THE DAVIS CUP.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 205, 30 August 1926, Page 7

THE DAVIS CUP.

FRANCE WINS SEMI-FINAL THE JAPS GOOD SOLOISTS. BUT OUTPLAYED IN DOUBLES. (By Cable.—Press Association.— Copyrtgfit.) LONDON, August 29. In the semi-finals of the Davis Cup contest, France v. Japan, honums were even in the singles, each team winning two. The doubles proved the deciding factor, and being won by France gave that team the rubber. The doubles were played Friday, when Cochet and Brugnon (France) defeated Tawara and Harada, o—o, 6—o, 6—2. The match was literally a fiasco, the Japanese being overwhelmed from the very first shot. Play lasted less than 45, minutes. The Japanese showed complete inexperience of doubles play, whereas the Frenchmen, playing directly upon the net every moment, killed or angled every ball out of reach. The Japanese stood bewildered as the Frenchmen went through with their rapid fire play. Tawara and Harada were compelled to lob defensively, and these were returned too rapidly for them to touch with the racquet. The Japanese made a few earned points, gaining only from the Frenchmen's errors. Brugnon was the central figure in the French attack. His overhead kills were sensational. The Japanese struggled ineffectively against a shower of crosscourt drives and lightning volleys. It was one of the shortest matches on record. LACOSTE DEFEATS TAWARA. In the final singles match yesterday, Lacoste defeated Tawara, 6—l, 6—3, G—2, and Harada defeated Cochet, 6—l, o—3, o—6. 6—4. The match between Lacoste and Tawara was for the greater part uninteresting, being nearly exclusively a back court contest, in which the Frenchman was so much more steady than his opponent that he was able to run out the sets in quick succession without at any time being in danger.

Tawara broke through Lacoste's service twice in the second set and once in the third, during the Frenchman's brief spells of patchiness, but at no time was the Japanese in tournament form. His shots found the net or went out With monotonous repetition.. Lacoste kept the Japanese on the run by going to the net at intervals to finish off rallies with sharp-angled volleys. Tawara made a plucky effort in the second set, but Lacoste made a target of his backhand, forcing him into repeated errors. In the final set Tawara drove brilliantly to the corners, but Lacoste took the set and the match on the superior force of his low-bounding drives. COCHET BEATEN BY HARADA. In the match between Harada and Cochet during the last two sets the Frenchman played the sort of tennis which marked his match on Thursday. Otherwise his judgment of distance was very bad ancKhis backhand was weak. This enabled theNJapanese to hammer it continuously. \ Harada gave a remarkable display of accuracy in the fourth set, when he won' the first five games without making a single error. Cochet then recovered to win the next four 7 , but the Japanese was not to be denied. Harada drove with power and accuracy. Securing his place at the net he kept Cochet most of the time jumping to the corners. Cochet could not keep up the pace.— (A. and N.Z.—Reuter.) SUZANNE'S POSITION. A GERMAN DEFENDER. BERLIN, August 29. The prohibition of the German-Swiss-associations against members playing Mdlle. Lenglen, has aroused considerable comment. The "Vossiche Zeitung" asks the reason therefor, adding that of course, Mdlle. Lenglen cannot any longer participate in tournaments. But v it did not appear logical to forbid amateurs to play her. "The prohibition against Suzanne is an incomprehensible step. Croat professionals have never been a detriment to sport. Would making their life unbearable result in their remaining amateurs?"—(A. and N.Z.) TILDEN IN ' FORM. NEW YORK, August 20. Tn the final of the singles of the New York invitation tennis tournament at Rhode Island, Tilden defeated Chapin, 3—6, G—4, 6—o, B—6.—(Reuter.) TENNIS STARS FOR AUSTRALIA. LONDON, August 29. Norman Brookes, the Australian tennis champion, is returning home on board the Manretania. lie said he was hopeful that an English tennis team would visit Australia in the summer of 1927. The team would travel via America and New Zealand and would plavmtaches in the Dominion as well as in-Australia. America would probably send a team to Australia in the coming winter. It is understood that Mrs. Godfree, formerly Miss Kitty McKane, may be included in the English team.-