THE DAVIS CUP.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 27, 1 February 1912, Page 2

THE DAVIS CUP.

-* *„ AMERICAN DOWNFALL. WHAT THEY SAY IN THE STATES. [FHOM OtJB OWN CORBESPONnENT.] SAN FRANCISCO, 10th Jan. Utter astonishment was the mood in which Americans received by cable the news of the thorough trouncing given their champions at Christchurch in the Davis Cup matches on Ist January and succeeding days. The first day's news that Wright and Larried had been beaten I in the singles by Brookes and Heath respectively was' scarcely credible 'to them, but the results of the other two days' playing, iv which the Australasians simply made a ciaan sweep of the entire Berief. left American "enthusiasts" sans explanations and almost sans words, It was a Waterloo, and what ( made tho downfall the more dis- | tressing' was the fact that with Larncd in the team victory was considered pracLically assured for the Yankees. The tennis expert of one San Francisco paper, writing of th* undreamedof outcome of the tournament, . says !— 'The result of the present cup matches is the greatest disappointment American tennis experts have ever experienced. For years they have tried to indue* their best players' to make this trip, but never before succeeded , m getting more than a second-rate team. This year, however, they managed to despatch the two best singles^players and probably the two best doubles players of this country on, the ftuest, and the best Judges throughout America, England, and Australia agreed that the American team seemed certain to regain the international titles, but instead they will return with an unbroken string of five defeatß— four in actual play and one by default." Another commentator cays "the complete collapse- of the American international . tennis team in the Davis Oup matches at Chri&tchurch, New Zealand, furnishes one of the biggest sensation* of all lawn tennis history." > • Some glimmer of comfort was Bought to he gathered, even after the first three games had gone to the Australasians, ensuring them the retention of the cup, from the reflection that in the final set-to, Larn«d might defeat Brookes, thus enabling America to claim the individual tennis championship of the world. "Their match will settle the question as to whether an American" or an Australian is the greatest tennis player in the world," it was said. "This m, after all, the most important question to be cattikd in these contests, and the American champion may still retrieve himself. ■ The defeat of Lamed by Heath was a crushing blow to America, hrib it oan only be taken as a form reversal, .for Heath cannot in any way be figured in hia clae6 at all. It must be remembered that Lamed has gone through fourseasons without suffering a defeat, and he was long overdue for a defe&lfc." But the next day's news was that Lamed was forced to default on account of a strained tendon: There is a tendency to attribute Larned'a defeat by Heath to this strained tendon, but there is nothing in the cable despatches to show that tne American was Sufficing in any way on the day he played Heath. MauricoM'Loughlin's showing against "Brookes on the last day, when the American won two sets out of five, is looked upon as the- best thing done by the visitors. With regard to .Larned's' eclipse, it is recalled that he never has played as successfully abroad as ih his* own courttry. "Now that it is ended," 'says a 1 writer, "those who have allowed their enthusiasm for Lamed* c really great play at home to blind their judgment, ! will well remember that Lamed hae ' never before played up to form when away from home, his international efforts in England in year's pr6vious being but mediocre and far below tne standard he has set in this country. This is but small consolation, however." ' • It is hot likely that for some year* to come America will be able to send another team to .the Antipodes so strong as tho present one, so that "Australasia should have the cup in keeping for an indefinite period. It is admitted • that no country seems, to have players of calibre sufficient to cope with the brilliant Australasians. One result of the failure this year probably will be that the next team, will bo given mor© time in which to become thoroughly accustomed to the change of climate. But it is difficult to induce playere to make such an extended trip for threo days' play, and it was only after the greatest pressure had bean brought to bear on Lamed that he donsented to become a member of the team. The proposal to have thfi Americans take up their resi-' deuce at the point where the matches are to be played for a month or so in advance will make it all tho harder to persuade player* to travel to Australasia.