LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 119, 23 May 1925, Page 19

LAWN TENNIS

t»V "HUKA")

DAVIS CUR MATCHES

REPORTED RETIREMENT OP

TILDEN

EFFECT ON AMERICA'S

CHANCES, t

(By "Huka.")

The Davis Cup matches in the European zone are now in full swing, and tho eight mutches in the first round were to be finished this week. The English players had to travel to Warsaw to meet' Poland, and the result was a runaway victory for the visitors. F. Gordon Lowo, who won the championship of Australasia, at Brisbane in 1915, only lost one game i n his two matches against Poland, Forester was beaten in three love sets, _ and Szwedo only just broke his duck- in the third set. Lowe who is forty-one years of age, reached tho third round of the singles championship last year at Wimbledon, but was beaten 6-1, 6-3, 6-4, by Borotra, the French Player, who won the championship. J. D. Patrick Wheatley, the other English singles player, was born in South Africa, but has represented Enaland since 1923. He won both of his singles very easily, but his opponents scored more games against him than they d!d against Lowe. A. J. Willard (iMew South Wales) played a great match against Wheatley in last years championship at Wimbledon. Iney met in the second round, and the Australian retired in the fifth set, when Wheatley was leading by 2 games to 1. The score was 4-6, 7-5, 5-7. 7-5, 2-1. Raymond (South Africa)' beat 'Wheatley in the fourth round. 7-5, 6-0, 6-0. The I.ohsh players—Steinert and Puzbar— made a fair showing in the doubles, but h. A. Godfree and C. H. Kingsley beat them in three sets straight. The English players should be able to win tho next round from the Danish team, but are not likely to survive the third round, where the French team has to bo met. India met Belgium at Brussels, and the latter nation depended upon" Jean, Washer to secure tho victory by winning both his singles, but S l\f' Jacob, who was,a member of B D ' Helmore s team that was disqualified over a breach of the amateur rules when playing m Paris last November, upset all calculations by beating Washer after ar> a fi™"3et S«, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 Ur. A. H. Fyzee, who represented India last year in Davis Cup matches was also in the Helmoro team, and was also suspended, but the All India Association cleared the matter up in time for the players to be selected for this year's Davis Cup matches. The whole trouble was over accepting too liberal terms in regard to expenses from hotelkeepers whilst in Paris. Jacob reached the fourth round at the Wimbledon meeting last year; only, to go out to Kingscote, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. Washer reached the fifth round by beating Brookes 6-2 7-5, 6-4, but then fell to Lacoste (France), 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2. Washer last year was considered as unbeatable on the hard courts of Brussels, and Jacob's •win would come as a thunderbolt'to the Belgians. Dr. E. B. Andreae who easily aefeated A. G. Watson (Belgium), 6-0, 6-3, 6-3, is the All-India singles champion, having won that event, in lebruary, defeating Jagat Mohan Lai in the final, 6-4, 6-3, 6-8, 6-4. Washer and Watson won the doubles after losing the first and second sets to Lai and Haii the full score being 4-6, 2-6, 6-4. 7-5, 6-3.' Dr. Andreae is a brother of the Yorkshire player of tho same name. Jacob beat Watson, and Washer beat Andreae, India thus winning by three matches to 2. India must have- a very fair chance of winning the remainder of the matches in the top half of the draw, but cannot hope to succeed against the French players in the final o£ the European zone contest, unless the French players are playing a long way below last season's form, which is hardly likely, as already this season Lacoste * and Borotra have been showing good form. Holland sprung a surprise by winning three matches out of the five against Czecho-Slovakia. The players of the latter nation did very well last year, and reached the final in the European zone. The team was looked upon as likely to repeat the performance, as the players had improved greatly since last year, but the Dutoli players have also improved, and are very hard to beat on hard courts. lE, by any chance, they have to play on grass courts, the odds will bo against them, as they are unaccustomed to turf, courts.' Although France beat" Hungary at Budapest by iouv matches to one, the players of the defeated nation put up a good fight. Borotra. and Lacoste were well tried out by Kehrling and Kelemen in the doubles, winning 6-4, 6-2, 8-10, 6-3. Baron vmi Kehrling caused a sensation by defeating Borotra 6-8, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. Kehrling won both his singles last year against Denmark, but'Takats, the other Hungarian lost, both of his. and Denmark with Ulrick and Thalbitzer won the doubles after a most strenuous and sensational match, 7-5, 7-5, 2-6, 5-7, 7-5, from Kehrling and Peterg. Italy will have a fairly strong team to test France in the second round. Baron H. L. cle IMorpuTgo -has been playing well at the tournaments in the South of France, and wiLl have as a support a young star in Gaslini, but the writer will be surprised to hear of France losing.

As expected, the New Zealand team has been withdrawn from the Davis Cup contest. Canada receives a walk-over, and will now meet Australia in the second round. The committee was wise in ■ withdrawing as soon as it was found that Canada could not offer sufficient, to'cover a major portion of the team's expenses, but the entry was 'justified as New Zealand might have drawn Australia, and the match could have been played in Australia.

Tilden to Retire? The startling cable from London that, Tilden, the famous champion, will not take part in defending the Davis Cup this year, as he intends to be a tennis journalist in preference to being a tennis player, requires a little explanation. The United States National Lawn Tennis Association has ruled that players tak-ing-part in the Davis Cup contest cannot write reports of the matches to the jiewspapers or journals for payment, and seemingly Tilden, who was reported to have contracts with papers and journals for such matter, prefers to stand down from the contests so that he can keep faith with those who pay for his contributions. The association lias ruled that a player will bo considered to have forfeited his amateur status by writing, for payment or for a consideration, current newspaper articles covering a tournament or match in which he is entered as a competitor. It is strange that tlio newr, of Tilden's proposed retirement from the Davis Cup matches has come from .London, ;md not from New York, ! and it is hard to believe that the famous ' champion will not be seen defending the cup iv the challenge round this year. S. I Powell Blackmore, who is well known in journalistic circles in England, and who [ last year officially reported several Davis I Cuf> matches played in England, for

Lawn Tennis," the official organ of the Lawn Tennis Association, reports that lilden had written him on the subject,, and Mr. Blackmore would not publish the news unless it was clear that Tilden meant what he wrote. The United I States cannot do without tho champion without grave risks of losing the cup, and one is inclined to think that the association has made for itself a very bitter pill, which the tennis enthusiasts of America will not swallow without soma very severe opposition. In fact, the absence of Tilden may be serious from other points of view, besides the chance of losing the cup. He is such a draw that the gates may not be what is considered necessary to defray the expenses of the visiting team that in the past has been considered fortunate in reaching the final. Then again, what hits Tilden may also strike at Vincent Pdchards, and one can almost see the famous cup already being packed for a sea trip to the Continent of Europe or Australia. With Tilden out, the Americans possibly would depend upon Johnson and Richards for the singles, and Johnston and Williams or the Kinsey Brothers for the doubles. With Australia in the final the chances are that the cup would come " down under," as Anderson in form should beat both Americans in the singles, and whilst the writer can never see Paterson beating Johnston, he would have an excellent chance of downingHichards. Even without that victory, the Australians should be able to pull off the doubles, if Tilden is not playing. It looks serious for the United States, and_ sportsmen would prefer, if Australiacan win, to see the victory achieved with Tilden defending the cup for his nation. All this reported trouble has arisen owing to too narrow a view being taken of what constitutes an amateur. Some amateur players receive such princely expenses that many professionals in tne same sport would willingly change places with them on half the expenditure. On? cannot help thinking that a certain section of tko executive in the United ritates has gouo after Tilden's scalp in retaliation for his outspoken articles upon fche methods i«<iopted in picking the Davis Cup teams in the past. Tilden is too strong a personality to stand any frams-up, and now that it has come to a ahow down, he has given the call, whicll will p.-obablv not be bluff. ■ J

On the Riviera. The South of France championships were played at Nice during Marel,, and X, Lacoste, the French playel, who won at Wimbledon last year, won thi» aingles very easily, beating F. Gordon Lowe in the final, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3. Lowe did better at tue late D'Azur championships at Cannes, which followed the Nice events, I but Lacoste again won, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, j 6-4. In the ladies' singles at Nice,' Mrs! Utz (Sydney) did very well to reach the semi-final after having defeated Mme. de Andia, 6-2, 6-1; Mme.'Petrocochino; 6-1, 6-1; and Mile. Doublet, 6-1, 6-2. Miss | Ji. H. Harvey (England) beat Mrs. Utz in the semi-final, 6-1, 6-2, and Mile Lenglen beat Mile. Ylasto, 6-2, 6-0. Miss Harvey retired in the final, having caught a bad cold, leaving Suzanne the winner. The English player had' the liard luck last year to meet Mrs. Mallory (America) in the first round at Wimbledon, and was beaten 7-5, 6-3. She is playing much better this year, and, provided she is more fortunate in the draw will win several rounds. Mrs. Utz's defeat gives one some idea, of the chances of the Australian ladies winning agaist an English team, but, of course, Mrs. Utz would possibly do better on grass courts than she chd_ on the hard courts at Nice. In the laches doubles Mrs. Utz and Miss Har- ?.}?, wei' r a, beaten V Mrs. Beamish and ™c- J k, st« «> «ie second round by 6-3, 4-6 6-4, and the winners went i down 6-1, 6-2, to Mile. Lenglen and Miss Byan in the final. Miss Hardie is known in England as a good all-round player who is improving very fast She was beaten in the third round at Nice by Mile. Lenglen, 6-1, 6-2, There are few lady players who ever get three games in a match from the French champion, lhe mixed doubles went to Mile' Lenglen and Aeschliman, the Swiss player, who beat Miss Ryan and Lycett an the final, 6-1, 6-3. Mrs. Utz * and Ijtz were beaten by the winners in the third Kmnd, 6-2 6-1. In the semi-final Mile Ylasto and Morpurgo delighted the spectators by pushing Mile. Lenglen and her partner. The latter pair won the first set 6-1, and lost theaecond set at 7-5, but before the excitement had barely tune td disappear they ran away with the third set in quick time at to m f ! nglen .and A«eWimon had to meet a better pair in the final of the mixed doubles at Cannes, for Morpurgo paired with Miss Ryan, who is con s fd than Mile. Vlasto and so it proved, as Miss Byan and Morpurgo won, 6-3 6-3 Hie excitement was tremendous, as this was the first- defeat of Mile. Lentfe* in any event since Wimbledon. 1923 when she and Jean Washer (BeWum) were defeated by Miss Byan and Lye" 7-5, 6-3, in the semi-final. There also T aS> , S°mJ S excite!"ent in the ladies" doubles final at Cannes, as Mesdarnes Beamish and Satterthwaite, after Tos in? the first set to Mile. Lenrfen ™V Miss Ryan, led 3-1. and 40-15 in tW 4-1 lead then- chances looked rosy but they could not bring it off. Tli e 'score ran to "5 all," and Suzanne, havin K 7e covered her confidence, she and Mss Ryan ran out winners at 7-5, but fo all that it was a bit of a shock that the I'l-eiich player does ,not now win her matches so easily as in the past