1.
GV Trophy & crowd
0.05

2.
GV Ovici serves & leses point (2 shots)
0.18

3.
GV Ovici serves & wins (2 shots)
0.35

4.
SV Riesson serves & wins 3rd set
0.46

5.
GV ZOOM INTO SV Riessen serves & wins set & match (2 shots)
1.00

6.
GV Smith serves to Nastase & lease set (2 shots)
1.12

7.
GV Smith serves & wins 2nd set
1.26

8.
GV & SV Smith wins 3rd set (2 shots)
1.39

9.
GV Nastase serves & wings 4th set, crowd applauds (2 shots)
1.49

10.
SV ZOOM into SV Smith serves & wins final set players shake hands
2.05



Initials SGM/0159 SGM/0105



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: In the Davis Cup interzens play-off at Alame in California on Tuesday (21 August), the United States tennis team made sure of a place in the final when they beat the Rumanian team. It will be the sixth consecutive U.S. appearance as David Cup finalists. The finals, to be held in Cleveland Ohis, will be against the winner of the inter-zone semi-final between Czechoslovakia and Australia which will be played in November.

In the two crucial matches that put the U.S. into the final, Marty Riessen defeated Rumania's Tom Ovici 6-1, 4-6, 7-5; and Stan Smith beat Ilis Nastase 5-7, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, This made the final score 3-2 in favour of U.S.

In his match against Ovici, Riessen began nervously and afterwards he admitted that the Rumanian had prated together than he expected. The match lasted almost three hours, and Ovici stated two exciting come-backs in the second and fourth sets.

In the contest between Smith and Nastase, mast observers through the outcome would be a foregone conclusion, with Smith easily over powering the Rumanian. As it turned out, however, Nastase forced the American to five sets.

SYNOPSIS: Tennis fans flecked to Alame, California, on Tuesday for the inter-zone Davis Cup semi-final between the United States and Rumania. A vital match was the one between Rumani's Tom Ovici, and the American, Marty Riesson. Riessen won the first set easily, 6-1.

But Ovici, here serving, came back to win the second set 4-6.

Rissan had a nervous start, but by the time he came to serve for the third set he had settled down. He won this one, 6-1.

Riessen new served for the fourth set, after Ovici had put up strong opposition. Riessen won the set 7-5, and so clinched the match, much to the delight of the American crowd.

Another crowd-pulling match was that between Stan Smith, here serving for the first set, and Rumania's Ilie Nastase. Nastase won the point and the set 5-7.

The second set was much shorter, and Smith - serving - took it convincingly six games to two. Observers had though the match would be a foregone conclusion, but Nastase still had a let more fight left.

The American won the third set 6-3, and it looked as if the United States would go through easily to the final with the winners of the semi-final between Czechoslovakia and Australia.

But Nastase fought back, and served to win the fourth set by six games to four.

In the final set Smith once again forged ahead ad made quite sure of the deciding point. He won the match 5-7, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, giving the United States a three - two overall ???ctory.