LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 144, 21 June 1930, Page 23

LAWN TENNIS

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DAVIS CUP MATCHES

AUSTRALIANS BEATEN

ZONE FINAL BETWEEN JAPAN AND ITALY

Australia after defeating Switzerland in the first round of the Davis

Cup contest, pleased supporters by ob-. taining a, good win over Ireland in the second round, and then raised everybody's hopes to tho highest by a very fine win over the British Isles in the third round, although at a disadvantage in the singles matches owing to Moon being disabled. So well had Hopman and Crawford performed against Gregory and Lee, the top-notchc-rs of the British team, that there must have been a certain feeling of confidence that both the Australian players would do well against the Italians in the semifinal. Until the first cable arrived, it was generally believed that the match would be set down for playing somewhere in England, as the Australians were drawn above Italy, and that entitled them to have the. match played, elsewhere than on Italian soil if they so" desired.'This right was increased by the fact that the last time Australia and -Italy met in a Davis Cup contest the location was Genoa. Now just what could have made the Australians agroo to play at Milan? Possibly the idea was that a bigger "gate" would be obtained there than if the contest was decided somewhere in England. _It would. be reasoned that the Italians ■would flock to see their, own champions in action, and seemingly they did so, yet not only did they go to see the play, but also to speak with no uncertain voice.of what decisions should be before the ball even landed and before the lin'esme-n had time to signify one way or the other, The temperament of Hopman, and possibly more so of Crawford, is such that their play would be-greatly affected by such bad sportsmanship by the spectators, and evidently tho umpires and the referee could not have had'much control to allow the crowd to take charge. Yet the Australians have had- "experience enough elsewhere, as well as at Genoa in 1928, to have steeled themselves against such barracking, and if they' were not prepared to stand up to it they should not havo agreed to play on Italian soil. Has "gate" so much to do with sport nowadays that air else has*to give'way to it? If so, well it is not a sport, but has become a business. In 1928 G. de Stefani beat H. O. Hopman, 7-5, 8-6, 10-8. That victory would possibly, remain very vividly in the Italian's mind, thereby assisting him last week when he again met and defeated Hopman, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2. Hopman would also not have forgotten how Stefani dealt it out before, and his ! confidence would be shaken when the 'gallery rattled him with their interruptions. H. L. de Morpurgo in 1928 beat J. Crawford 7-5, 6-3, 6-2, but; it was generally admitted that the Australian was far from well at the time. iLast week de Morpurgo again beat Crawford, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4,; 26 games to 23. De Morpurgo and P. Gaslini in 1928 beat "Patterson and Hopman, 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 1-6, 6-2, but this time Willard and'Hopnian got home from do Morpurgo and Gaslini after 'a great struggle, 9-7, 9-7, 4-6, 6-4; 28 games to 24. With the score Italy two matches to one, the contest was all over bar the shouting. Quite recently Tilden gained the final of the Italian championship singles by defeating Daniel Prenn, the German champion, 6-2, 6-2; 6-4. De Morpurgo in the other semi-final beat Jacques Brugnon, 9-7, 6-1, 6-4. Then Tilden put de Morpurgo out, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2, in the final and with Junior Coen, of Kansas City defeated de Morpurgo and P. Gaslini, 6-0,- 6-3, 6-3, in the Italian doubles championship final. Although some writers have said that "Big Bill" is done, what chance would Hopman or Crawford have had against him Good players as they are, they are not in the same class as William Tatem Tilden, who can give Crawford 15 years and Hopman 13 years in.age. It is.said that youth

will tell, but one wonders just how long it will be before Tilden bends the knee to them. Australia Beaten. ; On the final day Crawford raised the hopes of Australia's supporters by defeating Stefani, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, «and it can now be seen what a chance was thrown away by, Boprnan, for what Crawford could do in three sets straight his team mato should have been able to go very near to doing. Hopinan made a great fight to save tho contest when playing Italy's best player, and when the Australian took tho fourth set at 6-1, excitment must have been running very high, but de Morpurgo was not to be denied, arid won, 8-C, 2-G, 6-4, 1-6, 6-1; games were 23 all. That fourth set must have taken too much out of Hopman as the Italian ran away with the fifth sot by ft games to 1. What a crash, and it "comes all tho harder when it appeared almost certain that Australia, after defeating tho British Isles, would be the contending- nation against the United States in tho inter-zone final, and with a possible win there afterwards to meet France iv tho challenge round. Japan to Meet Italy. fn the top half semi-final Czecho-Slo-vakia secured a great win in the singles by R. Menzel defeating Takeichi Ilarada (Japan), 9-11, 6-3, 7-5, 6-1. This match was played at Prague, and it is well known that the Slovakians have a great advantage on their home ground. But no one was prepared to hear that Harada, who beat Henri Cochet in 1920 at Tokio, would go down to Menzel. Nevertheless the latter is a very fine player, and last year in the Davis Cup contest against Germany beat H. Landmann, 6-3, 6-3, 3-u, 0-6, 6-4. Yet again, H Timmer (Hollaud) this year beat Menzel, .8-6, C-0, 4-6, 7-5, and C. If. Campbell beat Menzel at Wimbledon last year in the first round, 3-6, 4-6, 8-0, 8-6, 6-3. Tilden beat Campbell in tho second round, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0. x If performances show anything, Ilarada would certainly start a favourite. Y. Ohta evened the matches by defeating J. Kozeluh, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 7-3, and Japan lead by two matches to one after ,the doubles match, as Harada and Ohta beat Kozeluh and Menzel, 1-6, 7-5, 8-6, 7-5 Harada improved on his form to beat Kozeluh, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3, but then, strange to say, Menzel beat Ohta," 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Japan thus won the contest by 3 matches to 2, and now meets Italy in the final of the European zone. Much depends upon where these two nations meet to, play off in the final, but the Japs will have to be at tho top of their form t6 secure victory. .