AUSTRALIA’S CHANCE FOR DAVIS CUP

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21806, 11 June 1936, Page 18

AUSTRALIA’S CHANCE FOR DAVIS CUP

Good Reason for British Pessimism

[By CBOSSCOURT.J

Recent cablegrams irom England make it clear that the early season confidence of British lawn tennis enthusiasts has been displaced by apprehension as to the outcome of this year’s Davis Cup competition. When Great Britain defeated the United 'States in the challenge round last year by the convincing margin of five rubbers to love it seemed likely that she would have no difficulty in retaining the cup for , some years. Subsequent events have sent British enthusiasts first into deep depression, then into optimism, and now again inlio depression.

not make a very good showing against Donald Budge in the last match of the tie. but the contest had by that time been decided and each player has different nervous reactions to different circumstances. Crawford had more trouble in beating Allison than Quist did, but it seems from the cabled descriptions of the matches that he was extremely unlucky in losing to Budge in the opening match. Crawford and Quist, too, must still be reckoned the best doubles pair in .the world. The European zone of the competition has still some distance to go to the final, but it is fairly certain that the team to meet Australia will be Germany. Germany is still a one-man team, and it is generally conceded that Australia, by defeating the United States, virtually qualified as the challenging natioh. Germany surprised Australia last year, when Heiner Henkel unexpectedly beat Vivian McGrath, but Australia, with its newfound solidity, is not likely to make the mistake again of under-rating its opponents, who include, of course, the brilliant von Cramm. Will History Repeat? Since winning the cup from France in 1933, Great Britain has resisted challenges from the United States in two successive years. This year a danger which has become less imminent through familiarity will be displaced by a new menace. Great Britain has not met Australia since 1933, when the two countries played in the final of the European zone, Crawford was supreme in that year, but Perry and Austin* were both able to beat McGrath without trouble, and Perry and Hughes gained the important doubles match from Quist and p. P. Turnbull. This time Great Britain will have to face a much more even team —possibly a less formidable Crawford, but certainly two sound singles players and the best doubles pair in the world. Australia undoubtedly has a great chance of winning the trophy this year fcr the first time since 1919. How the British players will meet this new challenge to their supremacy will certainly prove of Absorbing interest to followers of the game throughout the world. Those who predict the downfall of. Great Britain would do well to remember how Great Britain in 1934 confounded all the critics by defeating an American team whose victory was counted as good as won before they went on to the court.

Great Britain’s players have invariably given of their best in Davis Cup matches, and the challenging nation will not succeed without a very hard struggle, but nevertheless the indications are that the Old Country’s tenure of the much-prized trophy is this year very precarious. Britain’s first cause for anxiety lay in doubts as to whether Fred Perry would recover from the back injury he suffered in America last year. These fears seemed to be allayed when Perry made a successful “come-back” by winning the Czechoslovakian championship and the hard-court championship of Great Britain. A few weeks later, however, his form had deteriorated, and his play in the French championship, where he was beaten by von Cramm. the German star, in the final, was described as “patchy.” Moreover, Perry stated after the tournament that now he is married he finds he has “other interests besides tennis.” Austin Below Form But while Perry is the chief cause of British pessimism H. W. Austin has given little indication so far of the form that has made him almost as important a factor as Perry in the winning and defending of the Davis Cup. Austin made a late start in tournament play this year—he was engaged throughout the winter in extensive lecture tours—and he is a player who needs time to work himself into top form. He disconcertingly dropped sets to indifferent players in some of the London tournaments, and therj for once failed to take a set from Perry in the British hard-court final. In the French championship he was pushed to five hard sets by a player of the second class, Paul Feret, and then retired owing to a leg injury after winning the first set of his quarter-final match with Marcel Bernard. England’s new-found doubles pair, G. P. Hughes and C. R. D. Tuckey, who were ranked third in a world list last year, have also disappointed. They were beaten in the final of the French championship by the veteran, Jean Borotra, and Bernard. Rise of Australia Simultaneously with the uncertainty regarding the form of the English players comes convincing evidence from America that Australia has at last found a worthy supporter for Jack Crawford in singles. By beating Wilmer Allison, the American champion, Adrian Quist showed that he is now in world class. It is true that he did

S. Gordon Lum, one of the Chinese Davis Cup team, was born in Melbourne, and has played for Victoria in inter-state contests. Every member of the team speaks a different language, English being the common meetingground of all. The others come from Shanghai, England, and Singapore respectively. J. A. L. Timpson, the Trinity College undergraduate, whp wagered that he could walk from Cambridge to London and back—a distance of 106 miles —i n under 24 hours, won his bet with an hour to spare.

A CLEVER GOAL The winning goal scored by G. McKenzie for Hornby against Rangiora in the women’s hockey competition on Saturday will be long remembered by those who saw it. A pass from the halves was gathered in by Mary McKenzie, who took play just inside the Rangiora twenty-five. When she was tackled she passed quickly to the right, where her sister gained control and headed for the circle. She in turn was tackled just outside the circle, and was in the act of falling when the ball went into the scoring area. She was only able to reach the ball, and with a clever push shot netted as she fell. It was a particularly fine effort. SOUND FINANCE A determined effort is being made by the executive of the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Centre, to put its finances on a sounder basis. Initiative has been used in drawing up some useful plans, one of the most attractive of which is the proposal to have an associate membership for old athletes. officials, and friends of the sport. Mr C. H. Taylor, jun., is the popular chairman of a committee appointed to set the scheme in motion. It is intended to assemble a big gathering of prospective members at the Pioneer Amateur Sports Club and from that build up an associate membership of 500. A number of special privileges for members are proposed. CROSS-COUNTRY TITLES August 29 has been appointed the date for the New Zealand cross-coun-try championships, to be held this year at Auckland. The Canterbury provincial championships will be decided over the Cashmere course on August 15. SPORT ON THE WATER Probably because of the ample facilities they have, German sportsmen are renowned for their interest in yachting, rowing, and canoeing. These three sports have a prominent place in the programme for the Olympic Games at Berlin in August. Canoeing,, which has lately attracted a large following as a competitive sport, will be specially provided for. Special quarters have also been built for the oarsmen at Kiel, and the rowing contests will be followed keenly by Germany’s 120,000 oarsmen and 10,000 oarswomen.