1980 New South Wales Open

Hana Mandlikova Dominates 1980 Colgate Series Standings

Hana Mandlikova, 18, of Czechoslovakia, has won the Colgate first-place bonus pool award of $115,000 for the most points accumulated in tournaments during the 1980 New South Wales Open, the sponsors announced yesterday.

She automatically becomes the top seed for the $250.000 Colgate Women’s Series Championships at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland, from January 7 to 12.

Her victory in the Australian Open last week gave her a total of 1,670 points and clinched first place. Three tournaments remain.

The rest of the $US 825,000 bonus pool will be divided among the top singles and doubles players in the final point standings. Chris Evert Lloyd is second in singles points with 1,425 and Martina Navratilova third with 1,190.

1st round : Hana Mandlikova vs Diane Morrison in 1980 New South Wales Open

Mandlikova Battles Windy Conditions in Opening Match at the 1980 New South Wales Open

The Wind which swirled around the courts made it a test of patience as well as skill.

In this context, Hana Mandlikova was happy to sort it out in straight sets against American Dianne Morrison, 6-4 6-4.

2d Round : Hana Mandlikova vs Christiane Jolissaint

Mandlikova Excels Amid Financial Guarantee Controversy at New South Wales Open

The question whether players received under-the-counter payments to compete in Australian tournaments was still a major topic at the tournament. To clear the air, Roger Cawley, Evonne’s husband and business manager, went on television to say that she had negotiated a contract to do a commercial for Toyota in May last year. Evonne came under fire from Wendy Turnbull who alleged that the Wimbledon champion had received a guarantee to play in the Australian Open last week.

Hana Mandlikova, who has also been mentioned as receiving a guarantee to play in Australia, denied this.

“I come to Australia because I like to play here,” Hana said. “Everybody knows me here and I can tell you now I will come back next year. And I have no guarantees.”

Hana gave another blistering exhibition of her tennis ability when she swept Christiane Jolissaint, of Switzerland, off the court with a blistering 6-1 6-2 win.

There was obviously no letdown from her win in the Australian Open final on Sunday, although she was confident about her match because she has beaten Miss Jolissaint five or six times.

Miss Jolissaint was never allowed into the match after the young Czech swept to a commanding 5-0 lead in the first set and from then on it was just a matter of how many games the young Swiss girl could grab.

Hana naturally has her dreams and her goals. But she always remembers that her father told her she can have a dream but she must try to give everything for it.

“Always I have the dream of winning Wimbledon, but I don’t think about it all the time,”

she said. Despite all the publicity and the money she has won this year – more than $300,000 – she has her feet still firmly planted on the ground. Her new coach, Betty Stove, keeps telling her that she has to remain level-headed to get to the top.

Quarterfinals : Hana Mandlikova vs Virginia Ruzici in 1980 New South Wales Open

Rain Delays Quarterfinals at the New South Wales Open

While the Ruzici – Mandlikova encounter at the same stage of the competition last week in Melbourne at the Australian Open was very close, with Hana winning in 3 sets, the rematch on the White City courts was a formality for Hana Mandlikova, who won 6-2 6-2.

The quarterfinal was interrupted by rain after Mandlikova secured the first set 6-2 and the players were tied 1-1 in the second. With the weather refusing to cooperate, the tournament organizers postponed the matches to Saturday.

Despite the interruptions, the day saw Pam Shriver pull off a stunning upset, defeating Martina Navratilova in a dramatic match that concluded before the rain fully halted play.

Mandlikova and Ruzici agreed to resume their quarterfinal early the next morning, just hours before the semifinals were scheduled. The short turnaround posed no issue for Mandlikova, who quickly wrapped up the match. She dominated the six games played that morning, winning five of them to close out a decisive 6-2, 6-2 victory.

Semifinal : Hana Mandlikova vs Wendy Turnbull in 1980 New South Wales Open

Beaten in the final of the Australian Open by Mandlikova last Sunday, Wendy turned the tables with a tension-packed 2-6 6-2 7-6 win.

Mandlikova had every reason to feel confident about yesterday’s return against Wendy. She had beaten her in their last two clashes in Australia and her brilliant start when she swept through the first set 6-2 indicated that she was heading for another win.

But Turnbull had other ideas. She slowed her service fractionally and tried to steer the ball into Mandlikova‘s body.

“If you give Hana room to hit the ball she will keep firing back bullets,” Wendy said.

But the pressure is really on her today because her performances in finals are hardly encouraging.

Apart from her constant role as a “bridesmaid” in Australia she has been runner-up in five of the six tournaments she has played this year.

“It is different pressure in a final from playing in a semi-final,” she said. “Every time I have played Hana in Australia I wanted to win so badly but I just couldn’t get my game together.”

Mandilikova praised Wendy for the way she played but admitted she was mentally tired.

“I don’t want to excuse myself but I have been playing 10 consecutive weeks,” she said.

Scratching at the skin peeling off her nose from the sunburn from laying in the Australian summer, Mandlikova said she would be cutting her tournament commitments next year.

She has played 24 tournaments this year to gain physical and mental toughness but next year will play only 17.

Wendy Turnbull went on to win the tournament after an epic final against Pam Shriver.