CREATE TABLE table_204_553 (id NUMBER, "outcome" CLOB, "no." NUMBER, "date" CLOB, "tournament" CLOB, "surface" CLOB, "partner" CLOB, "opponents in the final" CLOB, "score in the final" CLOB)

the match on november 12 , 1978 was on a hard surface . what was the surface of the previous match ?
SELECT "surface" FROM table_204_553 WHERE "date" < (SELECT "date" FROM table_204_553 WHERE "date" = '12 november 1978') ORDER BY "date" DESC LIMIT 1
SELECT "surface" FROM "table_204_553" WHERE "date" < (SELECT "date" FROM "table_204_553" WHERE "date" = '12 november 1978') ORDER BY "date" DESC FETCH FIRST 1 ROWS ONLY