Still Champ

Before flying off to South America on a tennis tour, Big Jake Kramer had a few odds & ends to clean up. One of them was the National Professional Tennis Championship at Forest Hills, N.Y. He didn't feel very keen about it: he didn't dare lose it, yet there was little added glory for him in winning it. And the $1,900 prize money meant nothing to a man who had grossed $87,000 in his first season as a pro. In this frame of mind, Kramer last week nearly got his comeuppance.

First, after breezing through two easy opponents, he ran into a stone wall in the form of Welby Van Horn. After five grueling sets, Big Jake wobbled to the marquee none too pleased about his narrow victory: "My racket felt like a baseball bat." Two days later he squared off against ex-Champion Don Budge. Again Big Jake was carried to five sets. Budge's famous backhand was never better, but at 33, his stamina was not so good. Despite all the tea and sugar he consumed, Budge collapsed in the fifth set, won only one point.

In the final, Big Jake faced a man he was tired of seeing. He had played Bobby Riggs 89 times in the past five months. "It's just a question of doing what you've done a lot of times before," said Big Jake. He did it again, beating Bobby 14-12, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

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