THE FINAL SINGLES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 212, 7 September 1922, Page 5

THE FINAL SINGLES.

PATTERSON'S ACCOUNT. ANDERSON EXTENDS TIEDEN. NEW YORK, September 5. - G. L. Patterson contributes the follow- ' _ : ing account of the lmai matches for tbe , Davis Cup: -The nnal matches did not ■ I need muc.i piay to decide the issue wh.cb ■ j bad been hanging vi the balance over the ' •> ; week-end. dobnoton whb ruthless against , _,mc and did not weaken once, piaying i j almost perfect tennis. It went badly • | for mc frum the start for, realising Johnston's wonderful steadiness, I was trying . > for winners on the return of the serve »nd was missing a fair number of services by doub.e faults. Johnston was returning my service consistently. His : forehand -also was working well all ' through the match either down the line or cross-court v.cry short, and though < not such a point-winning factor it often < opened the way for his peerless crushing ' backhand shots. Johnston for the most '• part attacked my backhand aud was | scoring repeatedly thereabout. "The heat was oppressive all through i • the match, and after the first set my • 1 best chance seemed to be to tire John- i ston with alternate deep shots and lobs, '' but unfortunately for mc he did not ' seem to mind either as his court work ' and serving were remarkable. The scores ' recorded an overwhelming defeat for mc, < but several games were close, and it was • Johnston's steadiness in pinches—and f they were few—that carried him to such ' a hollow victory. 1 felt that at any time '■ I migbt get a break, but Johnston was '■ not allowing any encores, and went right ' ahead to victory. The Davis Cup, with this win, was safe in America's keeping . ' for another year, but even so we will ; be on hand with another challenge * next year. We have to thank the ! crowd for their generosity to us in their ; applause. Our whole stay here has.been ' very pleasant, and w e will take back to ; J Australia happy memories of our games, ■ even when taking the pill of defeat. I "l'he most thrilling tennis of the after- I : noon was when Anderson played Tildcn ! 1 after the fate of the cup had been I ' settled. Anderson extended the cham- ' | pion to bis limit, and his forehand drive ' | was working wonderfully well. Playing' 1 | with more caution than against John- , ' I ston, Anderson picked his ball very judi- ' 1 ciously for a hard drive, and mixed these j I shots well with opportune drop shots. | Tilden's backhand shots were marvel-| ( ! lously brilliant. It was perhaps his great ' steadiness which pulled him out of the . ■ fourth set and the famous bullet serve. '. I Tilden's bullet serve came to his rescue when defeat was threatening. Tilden, , when trailing behind two sets to one . with four all and love-30, evened the score with two aces, and he never really , got into further trouble and won the 'fifth set comfortably, making the total : tally four matches for the United States \ i and one for Australasia. j "So ended a most successful year's play. The Davis Cup contest is gaining popularity every year and bringing . everyone together, which can do nothing . but good." I Patterson was called upon to address ' 15,000 spectators who were clamouring • for a speech from him. He was greeted i with tumultuous applause. He thanked ~ the Americans for their many kindnesses I and the wonderful impartiality of their , app'ause. and expressed a hope that he i would return next year.— (A. and N.Z.) .. AUSTRALIA'S PLUCKY FIGHT. ' SPORTSMANSHIP OF TEAM. i (Received 10.:i0 a.m.) NEW YORK, September 6. . ' The New York Press editorially comi ments enthusiastically on the Austra- j j Hans' plucky fight for the Davis Cup against heavy odds and handicaps, such j . as Anderson's illnqss. All the papers praise the sportsmanship of the team, j and declare that it would have been a ! pleasure to lose to them. | . The "Globe" takes an interesting angle, j declaring that the death knell of Aus- J . ' | tralia's hopes sounded when it was ! | known that N. E. Brookes couldn't play. J ■ Even omitting consideration of his super- ■ ior generalship, Brookes' presence would , have braced the invaders to a marked degree.— (A. and N.Z. Cable.) I, i 1