1.
GV Match in progress.
0.03

2.
SV Connors at net.
0.08

3.
SV Smith serves and loses point.
0.21

4.
SCU Connors speaking.
0.51

5.
GV Match continues and Smith wins point.
1.00

6.
SCU Smith speaking
1.28

7.
SCU Umpire.
1.33

8.
SCU Smith serves and Connors wins pot and match as layers walk off court. (2 shots)
1.58


CONNORS: "Well, at times tonight he was serving the way he used to, but he hasn't got all his confidence back yet. Once he can forget about his arm and get confident again he'll murder a lot of us guys. He hasn't played too much since then."



SMITH: "I think I was the Smith of old on the points I won, but Jimmy hits the ball so hard on his return that I wasn't used to it. That's why I made so many crucial volley mistakes in returns."




Initials VS 22.05 VS 22.10


SPORT: TENNIS
EDITOR'S NOTE: This film is serviced with part of interviews with both Connors and Smith. Transcripts follow:-

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Jimmy Connors defeated Stan Smith 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 in their match for a place in the quarter-finals of the U.S. Professional Indoor Tennis Championships in Philadelphia on Thursday (29 January).

The match was a classic tennis confrontation. The pair, arguably America's finest male tennis players, hadn't met for a year because Smith has been troubled by tennis elbow.

In 1974, they were co-ranked No. 1 in the U.S. For smith the tournament was the start of the long comeback trail after being a Wimbledon ad Forest Hills winner.

He played well, but was no match for his younger opponent. Connors has now won on five of the nine occasions they have met.

He also hinted that Smith still wasn't quite back to his best yet.

"At times tonight he served the way he used to, but he hasn't got all his concentration back. Once he can forget about his arm and get confident again, he'll murder a lot of us guys," he said.

In return, Smith said Connors brand of power tennis was too much for him at this stage.

Connors is now favoured to win the tournament which carries prizemoney of 115,000 U.S. Dollars (about 55,000 pounds sterling).