WHITE FANG SCRATCHED

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 68, 17 September 1927, Page 23

WHITE FANG SCRATCHED

(United Press Association.—Copyright.) SYDNEY, 10th September. White Fang has boon scratched for the liosehill Camellia Stakes.

ment, which is played /on graES courts, with the intention of trying out his game. For seven years the United States of America, with Tilden and Johnston as the leading performers, held complete control as the champion nation in the international competition for the Davis Cup. America has, up to and including this year's contest, won the cup 11 times, Australia with New Zealand 7 times, the British Isles 5 times, and France once. This year the challenge round between the United States, who were the holders, and France, the challengers, by the right of winning the inter-zone final, was played on the turf courts of the Germantown Cricket Club, Manheim, near Philadelphia. The grandstands surrounding the courts, which are capable of seating about 12,000 people, would be packed as all the seats had been bought some months previously, and the attendance for the three days was bound to be a record for Philadelphia, as the people of that great cily, knowing tennis and its traditions, would flock to sec the contest. The teams were as follows:—Frunce: Henri Cochet, 26 years of ag.?; Jean Rene Lacoste, 23; Jean Borotra, 29; and Jacques Brugnon, about 28. The United States: William T. Tilden, 35; William 11. Johnston, 33; Richard Norris Williams, 36; and Francis T. Hunter, 33 years of age. Williams was the only player who did not actually take part in the competition, and it is clearly to be seen that the Frenchm v had the advantage of their opponents so far as age was concerned. The Singles. Tilden played Cochet in the first match, and proved that he is still a great player for a one-day match by defeating the Wimbledon champion by 3 sets to 1. Tilden, scored 116 points to his opponents' 107, but it is quite clear that the once mighty Tilden cannot now stand the strain 'f continuous matches day after day, for -c is telling its tale, and had Cochet i en able to secure that fourth set, it a question whether Tilden could have a ten him in the. fifth set. Nevertheless,. klen's triumph was' a very fine effort, ml bespeaks the keen fighter he has been tor so many years. - Lacoste outplayed Johnston in three sets straight. The winner.scored 91 points to his opponent's 62. Little Bill was full of errors, but he made a game effort to come back in the tnird set, and for a time played brilliantly, only to lapse again much below his usual splendid accuracy. Father Time has apparently put his stamp upon this famous player, and while it is possible that he may at times give flashes of his old-time .brilliancy, there is no doubt that as a reliable international he is past depending upon. The doubles saw Johnston dropped, and Tilden and Hunter," after a great fight, put the United States in the lead by defeating Borotra and Bruguon in a five-set match. Why Tilden was not spelled arid Williams, who is a champion doubles player, used instead has yet to be explained. That extra play on the Friday would sap some of Tilden's endurance, otherwise he would possibly have .Bushed Lacoste to a iive-set match at least on the Saturday.

Lacoste defeated Tilden on the Saturday by 3 sets to 1, scoring 120 points to his opponent's 91. The players took the j ten minutes' rest after the third set, but, I as always happens, the younger player recovered quickest, and seemingly kept Tilden on the run until he was tired out and lat his mercy. Tilden made his best effort in the second set, and for a time | held off his opponent, but he faded away in the third set, and, notwithstanding desperate efforts in the fourth set, he could not break through the cool and steady game played by Cacoste. Cochet and Johnston had a much closer and longer match, but although the latter fought gallantly to the -last stroke, the Frenchman had his measure. Johnston being absolutely run off his' feet. Cochet scored 131 points to his opponent's 114, and France, for the first time on record, had won the historic Davis Cup by 3 matches to 2, 12 sets to 8, and 98 games to 81 . . Future Contests. France appears to have a stranglehold on the trophy for some years, as, besides the players who took par,t this year, there arc several other very tine colts in France j ready to step into the shoes of any of ' the present four champions. The transference of the cup to Europe will give the sport a great uplift on that Continent, and may ako be the means of spurring British players, bo that a special effort may be made to regain the honours. Americans will now have to travel if they want that cup back, and it will be interesting to gee if they will be as persistent as was Australia under adverse times and conditions. Lacoste's Defeat. Kight on top of Lacoste's splendid victories over Tilden and Johnston comes the news of his downfall in the first round of the National Singles to Frauk Owens, 64 t 04, 0-2. Last year Lacoste won the National Singles, but this year he is one of the first defeated. Last year Owens was beaten in the first round by Jerome Lang, 6-4, 60, 6-3. With the holder already out, it remains to bo seen if Cochet or Borotra are capable of standing off the Americans and repeating last year's performance by making the final an Allirench one.

It is quite on the cards that the French team will visit New Zealand thia season but at the present time it is not known exactly who the players will be or when they nmy be here. This is no idle rumour, ns it has been gleaned from Australian papers that there was a deiinite promise that the team would visit Australia, callmg in on New Zealand on the way ncroßß. bhould the four players who bavo been performing so splendidly in America visit our shores they may expect a great re«E PtMV n-Naw Zcala"d, while the A Bhould be a great treat in store for followlikely to flock-in thousands to see these £u Frenc f h ,cA aP? iODB ' and Wellington this city. The Frenchmen, however, may «h?.5 St ed "} An>erica, or they,may wme straight on here. Should they follow the latter pi an# Jt „ po,^ th arrive We In a couple of months 1 time. Hawkes Bay. aif^l^lTH*' Basr, Law"» Tennis Associalion held its annual meeting last month, and the annual report shows that' the association had a most successful year Li v? 111£ s:cntativ<> team played a match against Wairarapa, and were successful Jrv \ ] ni\tc^ eB. t0 »• The number of affiliated clubs is 16, and the total playinc mombenhip is 1421. The financial stated ment shows an improved credit balance Ihe association has a very live secretary in K. 1. G. Patrick, who hopes to rope in aU the unaffihated cfubs in the province