DAVIS CUP

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 132, 8 June 1925, Page 6

DAVIS CUP

THE AUSTRALIANS' CHANCES

INTERVIEW WITH HAWKES.

(BI TELEGRAPII.—rRESS .ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, This Day. Hawkes and Patterson, two members of the Australian Davis Gup team, arc through passengers by the Niagara. Anderson, now in England for the Wimbledon tournament, will join them in Canada. Hawkes, who is manager of the team, in an interview said the programme "the team had before it was lo beat .Canada, getting into the semifinal, then to meet France as the probable winners of the European zone, and Japan as the probable winners of ihe Eastern zone. If successful in these matches, then to meet America in the final. Hawkes thought the Australians' prospects better than for some years. Anderson's health had much improved, and ho was showing his best form this summer. Patterson during the past season had played brilliant tennis, and would be the hardest man to beat on his day. It was practically certain that Patterson and Anderson would be the singles players throughout, and would probably also play in the doubles matches, but these were subject to rearrangement according to circumstances or the calibre of players to be met. The team will probably take part in two or three tournaments before the Cup matches. He anticipated France -would bo their strongest opponent in tho preliminary rounds and the country most likely to eliminate the Australians from tho final. If Australia beats France, he fully expected tho American defenders to be -Tildcn, Johnson, and Richards, in that order, despite ■ Tildeu's rumoured retirement. Though Richards ■was graded above Johnson last season in the American list, he felt sure it would be Tilden and Johnson the challengers would have to meet in the singles in the final match, and that' Richards would be flic reserve player of the team.