THE DAVIS CUP.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19312, 17 May 1928, Page 9

THE DAVIS CUP.

AUSTRALIAN DEFEAT. TILDEN COMMENTS ON PLAY. (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —BY ELECTBIC TELEGRAPH —COPYRIGHT.) (Received May 16th, 7.15 p.m.) NEW YORK, May 15. W. T. Tilden, commenting on Italy's defeat of the Australian tennis team, said that Patterson and Crawford had not had time to adjust themselves to the tennis surfaces or climatic conditions of Italy, and that was largely responsible for their defeat. He declared that had they arrived in Italy earlier, and had an opportunity to play a few weeks more on local courts, they would have been a tough nut for the Italians to crack. He stated that he did not believe the Italian players would be as effective against the Americans as they were against the .Australians, because they would not be playing on their own courts, but in France. He said that De Morpurgo was an exceptionally good player, but not at his best anywhere, but in Italy. Tilden held up the fate of the Australians, as a warning of what is in store for the Americans when they play at Wimbledon after competing for months on clay courts. "I shall be surprised if there is a single American player left in the men's singles at the end of the first week's play," he said—Australian Press Association.