.

Shriver had already carried Don Budge, the 1937-8 Wimbledon champion, to a 6-0 victory over actor Cliff Robertson and pro tennis player Gene Mayer. Her burden in the second match was veteran actor John Forsythe, who rallied in the clutch to enable the team to win the tie-breaker with seven points over Secretary of State George P. Shultz and his professional partner, Roscoe Tanner.

President and Mrs. Reagan joined their guests only for the last match, sitting among the 200 spectators in the second row of the bleachers especially installed for the tournament. The bleachers were so close to the court that front-row spectators had to duck swinging rackets, and a tree across the court fouled half a dozen lobs.

At the close of the match, Selleck, who was to have played but was sidelined by a volleyball injury, presented a tennis racket to Nancy Reagan, praising her efforts in combatting drug addiction.

Shields, saying that “we can’t ignore the very good looking gentleman who’s sitting over there,” took another racket to the President at his seat.

The First Lady thanked the participants, spectators and corporate sponsors “from the bottom of my heart.” She then gave a $50,000 check to Dr. Mitchell Rosenthal, head of the Phoenix House drug detoxification program for youth in New York and California. She also gave a $50,000 check to RAP, a Washington anti-drug center.