Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York • Page 177

ports mo ml and tiftrnmirfe Baseball Average 8D Job Mart I0D-I4D ROCHESTER, N.Y., SUNDAY. JULY 7. 1974 ennis centers booming around Rochester Inside By TOM FITZGERALD Sportswriter Sparks from a welder's torch were soon be teeming with activity when an instructional group arrived. Mid-town was one of three indoor facilities that opened in the Rochester area last fall in response to the tennis boom that has been gathering steam in the United States in recent years. More than 5,000 players, from beginners to masters of the deep second serve, are members of tennis clubs in this area.

The number is growing and, although only the private Tennis Club of Rochester is operating at capacity, three clubs have embarked on expansion programs. There are 65 indoor and outdoor courts parato opened the Irondequoit and Brighton-Henrietta Tennis Clubs. Mid-town has 875 members and is shooting for by the end of October. Irondequoit and Brighton-Henrietta have a combined membership of about 3,000. Business has been so good at the two Comparato clubs that negotiations are being held for construction of a third on the west side of the city, according to Jim Comparato, 27, who oversees the two clubs.

A four-court indoor facility is expected to be ready by fall at the Twin Ponds Racquet Club in Henrietta, according to Please turn to 6D at the six local clubs how. Eight more courts are expected to be ready by the fall, and a seventh club, housing eight courts', may be opened by the winter season. Hundreds of persons have learned the rules, developed their backhands or polished their overhead smashes under the instruction of experts like Rahim, a Pakistani who is a member of the World Championship Tennis tour. Berkenkotter says the key to success for an indoor club is to fill the "dead hours" the daytime hours during the week. "From 5 to 9 (p.m.) you don't sell.

You just open your doors and watch them pour in. Once you've filled the daytime hours in bad weather, then the trick is to fill the good hours in good weather," Berrkenkotter says. "You do this by promotions and in-structoinal sessions. a of it is to get people to commit themselves in May when the weather is still bad. The courts are air-conditioned, so it's a lot more fun to play here in hot, humid weather than outdoors." The boom in indoor tennis began in Rochester last fall.

Shortly before Mid-town opened with an exhibition match by Bobby Riggs, developer Anthony Com- Auto racer succumbs Domenic S. Miuccio, who suffered head injuries in a crash at Oswego International Speedway June 29, died yesterday at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. Miuccio, 24, was injured when his Supermodified roadster bumped another car and crashed into a steel retaining fence during a semifinal heat. For the story, please turn to 2D. Pickets want help As picket lines by members of the National Football League Players Association went up at Houston Oilers' camp in Hunts-ville, NFLPA president Bill Curry, who himself picketed as a member of the Oilers, said he would try to enlist the aid of other unions, including the Teamsters, in order to stop the play-.

ing of NFL exhibition games without striking players. For the story, please turn to 3D. Weighty issue Some harness tracks, including Buffalo Raceway, exclude driver weights from their racing programs. In his weekly column, horse racing writer Paul Nochelski discusses issue, exploring some of the reasons for the weight omissions. For the details, please turn to 8D.

Row, row, Three American crews doing more than' rowing their boats gently down the stream' at' the Henley Royal Rowing Regatta in England. They are competing in today's finals." Harvard University, the Porcelian Club of dam-bridge. and Holy Spirit High School of N.J., hope to bring home titles in their respective classes. For details, please turn -to 5D. i Torrid pace i i 'j Joanne Carner, the hottest thing on the Ladies Professional Golf Association circuit this year, is in contention again at the Niagara Frontier Classic on Grand Island.

30-year-old Florida-based pro, who has scored three wins and two seconds in her last seven starts, moved into a tie for the lead with Sue Roberts and Murle. Breer entering today's final round. For the story, please turn to 4D. 'jv 4 i 1 1 'r'' I 4 I', falling in the background while resident pro Haroon Rahim volleyed with another staff member at the Mid-town Tennis Club. ExceDt for the two Dlayers and work men extending the roof to cover four ad ditional courts, the club was nearly des- serted, a rare occasion at tne indoor courts even on a sunny summer after noon.

General manager John Berkenkotter assured a visitor that the courts would Fitzmorris holds off Red Sox By The Associated Tress As far as the Boston Red Sox are concerned, right-hander Al Fitzmorris of the Kansas City Royals is one of the toughest pitchers in the American League. Fitzmorris, summoned from the bull- pen in the sixth inning, worked his way out of a jam and stopped the Red Sox the rest of the way yesterday in the Royals' nationally televised 5r3 victory. "I brought in Fitz because he pitches well against this club," said Kansas City manager Jack McKeoii. "Besides, he has a sinker ball, and I wanted someone to keep the ball in the park. He did exactly what I wanted." The Royals raked Boston starter Rick Wise for 10 hits and all their runs in less than five However, they had to withstand -Boston threats most of the way.

"We don't have any 'laughers," Mc-Keon said after the three-hour struggle. our games go down to the It doesn't matter, though, as long as you win." Amos Otis, Hal McRae, Tony Solaita and Fran Healy. had, two hits apiece to help the Royals to their fifth victory in the last seven games. Nelson Briles, making his second start since returning to action after knee sur- gery, surrendered seven hits, including home runs by, Rico Petrocelli Cecil Cooper, and collected his first victory of the year with help from Fitzmorris. The Royals jumped to a 2-0 lead, in the second inning on a single by John May-berry, a double by Solaita, a walk, a single by Healy and a doubleplay grounder.

Boston, which has lost four in a row and eight of its last 11 starts, tied the score on Petrocelli's two-run homer, his 12th, in their half of the second. Kansas City scored again in the third when Otis singled, stole second and came home on McRae's single. Cooper tied it in the bottom of the inning with his seventh home run of the season. The Royals then went in front to stay with a run in the fourth on singles by Healy, Fred Patek and Cookie Rojas. They made it 5-3 in the fifth when McRae doubled and scored on a single by Solaita off reliever Reggie Cleveland.

Fitzmorris had to pitch out of trouble in the ninth to nail down his first save of the season. Rick Burleson led off with a single and shortstop Patek bobbled Bob Montgomery's grounder for an error, putting two runners aboard. But Tommy Harper, Doug Griffin and Cooper all filed out to end the game. Wise saw his record drop to 3-4 in his first season in the American League. Solaita's run-scoring hit off Cleveland was the 11th and last Kansas City hit.

Cleveland walked four and struck out two the rest of the way. The Red Sox, who finished with 10 hits, had plenty of chances, but were unable to capitalize after Cooper's homer with one out in the third. Wise, a veteran right-hander acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals, struggled from the opening pitch. He has been set back this season by tendonitis in his right arm and an injured finger on his pitching hand.

4 i At Buerkle sets mark; U. S. bows DURHAM, N.C. (AP) Rochester's Dick Buerkle shattered the nieet record in the run yesterday in the Soviet-American dual track competition. Buerkle, the former Villanova and Aquinas runner, was clocked in 13 minute's, 26.1 seconds.

In other highlights of yesterday's portion of the two-day meet, American Reggie Jones completed a sprint triple victory by defeating Olympic champion Va-leriy Borzov, and Russian Lyudmila Bra-gina broke her own world record in the women's 3,000 meters. In; the team competition, the Soviets scored a 192-lW. victory although the U.S. men rallied to win, The Russian women won, 90-67. After a poor start, Jones drove past Borzov in the final 60 meters to complete a sprint double victory in this meet.

His time was 20.8; seconds. Kansas graduate Mark Lutz -slipped past Borzov to claim second Jones won, the lOQ-meter dash Friday, and ran on the victorious U.S., relay team. American men scored another' upset sweep in the javelin. Sam Colson and Fred Luke used' their final throws to beat former Olympic 1 champion Janis Lusis. Colson's winning throw was 285 feet, 4 inches.

1 1 Miss Bregina, a 30-year-old 'physical education teacher, pulled steadily away to run the 1.87-mile distance in eight minutes, 52.7 seconds onk the, Duke University track. Hep old record, set in 1972, i She credited the steady applause from a damp crowd of 38,500 for pushing her through the final laps to the record. Mary Decker and Rick Wohlhuter gave the United States victories in the women's and men's 800-meter races, though the two events were as different as races can be. Wohlhuter, the mustachioed insurance adjuster who runs for the Chicago Track Club, took the lead from the start and used a long, flowing stride to lengthen it the rest of the way. He was 30 yards in front of American James Robinson as he crossed the finish line in 1:44.

Miss Decker, at 15 a veteran of American-Soviet competition, won a more competitive race. She took the lead with 300 meters to go, lost it to Niele Sabaite entering the stretch, then took it again with a finishing sprint. Her time was a meet record 2:02.3. Francine Sichting.of the South Coast Track Club scored another victory for the U.S. women as she took the 200 meters in 23.2.

Marina Sidrova was second, four-tenths of a second behind Miss Sichting. Rhonda MacManus of Southern University was third. The U.S. suffered disappointments in the long hurdles races. In the 400-meter hurdles, Jim King and Mike Shine held the lead into the stretch but faded badly, and Yevginiy Gavrilenko came on to win in 49.6 with Shine second.

The Soviets also took the long jump as Valeriy Podluzhniy nipped Arnie Robinson, 26-5 to 26-4V4. Soviet women scored victories in the pentathalon, javelin and 100-meter hurdles. Photo, 4D Monday night football to change America's weekday prime time viewing habits and the WFL, knowing that Sunday afternoons were already taken, hopes viewers will switch on summer football on Thursday nights. There might.be snow on a viewer's tootDau screen, but certainlv littlo or none on the field as the regular season enus on inov, 13. Perhaps because of the summer time slot, the league opted for, warm weather cities for seven of its franchises.

They are the Birmingham Americans, Hawaii Havvaiians, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Sharks, Memphis South Please turn to 3D St. .1 iT! America's' Jimmy Connors lunges WIMBLEDON, England (AP) Young Jimmy Connors shattered the comeback hopes of veteran Ken Rose-' wall yesterday to win the' men's singles title in the All-England tennis championships. Connors," the 21-year-old' pro from Belleville, 111., needed only 90 minutes to dispose of Rosewall, 6-1, 6-1, 6-4 before a capacity crowd of 14,000. Connors mmmmm Australia's Ken jRsewallj (AP)' gets. "He has a great mental approach and pride.

He gets steamed up 100 per cent. He can't stand losing." Rosewall, a strong sentimental favorite after dramatic victories over John Newcombe and' Stan Smith, said yesterday he lacked the tools to compete with Connors. Please turn to 5D owners Martin. "I know what is best for my I can't fault David Clyde for the way he pitched tonight because that would not be fair to him. I know the situation and I know what he needs.

His confidence is down and he is not helping us right now." Added Martin, "It's a shame what happened to the kid tonight." "He needs to be in the minors facing people his own age for a while," said Yankee designated hitter Bill Sudakis. "Down there he'd be overpowering hitters and building up his confidence and he could be learning to throw another pitch which is what he needs most." Rosewall Martin feu I 4 5 to refurn shor urine victory 'over 'The victory' gave 'Connors and his fiance, Chris Evert of Fort Lauderdale, a clean sweep of the singles titles and a combined earnings of $42,500. Connors won $25,000 for yesterday's triumph. "He is a killer," said Pancho Se-gura, Connors' long-time coach and a former rival of "The tougher the situation the meaner he Martin wanted, to send Clyde to the Spokane farm club in the Pacific Coast League to pitch twice to give him then return him to the Rangers to start the Yankee series. "I apparently don't make the decisions, on those matters," said Martin afte-Friday night's game.

The Times Herat' said he spoke angrily when asked about Clyde's future. "You'll have to ask Dr. Brown about that. He is apparently making all the decisions now." Dr. Brown is Dr.

Bobby Brown, club president. He was unavailable for comment. "I'm no neophyte at this game," said tion of leagues spawned by the sports boom of the 1960's and 1970's has not been a major box office success. The American Basketball Association and the World Hockey Association, are-fighting to exist. Only the American Football League, which merged with the established National Football League, really made it to the financial and ath-.

lelic big time. Football was the first major American" sport to move into a second generation with' the AFL in I960, and now football is the first to give birth to a third generation with the WFL. The WFL has an old hand at creating new leagues in commissioner Gary Davidson, who started both the ABA and trounces ding with Score International League rawtucket at Rochester Richmond at Charleston Syracuse at Toledo Tidewater at Memphis American League Kansas City 5, Boston 3 Chicago 9, Detroit 8 Milwaukee 3, Minnesota 0 Baltimore 3, Oakland 0 New York at Texas Cleveland at California National League Atlanta 3, Chicago 2 San Francisco 5, New York 2 St. Louis at Cincinnati San Diego at Philadelphia Los Angeles at Montreal Pittsburgh at Houston NY-P League Batavia at Niagara Falls Newark at Elmira Onconta at Auburn Lacrosse Philadelphia at Rochester Golf Scores Ed Snead 66-67-71-72-276 Grier Jones 72-71-66-71-280 Chuck Courtney Bob Zender 69-70-69-73281 WFL stumbles toward its grand opening ARLINGTON, Tex. (AP) A power struggle has arisen the Texas Rangers' manager, Billy Martin, and the new owners' of the baseball club, the Dal'as Times Herald reported yesterday.

At issue is whether Martin has the authority to send lefthanded pitcher David Clyde to the minors briefly for seasoning. Clyde was the much-touted 19-year-old who was the club's No. 1 draft choice last year. He was lifted in the first inning Friday night against the New York Yankees after he walked three and gave up a hit to be charged with four runs. His 1974 record is 3-5.

phis hosts Detroit. The 12-team WFL has some big names like Larry Csonka, Paul Warfield, Ken Stabler and Calvin Hill, and these names have some big salaries. However, those players won't start earning their WFL paychecks until the 1973 or 1976 season. And with three teams said to be in financial trouble already; the league won't say which ones the WFL will need whatever help it can get. Until it gets it, the new league will have to survive on the promise of future talent, and the hope that a saturated sports supermarket still has room on the shelf for a third generation football league, Except.for football, the second genera WHA.

Under Davidson's guidance, the WFL has injected some significant innovations into the sport, like kickoffs from the 30-yard line, missed field goals being returned to the 20, no fair catches, optional two point conversions, and a fifth quarter tie-breaker. But the big question Will there be, fans in the stadium and at home watching all this radicalism? The WFL. signed a contract with an independent New York-based television network, TVS, and plans to air one game nationally from its 20-week schedule each Thurs-dav night 8 in Rochester). The New York Stars travel to Jacksonville, to meet the Sharks in this Thursday televised game. By The Associated Press George Allen, coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League, lives by the motto: "The future is now." The World Football League, set to begin its rookie season Wednesday with a five-game schedule, knows the future isn't now, but is placing its uncertain bankroll on the future existing, and being only a couple of years away.

Wednesday, the, WFL begins its attempt at capturing a piece of the public's sports dollar when Portland plays at Philadelphia, Hawaii travels to Florida, Southern California is at Birmingham, Chicago entertains Houston, and Mem Please turn to 2D i.