DAVIS CUP DOUBLES TO AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28162, 28 December 1956, Page 7

DAVIS CUP DOUBLES TO AUSTRALIA

Successful Defence Of Trophy At Adelaide

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) ADELAIDE December 27. Australia retained the Davis Cup today when Lewis Hoad and Ken Rosewall won the doubles from the LTnited States pair, Vic Seixas and Sammy Giammalva, 1-6, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4. By winning the doubles today, and the first two singles matches yesterday, Australia has a 3-0 lead from the five matches to be played. The remaining two singles matches will be played tomorrow. The Americans caused a shock when they took the first set 6-1. The capacity crowd of 18,000 gasped and then roared with delight as the Americans broke through Hoad’s and Rosewall’s services once each. The Australians easily won the second set but were forced to go to 7-5 to take the third set. At 4-all in the fourth set, Seixas and Hoad had each lost a service.

The American pair, at their last meeting with Hoad and Rosewall, lost in straight sets on the same court in the South Australian championships. The 33-year-old Seixas and 22-year-old Giammalva combined brilliantly all over the court and fully deserved their easy first set win.

First Set.— Seixas opened service to Rosewall, Giammalva hit a hard volley at Hoad’s backhand, and then sent one between the Australians’ to make it 30-love. Rosewall outed. Hoad netted, and the Americans were one up in a love game. Hoad followed his service to the net, and volleyed two winners. Then Rosewall smashed down the centre, and Hoad, with a crosscourt volley, made it 1-all.

After going to a 30-love lead on his service Giammalva was foot-faulted. He volleyed one over the baseline and then Seixas smashed too hard and it was 30all. Serving powerfully, Giammalva took the next two points and the game.

The impartiality of the crowd was again to the fore when the Americans broke through in the next game with sparkling allcourt tennis and led 3-1.

Giammalva’s Volleying Giammalva was volleying brilliantly at the net but Hoad and Rosewall were making things tough for him. Errors by the Australians finally gave the game to the Americans and they were 4-1. Giammalva was picking up everything nicely, and where possible the Australians put the ball Seixas’ way. The Australians were finding it hard to get the wide ones and Hoad dropped another service. This was more than the crowd had bargained for and the Americans led.s-1. Hoad picked a smash from Giammalva off his toes but the next one from Seixas was more than the Australian ceuld handle.

Giammalva’s deep flat service put the Australian pair on the defensive. Then Seixas smashed a winner down the centre and won the first set. Second Set. — When Rosewall dropped his first service it became obvious that more fire was needed from the Australians.

Their captain, Mr Harry Hopman, spoke to them at the change, and starting to get to the net faster, they broke through Giammalva to square the game scores The next one was a battle for the Australians but Hoad held his service.

Seixas was angry with himself when he netted an easy volley to give the Australians the breakthrough. He slammed the ball high in the air in disgust. A neat drop volley by Hoad and a mis-directed smash by Seixas took the Australians to 4-1 on Rosewall’s service.

Powerful Serving Giammalva was serving so hard that when the ball hit the top of the net it invariably bounced past the service line for a fault. However, he was less reliable at the baseline and the Australians broke through again to lead 5-1.

A burst of good volleying ended when Seixas failed to collect one on his toes, and then outed to give the Australians a love game and the set on Hoad’s service.

Third Set.— Faint-hearted returns of service by the Australians gave the Americans another love game on Seixas’s service to open the set, Hoad was still not serving at top pace, but he was getting to the net rapidly and starting to make his presence felt in the close exchanges.

Giammalva did well even to touch a hard Hoad volley to his backhand, the ball drifted across the sideline and it was a love game- on Hoad’s service.

As Giammalva, during a short break, sat down for a drink beside the court, his captain. Bill Talbert, patted him on the shoulder and then on the head. Talbert clearly was delighted with his decision to play Giammalva today instead of Herb Flam. The Australians were down, 0-30, with Rosewall serving, but they pulled back to 40-30 when Giammalva volleyed two difficult ones over the sideline.

Break-through A double fault by Rosewall made it deuce. But when the Australians got the advantage. Giammalva .flung himself into the air and put a high backhand volley down the middle for a winner.

Seixas threw back his head and scowled to himself when he lost a good chance to break through by driving one into the net. The Americans’ net-rushing tactics gave them the breakthrough. Rosewall tried to beat them with a lob, but the ball cleared the baseline by inches and the Americans were 3-1.

Giammalva could not believe that a ball from Rosewall which hit the net had cleared it. The American threw his racket at the ball to show how he felt about it.

The Australians broke through Seixas’ next service when he again volleyed into the net from half-court.

Putting more power into hia service, Hoad took the next game to square the scores at 3-all. Giammalva hit a few sizzling serves of his own and then bounded to the net and volleyed a forehand winner down the lines for a love game. Scoring Confused In the eighth game, a line call that was not heard by the umpire caused a mix-up in the scores, but it was only temporary and the game went to deuce with Rosewall serving. The Americans were both keyed up to the same pitch against Rosewall’s service as they were against Hoad, and a temporary lapse forced them into errors.

At 4-all and 30-15 with Seixas serving, Hoad and Rosewall both went for a volley. Rosewall connected but he skied the ball well over the baseline and the Americans held service, 5-4. Serving faster than usual in thia challenge round, Hoad left Giammalva without an answer to make it 5-all. Not to be outdone, Giammalva also put pace into his first service. However, he was losing the battle at the net, and when Hoad volleyed a winner between the Americans, the Australians had the break-through. The Australians took the next game to 15, thanks to two errors by the Americans, and Australia had the set, 7-5.

Fourth Set.-— The Americans, especially Seixas, appeared pretty worn after the break, and proved an easier mark for the Australians. Seixas dropped his service twice in this set, which was enough to give the Australians the winning break.

Seixas also spoiled what appeared to be an easy shot which would have put the Americans to a 5-4 lead when he was undecided about handling a ball * which lobbed almost on his toes, and both Australians were out of position.

But Seixas made a weak stroke which put the ball into the net. Both Hoad and Rosewall then put on pressure, taking that game and going to a 5 4 lead themselves. On the last game, the Australians looked certain to run out easy winners when Hoad— at match point—served a double fault. The crowd roared, and for the moment Hoad looked very disconsolate.

But the Australian pair still went on to win the game, the set, and retain the Davis Cup for Australia.