LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 143, 20 June 1925, Page 19

LAWN TENNIS

CSV "HUKA"3 DAVIS CUP, MATCHES

TILDEN TO PLAY

ALL-ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS

The, 1925 Davis Cup matches in the European zone hava advanced another stage, and the sixteen original competing nations have now been reduced to Holland, India, France, and Eugland. Holland plays India iv the semi-final of the top half, and Franco meets Endand in the semi-final of the lower half' o£ the draw. The second round matches were almost foregone conclusions for the winners in each case, and-the "four semifinalists each won the three matches in succession. Holland v. Sweden. Holland played Sweden at Amsterdam, and T. Timmer beat C. E. yon Braun, 7-5, 6-0, 6-0. The winner represented his country last year, but was beaten by M. Jacob (India), 3-6, j 8-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1, and also by U. Sleem' (India), 6-0, 6-2, 6-2. Timmer beat F. M. B. Fisher in the first round at Wimbledon last year, 7-5, 2-6, 9-7, 6-3; and 1 then went down to L. R. Raymond (South Africa), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Von'Braun was also a competitor at Wimbledon, but the veteran player, M. J. G. Ritchie, who is fifty-five years of age, beat him in the first round, 6-1, 6-0. Holland's second string, A. Diemer Kool, did not represent his country in the Davis Cup last I year, J. C. van Lamep being selected; I but in 1923 be played against Italy and Spain. Seemingly, Dienier-Kool is now ! considered a better singles player than Lennep, but the latter was paired with him for the doubles. Diemer-Kool beat Wallenberg, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0; and the | Dutch pair clinched matters by beating Yon Braund and Wallenborg, 3-6, 6-1. 6-4, 9-7. Holland now meets India' and the latter nation should just about win if S. M. Jacob and Dr. E. B. Andreae are in their best form. The latter has I for the last two years been the All-India champion, and he should be able to win j both his singles. Last year Jacob beat both Lennep and Timmer, but the matches ran to five sets, so there is just that element of cioubt about this year's contest between the two nations to I make it interesting. Jacob did well at Wimbledon last year, and reached the ! fourth round where Einescote beat him, j 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. India v. Austria. Austria quite unexpectedly beat Ireland and reached the second round, but had no. chance there a-gainst the representatives of India—S..M. Jacob and Dr. E. B. Andreae. The match was played at Vienna; Jacob beat p.. Brick and Andreae beat Count L. Sakn. The representatives of India also won the doubles, and thus won tha contest, which places them in the. semi-final agaiust Holland, which will be played in July. The Englisli Lawn Tennis Association suspended S. M. Jacob and Dr. A. H. Fyzee, both of India, from playing in open tournaments in Great Britain from 20th April. until further notice. These players broke the amateur definition by the unauthorised acceptance of expenses whilst members of Helmore's team which visited Paris last year. The players concerned did not give the unconditional undertaking- required by the association, which, in plain words, is that they had not handed over their share of the expenses to the association. Jacob's suspension may or may not have, been lifted, but possibly the "suspension would not apply to the Dcvvis Cup match in Vienna. He will be unable to play at Wimbledon this month, unless he obeys the ruling of the English Council. Some time, back the All-India, Association, | whilst objecting to the methods adopted by the- English body in suspending the Indian players, decided that the players should give the "unconditional undertaking."

t-ranee v. Italy. France had little trouble in the contest against Italy, the latter nation still being content, or compelled to depend upon 0. Colombo and Baron H. L. de Morpurgo. Jean Rene Lacoste beat the Baron, 6-0, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, and Jean Borotra settled Colombo, 6-4, 6-1, 6-1. The doubles proved a very easy win for Jacques Brugnon and Lacoste, who beat Morpurgo and Colombo, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1. The Italians represented their nation last year, and were beaten by Denmark in the third round by 3 to 2,'Morpargo won both his singles, but he and his partner were beaten in tho doubles, 7-5, 7-5, 4-6 6-o—the Italians collapsed'in the fourth set. Colombo represented his country in the 1922 contest, and showed good form in the Rochampton championships defeating both Campbell'and Gilbert, but went down to B. I. C. Norton in the bnal. France now meets England in July, and according to the draw can have thematch played in Paris, on their home | hard courts. The cable mentions that | the location probably will be Eastbourne ; and if that is correct, it shows that the ' i?®",? 1] Payers have little dread of tho ..■Englishmen even on what can very easily be slow grass courts. Ma.ybe they , are more than anxious to get practice on 1 grass courts, for it will be on courts of : that nature that they will "have to play | Australia, should they be fated to meet (in America, and onq can be almost ccri Lain that they will. France has a 'Teat I team this year with Lacoste. Borotra jP.ru.gnoD, and Cochot. All these play! | crs are in tho first flight, and have iin- ' V™v£ d s t mc0 o I"^ year. Lacoste is only ,20, Borotra 2(, Brugnon 22, and Oochot i 24 years of age. Thoy have both youth \ and experience on their side* Tilden has : openly told the world that the United States will have to put its best team ! in the field, and the team will have to ! be in the best form to defeat the winners of tho France-Australia contest. He floes not quite say that France will defeat Australia, but he contends that they may, much as he would regret that the old opponents—Australia would thus not ,be the challengers against the United i States. All that, may or may not hp. his fix-^d opinion, possibly it is an American way or boosting the matches in Americn. ' Tho French players are without doubt brilliant players, bnt Anderson should bo able to win both his singes ILis showing at Wimbledon may tell a tain. In the inter-zone round, played in 1923, Anderson beat Lacoste', 7-5. 6-3 6-4. Both players have improved' sincethen, bnt Lnoostc will still remember ' that defeat. One is not so sum of f!ernkl Patterson, but ho should'be'able to win one sniirlp. Last year Liicosle heal, linn in tlie infer-Kone contest 6-3 6-2 10-8, hut that was ir> | 10 exacted :,'< ihe Australian luam hardly gave itself a dwtwa last y,-;ir, with ils 'gnllivantint' aI. kuiniaiiionls, liero. (hero and ovci-v" whi'i-c. in f.hu Stales. "«Lil[-"Pj,ttorson i-wA Uorotra: up, fa-3. 6-1, 6-3: and can do so j ngan, vVith Anderson an.l Patterson in I good form, and Tntlersoii also prone,-]v Ivnineu, ior that ine<ii>s a lot fo Ciurnld" us many well know, (.hen Australia will just about have the edge on tho. Frenchmen, whoso temperament is always sci much ng.vinst thorn in a close matdi". The heat waves havo visited Ihe United .St-aw oarly this year. :un7 there is [ust a. etiaace thai, tho Ansirnliais -nnll 'not ' :^fc ■te;r&J>:3&xaugk ■■<J3Afr.--aeJßi»t.-iafiia t .

Patterson is a hard man to train at any time, but when heat waves strike the locality he ia in, there the training el ami almost becomes an impossibility. Tilden Available. Tilden according to a cable from Aew York, will now be available to defend the Davis Cup for the United btates agamsb the challengers in September as the newspaper syndicate has decided not to enforce the clause -n his contract wheraby he had to report the Davis Cup matches and the national championships. The United btates Association now debars its players from reporting matches that they take part in. Tilden declared that ho would be unable to play for his country, as he preferred to keep faith with the syndicate. Pressure may have been I brought to bear by public opinion, or J the American newspapers may have allowed the clause to slip out of the contract rather than see the coveted cup leave the United States. The association has made the news known, but even now Tilden may not be prepared to accept the release; anyhow, so far he has not declared himself. With the Australians and the Frenchmen looming very large in the tennis arena at the present time, and Americans declaring that the very, best team must be put in the field to hold off the invaders, it can be taken for granted that every endeavour will ba made to have Williaan Tilden leading the United States Davis Cup team. Had the newspaper syndicate not been generous enough to waive its claim, which it was justly entitled to enforce, Tilden would not have been available for play, and one wonders what would have happened. Perhaps, only perhaps, mind you, tho rule would have been scrapped. Wimbledon TournaiTwnt, The list of players recently cabled from London as the All-England dub's nominations for its championships at Wimbledon include many Australians and a few New Zealandera. The English Club permits nations to nominate I four players in each event, and it is generally understood that those nominated have to have an outstanding qualification as players. So many entries are received, besides those nominated, that instead of turning down a largo number of entries, it was decided this year to have a qualifying contest, which was to start last Monday at Roehampton, and the last eight players in each event, singles and doubles, being automatically entered for the championships 'at Wimbledon. The New Zealanders who will be playing ■ at Wimbledon are Mrs. Melody (New Zealand champion), P. M.; B, Fisher, W. A. Fotheringham, W. J. Melody, E. Salmond (Wellington), and Nicholson (New Plymouth). Anderson in Form? J. O. Anderson., the brilliant Sydney player, is now in England, and for the sole purpose of winning the singles championship at Wimbledon, so we lire told. In 1922 Anderson was beaten by Gerald Patterson in the semi-final, 6-1, 3-6, 7-9, 6-1, 6-3. Bain caused a twoi hours' interval in the middle of the j match, and somewhat robbed it of boing a straight-out real test. The critics are at variance in regard to Andersou's form at the Beckenham championships, which were competed for this month. One paper says that "enough has been seen of his form to justify the belief that he will recover the championship at Wimbledon." (So far Anderson has never won the championship.—"Huka"). A. Walli3 Myers considers that Ander- I son's ground shots ares loose and out of gear, and another writer contends that ! his forehand drives once again refused j to function. The Wimbledon tourna- ' ment does not start until the 22nd of this month, and Anderson should be able to get enough practice in by that time to strike form. His matches in the I early rounds will be fairly easy ones, as a modified form of "seeding" is now adopted by the All-England Club. He should not strike any trouble until the fourth round, and by that time he should be going well. There are no players in England able to erf-end him when he is in form, and tho French players, Lacoste and Borotra, will have to be giving of their very best to eyeD break oven with him. The climate, of course, may trouble him, but that is cII in the game, and all we can wish him. is plenty of sunshine, and good luck.