Australians prepare for Davis Cup tie

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33777, 25 February 1975, Page 18

Australians prepare for Davis Cup tie

<N«t4 Zealand Prist Association) AUCKLAND. To his surprise, the captain of the Australian 1 )a\ is Cup team, Mr N. A. Fraser, on opening the door of his suite at his Auckland hotel before breakfast yesterday morning discmered his two young players, G. Masters and R. Case, marching alonu the corridor to their own rooms.

Mr Fraser had sent; cables to their group in! World Championship i Tennis at La Costa, ' California, and was awaiting a reply before arranging to meet them at the airport. i Mr Fraser suddenly found j himself with a full team I instead of bits and pieces, and had all four players, with himself as a standby, practising at Stanley Street later in the morning. From 40-year-old Ken Rosewall, who facially and physically does not seem to have changed in the least from the young man “murdered” by Pancho Gonzales at Stanley Street a

I good few years age, to thei 123-y ear-old Case, they hammered away. Everyone hit with blister-1 ing speed off the ground, and i each was so totally concen-i trated that when he missed a shot, or was beaten, he| exclaimed as if he were play-1 ing in the tie itself. First Fraser and thenj Masters volleyed from left{ court or right while John'

(Newcombe sedulously pracI tised overspun backhand ! drives down the line and ! cross-court. I On a distant court. Brian Fairlie and his young com'panion, Chris Lewis, strove {diligently and proficiently. Ibut in terms of solid worklout, the advantage was {heavily with Australia. The cup tie will begin on 'Friday. _