THE DAVIS CUP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 283, 26 November 1908, Page 6

THE DAVIS CUP.

MATCHES COMMENCE TO-DAY.

The competitions for the Davis Cup commenced in Melbourne to-day between Norman Brookes and A. Wilding, representing Australasia, holder of the Cup, and Beales C. WrVjbfc and F. li. Alexander, representing America, the challengers. They conclude on Saturday. Five matches, four singles, and a double will be played.

M. J. G. Ritchie, who played for England against America recently in the Davis Cup Competition, has contributed an article to a London paper on the play in the match, and the following is an extract:—"ln my match agamst Beala Wright ray whole endeavour was to get my strokes to his back hand and get to" the net, and I thought if I could only carry out this programme and keep my opponent at the back of the court, I might win. Beale Wright's best game is at the net, where he generally goes for killing the ball outright. Off the ground, he uses a kind of overhead chop stroke, with a lot of cut on it, but without a great amount of pace. I found I could anticipate the direction of these strokes fairly well, and, following out mv plan of campaign, I generally had Wright rushing about at the.back lof the court, with mc up at the net to kill the ball when opportunity came. The American's wildness seemed to increase the longer we played, and I had the good fortune to beat him three straight sets. The first day's play thus resulted in one win for. Rngland and one for America. The crowd adopted a most sporting attitude, though naturally their sympathies and applause were more for their own countrymen. The next day Parke and I played the American champion doubles pair, Hackett and Alexander. Hackett is the steadiest double player T have ever seen. He never appears to make a mistake, an<J, plays with admirable judgment. Alexander is the brilliant player of the combination, and introduces a twist service with useful effect. He is, however, exceedingly erratic, and for a good part of the game against us was quite off form, then he suddenly woke up, and played magnificently.

"On the final day of the meeting, the Americans weTe two to one against us, and we had to win both our singles matches on that day to turn the tide in our favour. The closeness of the matches on the preceding days was instrumental in drawing an enormous crowd, and one paper computed the attendance at about 10,000 persons. I should say about 6000 would be nearer the mark. Parke'a match against Beals Wright was a great contest, a-nd I am inclined to think that if I could have pulled oft my match against Lamed, Varke would have won Ins. From the finish, of imy match, h,owever, Parke began to go down, and Beals Wright, playing brilliantly, got the game out of the fire after his opponent had been 2 sets to the good, and 5 to 3 against him in the third. Parke had been hitting, driving, and getting to the net against Wright on much the same lines a-s I had played him, and the plan of campaign again proved correct, so far as it went. The running was a little bit too hot for Parke, however, towards the last, and when once Beals Wright got the upper hand, he came along hand over fist. Parke towards the last was always at the back of the court, and this proved his undoing. The Americans were thus victorious by three matches to one. In each case I think I am Tight in saying that a little might have turned the tide the other way. I think we have in the old country at least one, and perhaps two, pairs, who would beat Alexander and Hackett, and in regard to Lamed, I think I could name three of our players who might beat him, and several who would make a good fight. I don't think, from the little I have seen in America, that the standard of play there is any higher than our own, if so high, generally .speaking."