Articles

1955 - International

Men's singles = 4th rd (1/4 f)= Luis Ayala (Chile) d. E.Argon (Uruguay) 60 62; Trevor Fancutt (S.Afr) d. Vladislaw Skonecki (Poland) 57 64 75; Fred Kovaleski (US) d. Owen Williams (S Afr) 64 36 64; Jaroslav Drobny (Egypt) d. M.Badreddine (Egypt) 62 60;

½ f = Ayala d Fancutt 64 62 64; Drobny d. Kovaleski 63 61 64;

Final = Drobny d Ayala 63 64 57 75

Doubles = ½ f = Ayala-Skonecki d Fancutt-Williams 62 63 46 64; Drobny-Kovaleski d. K.Mobarak-Badreddine 63 62 64; Final = Drobny-Kovaleski d. Ayala-Skonecki 64 16 46 63 64;

Ladies singles = ½ Maude Galtier (Fr)d. A. McGuire (US) 62 36 75; Daphné Seeney (Australia) d. M.Weiss (Argentine) 68 64 61; Final = M.Galtier d D.Seeney 63 75

Ladies doubles ½ = G.Bucaille-Galtier d. Seeney-Erk (Austr-Turkey) 62 46 61 ; Weiss-McGuire d. Nena Farah (Leb)-Kyriacopoulo (Leb) 62 61; F = Bucaille-Galtier d. Weiss-McGuire 62 36 1311;

Mixed doubles ½ = Rita Drobny-T.Fancutt d. Kyriacopoulo-Argon 62 63; McGuire-Ayala d Seeney-Williams 97 63; F = Result Divided between the two pairs as the match could not be finished before nightfall.

• The left-handed J.Drobny (1921-2001), born in Czechoslovakia, but self-exiled in 1948 because of the communist take-over, was living in London and was granted the Egyptian citizenship by King Faruk. He won Wimbledon in 1954, at the age of 33, less than a year before coming to Lebanon, after having lost 2 finals there. He also won at Roland-Garros on his favourite clay surface twice in 1951 and 1952. Playing Davis Cup since before WW II, he had been ranked world no 3 or 4 in 1950, no 2 in 1951 and 1952, and no 4 in 1953.


• A week after Brummana, a special event was organized by Emile Yazbeck on the courts of the Tapline Oil refinery in Tripoli, North Lebanon namely ,two days of exhibitions were played by the international players, with the following results = 1st day = Ayala d. O Williams 62 61; Miss Seeney d Mrs McGuire 63 46 64; Maude Galtier-Williams d Miss Weiss-Fancutt 63 64; 2nd day = Drobny d Ayala 79 64 75; Galtier d Weiss 62 75; Ayala-Drobny d Williams-Fancutt 63 63


• In Istanbul, who was fast becoming the sister tournament of Brummana, the Swedish star Sven Davidson had won the semis over the American Budge Patty 61 61 46 26 108, and the Final over Mervyn Rose of Australia 86 60 46 61; - nb = Drobny had lost 64 26 36 61 64 to M.Rose.


• The Lebanese national champs had been won in June by Samir Khoury over Roy Karaoglan 64 64 75 and by Vera Mattar over Nena Farah 62 61; ½ results = S Khoury d Henri Haddad 64 62 62- R Karaoglan d Elie Attieh 26 36 86 60 30 retd. The doubles went to Khoury-Karaoglan over E.Attieh-Jo Jabbour 62 61 62;


• President Camille Chamoun, and his dignified wife, Zalpha, were there to present trophies to winners of both the local and the international event. The President will do the same in 1956 and 1957.