by Bill Nichols
Love may make the world go 'round, but it sure raises havoc with tennis practice.
Linda Tuero, Wendy Overton, Valerie Ziegenfuss and Patti Hogan of the United States team all answered Captain Carole Graebner's roll call when the team assembled Monday afternoon at Clark Stadium. But one player was missing. Where was Chris Evert? No one knew, but a few had suspicions. The U. S. gals are getting ready for Australia's finest girl players and the Bonne Bell Cup matches this weekend.
MRS. GRAEBNER WAS , at first, puzzled and, as the minutes passed, was fuming. Carole looked like an upset mother waiting for her teenage daughter to come home from a date. In a way, she was.
Around three o'clock a blue Ford entered the Roxboro School parking lot with a handsome young lad at the wheel and a pretty suntanned lass by his side. It was Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert. Chris was late, and she knew it.
She managed to smile at Carole as she hunched down in the car. But, if ever a cat swallowed a canary, it was Chris, the darling of the tennis world and Jimmy, too.
A ROMANCE BETWEEN the two teenage tennis stars was rumored at this year's Wimbledon championships. They dated, but denied a romance. They're still dating.
Neither would discuss it Monday. In fact, Chris and Jimmy shied away from photographers. "No interviews," chuckled Jimmy, knowing in advance what the questions would be.
On Sunday, after he won both the singles and doubles titles in the Buckeye Championships in Columbus, the 19-year-old Connors said he might get married on the $6500 prize money. "No, don't put that in the paper," he begged.
WHO IS THE INTENDED ONE? "Oh, she lives in Rome, " he said almost evasively, before he came up to Cleveland to see 17-year-old Chris.
Jimmy was in Cleveland and not Rome on Monday. He was with Chris, but today they'll part again. Connors will be in Winston-Salem, NC, to play in a tournament and Chris will remain here.
She should be on time for practice today.