Regain Davis Cup

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30553, 23 September 1964, Page 15

Regain Davis Cup

mal indeed with both Emer son and Stolle among those under suspension. J. New combe, R. Hewitt and A Roche had been named a; the team. But when Emer son and Stolle became Wim bledon finalists, the Aus tralian administrators sud denly discovered their rules were not nearly as inflexible as they had at first insisted and Australia has been able to use its leading players. They have played four ties with the loss of only one match. Canada was beaten, 5-0, Mexico, 4-1, when Stolle lost a singles to R. Osuna, Chile, 5-0, and Sweden, 5-0 in the interzone final. Newcombe and Roche both took part against Canada and Newcombe against Chile, when Australia did not even lose a set, but Emerson and Stolle have been the main members of the side and they alone played in the important matches against Mexico and Sweden. Already they have a considerable psychological advantage over their American opponents. When the United States regained the cup last December at Adelaide Stojle did not play. Newcombe lost singles to both McKinley and Ralston, and Emerson and N. A. Fraser lost the doubles but Emerson won both his singles. Stolle was runner-up to McKinley at Wimbledon last year and to Emerson this year after he had beaten McKinley, 4-6, 10-8, 9-6, 6-4. Last week the United States singles finalists were the same as the Wimbledon finalists and it must have been a blow to American hopes when Emerson beat McKinley, 7-5, 13-11, 6-4 to reach lhe final and Stolle beat Ralston, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 9-7 in a quarter-final. No amount of advantage from form can make the result of a Davis Cup challenge round cut and dried beforehand because so much can depend on the astuteness of opposing captains, in this case Messrs Harry Hopman and Vic Seixas, the ability of an unfavoured team to rise to the occasion and the help of a home ground and crowd. A win for Australia would even up the records. It is the fifty-third year the cup has been played for. With 19 wins the Unitec

States has Its name engraved on it most often but Australasia had six wins and Australia 12 for a total of 18.