LAWN TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 675, 27 November 1909, Page 5

LAWN TENNIS.

• DAVIS CUP CONTEST POSTPONED.(By' Tcleeraph.-Presa A«ooclation.-CopyrlEht.V (Kec. November 26, 9.50 p.m.) Sydney, November 26. The contest between tho United States (chalengots) and/Australasia..teams for the Davis "'■up, winch. was to have, begun to-day, .was jostponed - till to-morrow,: as ! a heavy thunder,torm- left; the '-'tennis "ground under; water.; ; '10-dajy Brookes was tohavo played,M'Loughin,. and' Wilding was to. havo' mot' Long, irobkes has completely recovered from /his reWit indisposition., .. '•'•/. '■ ' • THE' AMERICAN CHALLENGERS.;, Maurice M'LowgUm and Melville H.. Long, she.two 'young.Californians who canio aa .the Lfnited States challengers fori the. Davis |Cup, irmg high credentials tor youth, nio: and skill; ';'W.-V r:■;;v '-'- A s v*' Mr. C. P.-Dixon, a member of the English :eam . that lost .the preliminary'tie (Davis Cup) vrites iii; the' English ;"I/'awn i TenniS Journal"-. -"Of.'tho 5 rising; lawn tennis players in the Jnitod- States, ! Maurice- M'Loughlia is, conadored to be the most promising. hails torn California,: and is only nineteen years of igOi and promises - somo phenomenal strokes, lio is a wonder, and the idol.of tho Amorican srowd. . He emnahes the ball with ternlio foi'M,' imparting to. it- .the reverse . spin.. l Oil lis forehand off the ground ho'is almost'equally savere, bat " the: most of • aU ; to play - against; is'his ierviee.;,-Not'only :does : ; he iraploy every spooies of American service, but, more Important still,'as a rule he gets it in, Occasionally ho is guilty of . a double fault, jut lucky player who contrives to win witheven ma of Sl'Loughlin's' seme© - games. His service is considered m Amorica by those ■ who liave; played against it,; to; be >,mor6< difficult than that of 'Norman Brookes., He liasvbeen selected; to' represent. America against. 'Australisla for tho Davis Cup, and it will lio. interesting 1 tq j see how he fores against Brookes.",i ; ; American -.'•'Lawn TennisX says liny .the ■ real'< glimpse' of • ]iis •' form.' and ,hlL.';;esperts igre^- oluphe. ttomen'al. !T 'HiS a servii:Vf^ro^h(St r into: the!East-tertters/.court"\vit]r-th^:speed,of' a' cannon-ball, nnd Dabney- nnd Niles were powerless to handle [hem. 1 ' Overheads M'Loughhn"was unbeatable; ind':aftor. one s long rally,' which .was won singlebanded:. against \tfceEasterners, vthe lallery could no "longer &ntont itsolf with applause, land tho';,exoluslve, sia crowd got up and cheorod the work of the brilliailt Californian." -. '• • '•' ;.-Commenting on. tho above, the .'Sydney; "Referee" reinar&i "Thoro will, be .some 'ftuivylien th-eyJ,startKard hitting :against a ßrookes. In lii 3 earlier- days',',;bf v .course, .'Brookes was .himself a hard bitter, and can Jut just •as hard now, but is above that" stage. - In" the' last four , games of.thd • ■ Victorian championship irial,-; against .Beats i 'Wright- ; and • Alexander ijust pnor to tho Davis; Cup) last November, Brookosrsuddenly; changed- to hard ■ drives 'ofl Bver|y- ball-, and- fairly "dro'vo tho ball through Wright, and Alexander: closo-in on the net; It was a little experiment'.to, see 'how they: shaped at'it, and he beat.them by sheer pace; .Usually .he' scoris .by.' perfectly placed' strokes, and getting.'-fairly., olose, in-himself," relies ;onYhis perfoot 1 low volleys to Bend back every ball, till ho works his opponent hopelessly out oi position." .■. i ; ."I had no aotn'al teacher (says. MT/jughlin), but just piokod up a bit from eaoh I saw.; I uso tho out stroke and the left drive, but prefer the plain drivel . rind go', for a good length. I play■ tuo, rifelng' ball.bo as to.got to tho net quickly, ; but ■ mostly - prefer ; tb 'hit 'tho ball, on th© topof its.bouud; or a shade later.''.' ! . M'Loughlin' (says the "Keforee") ,also uses till ..threie .varieties-of.. ground: smokes; but prefers "always to Vplay : the'; rising ; ball >-• as{ 600n after-/it-leaves',.-th'e, ground''.as possible; his whole;aim, being l 'to : get into tho not, and. then to volley everything uo can. • '/ Another account. states: "Long ; is: rcckonod 3ust\about-'oveh.Vwith. his' clubmate. .'StTaiigery enough, he generally boats il'Loughlin at practice, but - almost:;.invariably ,;loses ■ to' : him, S' in matches.:. The) two; mot iia tho' National Ch'am- ■. arid won?, after '' a'.?Jong five-set ;m'atijh- AVith r only;'a spare.'; ■ L6ng,;is ■;iiipro.',';' l ao6w4^-' v oii ( -.v'gr]buiid strokes, and' is 'moro vigorous. on-low; voiloys, but ho 'is ifar, less'-'roliable'oh,' tho..service and tho smash.-''; .hoi haa/.not the cquabU spirit; of /the -'iriatch ; player ;,so' pronounced" as his . rival." ■; Another; critio ;«a,ys •, "Long, lias. nc weak points, I .,^'can play from the. back;.oi tho court or; at tho net, and : 'uses goocl; '}udgmentViii adapting his methods to 'the style-;'ol his opponents." 'M'Loughlin's methods: of play, it ; is stated;'diffeT.. from those of Long Mitwc esseutialsi' he.hits the ball earlier,in its. bound, and uses, tho. left :-'dtive with over spin ..more than Long does,. getting greater pace, tut c bit - less. depth. . . .; . K