Rosewall Gives Australia Lead in Legends
With longtime tennis star Ken Rosewall playing a role in both points, Australia took a 2-1 lead over the United States in the first day of the inaugural Rod Laver’s Legends Cup Saturday.
Rosewall won his singles match against Marty Riessen, taking the best-of-three tiebreakers, 7-4, 1-7, 7-5. Then he teamed with Roy Emerson for a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) doubles victory over the U.S. team of Roscoe Tanner and Tom Gorman. The United States scored its point with a doubles victory by Riessen and Jackie Cooper over Ross Case and Laver, 6-4, 2-6 (7-2 tiebreaker for the match).
The best-of-seven match format will conclude today, starting at 10 a.m. at the La Quinta Hotel Stadium Court, with Rosewall and Emerson playing Riessen and Cooper, followed by Laver vs. Gorman, Case vs. Tanner and Laver-Case vs. Tanner-Gorman.
An estimated crowd of 800 attended Saturday. The event benefits the Merlin Foundation for melanoma (skin cancer) research.
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