TENNIS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 205, 12 June 1933, Page 2

TENNIS.

THE DAVIS CUP.

EUROPEAN ZONE MATCHES

LONDON, June 10,

Matches in the quarter-final round of the Davis Cup tennis contest, European Zone, were continued as follow. ' In the contest, Australia v. South Africa,. J. Crawford, Australia) beat A. S. Kirby (South Africa) 8-6, 6-1, 6^3.

Vivian McGrath (Australia) beat A. C. Robbins, (South Africa) 7-5, 6-4, 4-6, 10.8.

Crawford, with masterly, ease, called the t,une, to which Kirby, almost throughout, vigorously but vainly danced. There, were" glimpses of the form whereby Crawford defeated Cochet, but Kirby scarcely extended the Australian, whose service has fastly improved. He was! guilty of only one double fault in three sets. He rarely left the base line and was. impervious to Kirby's onslaught. Crawford's delicate chops and severe passing drives were delightful.

McGrath had a harder task against Robbins (champion of South. Africa), who is a powerful and reliable baseline player. He hits hard on both wings and is the personification of steadiness. He forced McGrath to fight all the way. The feature of the third set was the endeavour by Robbins to break down McGrath's backhand. In one rally he hit five successive drives down McGrath's backhand, admirably into the backhand corner, each of which was returned,- and the last one with such interest that Robbins was left standing. McGrath's service in the ioui-th set provided the day's brightest tennis, Robbins converting a deficit of 3-5 into a lead of 6-s'. The match swayed excitingly, McGrath neatly exploiting cb«ps and bringing Robbins reluctantly to the net, but the Australian was often beaten when he endeavoured to advance on his own drives.

At Eastbourne, G. de Stefani (Italy) beat F. J. Perry (England) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; W. H. Austin (England) beat L. de Morpurgo (Italy) 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Italy was eliminated. At Berlin, Satoh and N'unoi (Japan) beat von Cramm and Nourney (Germany) 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Germany .was eliminated.