FIRST DAVIS CUP MATCH

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22081, 1 May 1937, Page 15

FIRST DAVIS CUP MATCH

NEW ZEALAND MEETS CHINA

STEDMAN'S EASY WIN OVER OPPONENT

(UNITED PB.ESS ASSOCIATIOK COPTBIOHT.) (Received April 30, 5.5 p.m.) , LONDON, April 29. The High Commissioner for. New Zealand (Mr W. J. Jordan) and Mrs Jordan, and the New Zealand Coronation contingent were entertained at lunch by the Mayor of Brighton, which town they visited to witness the Davis Cup tie between New Zealand and China. The first day's play resulted:— Kho Sin Kie (China) beat C. E. Malfroy (New Zealand), 6-0, 6-3, 4-6; 6-2. . '* , v ■■ ' A. C Stedman (New Zealand) beat W. Choy (China), 6-4, 6-0, 6-2. Kho Sin Kie, who has recently been successful in matches on the Continent and in Britain, has con- I sistently improved since he arrived in Europe last year. He showed his usual cleverness in the first two sets, scoring with angled and straight stop-volleys, to which Malfroy's heavily top-spun shots were weak returns. The New Zealander, however, rallied in the second set after being down 0-3. He won two games and lost the sixth on a netcord shot. He won the seventh, but Kho Sin Kie won the set, getting great pace with his backhand cross-court drives and also effectively slicing down the line. Malfroy steadied in the third set, lengthening rallies slowing the game. He won the last three games in a row. Netting errors by the New Zealander gave Kho Sin Kie a 4-2 lead in the fourth set, -which he captured, breaking through Maliroy's service with untakeable smashes. The second singles was almost a "practice match" for Stedman, who completely outplayed Choy. After the score was four-all in the first set Stedman, with fine forehand driving and smashing, forged ahead and won 6-4. He took vital points as required and refused to exert himself unnecessarily. • Choy made a valiant effort in the second -set, but Stedman overwhelmed him, winning 6-0. Stedman quickly ran to 4-0 in the third set, and then slackened up, enabling Choy,, with clever placements, to win two games. Stedman easily won the next two for the match. -

AN UNIMPRESSIVE OPENING

CHINA ONE OF WEAKEST CHALLENGERS

[By CROSSCOURT.J One of the weakest of the challengers in the European zone, China was not expected to prove a very difficult hurdle for New Zealand in the first round of the Davis Cup competition, and the news that the teams finished the first .day's matches on level terms is not very encouraging to followers of the game in the Dominion. Stedman, however, appears to be in excellent form, and w% Malfroy yet to meet the weaker of China's singles players, New Zealand still has the better chances of success, especially as Malfroy and Stedman, with the reputation of being one of the strongest doubles pairs in England,; are likely to win their doubles match on me second day of the contest. China is one of the nations which gathers its Davis Cup representatives from all parts of the; world, and vwo years ago, when it challenged in the American zone, its four found themselves able to converse with each other in no other language but English. Only one was a resident Chinese player, the others coming from the United States, Singapore, . and Australia. The last-mentioned, player, Gordon Lum, was a university student in Melbourne, who had earned a fairly high place on the Victorian ranking list. . nu:.. Choy is a new recruit to the Chinese team, but Kho Sin Kie has played for the last two years, and apparently has improved with experience in good company. Actually his performances last year were not as good as in 1935, but it appears that he has now struck his best form. In the Davis Cup match against the United States in 1935, Kho Sin Xie took a set from J. D. Budge. Last year China was eliminated in the first, round France, and this time Kho Sin Kie could win one game in three sets against France's top man, C. Boussus. . ■''■■' ,• . ' ' . The full personnel of the teams has not been cabled, but if is unlikely that Stedman and. Malfroy will be separated for the doubles. - They have become a formidable combination. and should be,the a ual of anv pair China is able to put on the court. Stedman and Malfroy won the hard courts doubles championship of England two years ago, and they have done well together in other English tournaments. The tie is, presumably, being played on hard courts, for it is too early in the season'for grass. That should not favour one team more than another for apparently the Chinese, like the New Zealanders, have taken part in recent English and Continental tournaments, all of which would have been played on hard courts or indoors. The winner of the tie between New Zealand and China will mee* either South Africa or Holland in the second round. The ultimate winner or that group will then meet either Jugoslavia or Rumania for the right to enter the semi-final of the European zone. At their very best, the New Zealanders are capable of going that far, and though admittedly favoured .by .the draw, they would have achieved a very considerable-feat in international lawn tennis.

AUSTRALIAN TEAM SELECTED

BROMWICH NOT TO PLAY AGAINST MEXICO

1 MEXICO CITY, April 29. The draw for the Davis Cup match between Australia and Mexico is as follows: — , , Singles—Quist v. Reyes, McGrath v. Tfipia.