THE DAVIS CUP

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 26, 31 July 1933, Page 7

THE DAVIS CUP

BRITAIN WINS AT LAST

AFTER 21 YEAES

HARD FIGHT WITH FRANCE

THREE RUBBERS TO TWO

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. ~ (lleceivecl July 31, 10 a.m.)' PARIS, July 30. Britain won the Davis Gup for the first lime in twenty-one years when she defeated France by three rubbers to two. In the closing singles H. Cochet (France) defeated H. W. Austin (Britain), 5-7, 64, 4-6, 64, 64. F. J. Perry (Britain) defeated A. Merlin (France), 4-6, 8-6, 6-2, 7-5. ■In the doubles, on Saturday, J. Borotra and J. Brugnon (France) defeated G. P. Hughes and H. G. N. Lee (Britain), 6-3, 8-6, 6-2. Lee replaced Perry, who collapsed in his hotel after playing Cochet on Friday, and rested in view of his final match against Merlin. Tlio Koland Garros Stadium was filled to capacity long before the- start of the singles. Tho weather was ideal. Austin and Cochet both opened carefully, each winning his service, but making many mistakes. The fifth game was a marathon affair with long, exciting rallies, both driving splendidly across court. Austin, after having vantage point eight times, eventually won with a beautiful corner shot to lead 3-2. The games followed service until Austin broke through in the clovonth game and won the twelfth. The set lasted fortythree minutes. ■ . . Coehet, driving and volleying with greater accuracy, won Austin's service for a 3-1 lead in the second set. Austin was erratic, and Cochet, playing with a mixture of brilliant and poor shots, won the set 6-4. Cochet led 2-0 in the third set, then Austin struck his best form, and with brilliant passing shots levelled at 3-all. Cochet, making errors, unsuccessfully tried to slow up the game, but Austin, who was volleying in deadly fashion, captured the set. COOHET'S RECOVERY. Austin maintained a perfect length in the fourth set, and attacking strongly led 2-0. Ho continued t« dominate the game, but Coehet, taking chances which camo oil, equalised at 4-all. Austin, early in the ninth game, appeared to have hurt vis back when attempting to return a high lob. Thereafter he weakened, repeatedly finding the net. Both were feeling tho strain in the final set. Austin was ahead, 3-1, but Cochet won the- fifth game with a beautiful smash. Austin, by lobbing, secured the sixth game for a 4-2 lead, but tho Englishman dropped service in the seventh game, and Cochet, was impassable in the eighth, volleying and smashing excellently. Austin then seemed to have lost his grip, and netted three times in the ninth game, Coehet winning it with a grand passing shot to take the lead, 5-4. The final game went to deuce three times before Austin overdrove the line, and Cochot, with a fine forehand drive to tho coiner, won the match. The finish of the match was most dramatic. The crowd shouted and screamed as the players walked to tho net to shake hands after their three hours' duel. Merlin won tho first game against Perry to love. Merlin, realising that he had* nothing to lose and everything to gain, took daring chances and led 5-2. Perry's repeated mistakes amazed the crowd, who cheered each winning shot. The Englishman penetrated Merlin's service for the first time in tho ninth ganie^ but lost the tenth, hitting the ball tamely into the net. Tho cheering for Merlin obviously unsettled Perry, who began the second set wildly. Meanwhile the English listen-ers-in were amused to hear the excited spectators' shouts of "Vivo La France!" mingled with snatches of the "Marseillaise" interrupting the com: mentator's broadcast description. TWO SET POINTS. j Merlin led 3-1. Perry lacked tho fire he displayed against Cochet^ though he regained his grip and went ahead 4-3. Merlin won the next two games for a 5-4 lead, but lost tho tenth game aiter having two set points. Perry then won Merlin's servico, and the Frenchman retaliated to even at 6-all. _ Perry, storming the not, won tho thirteenth and fourteenth games for set. , Perry overcame his unsteadiness in tho third set, assumed tho offensive, and won the set comfortably. Merlin won the opening game in tho final set, but tho Englishman was fresher than his opponent, attacked whenever possible, and advanced to 4 and 1. The Frenchman, whose errors were unduly numor-1 ous,. rallied remarkably after a decision in his favour regarding two balls which many considered to be out, and reached 5-all while the English spectators grew glum and the French became delirious with" delight. Perry, . driving across court perfectly, won the eleventh game to lovo and led C-5. He fought for every point in the twelfth game and reached advantage, then Merlin hit outside, and Britain had won the Cup. THE DOUBLES. Heavy, ram soaked the court, and play in tho doubles was delayed till 4 o'clock on Saturday Perry's absence severely handicapped Britain. The Englishmen began tho first set shakily, and were unable to find touch. The Frenchmen were leading 4-0 before Hughes won his service. Lee, 'playing wildly, dropped his delivery, enabling France to reach 5-2, when Brugnon lost his service owing to Lee's magnificent retrieving. Hughes in tho ninth game started with a double-fault, and the losers were always trailing tho Frenchmen, who took tho set. The second set devolopcd into a*terrific struggle at tremendous speed. Borotra, in tho opening games, dominated tho match in his usual formidable; style, once dashing in front of Brugnon and killing Hughes's lob, but in the fifth game he was twico double-faulted, losing his servico, and tho Englishmen led 3-2. Tho Englishmen continued to improve, concentrating on Brugnon, who was often uncertain. Hughes, in the sixth game, aced Brugnon, and the challengers led 4-2. They reached 5-3, but Borotra, in his most brilliant form, saved two sot points in the ninth game. England bad a chance of winning the tenth, but Hughes, falling into his usual error of lobbing short, enabled Borotra to make vigorous kills. Brugnon rallied, and his splendid recovery enabled France to reach 6-5. Leo evenod with his service, but thereafter -the Englishmen had a calamitous scries of outs from overdrives and smashes. In the third -set tlio Frenchmen opened with amazing volleys, Borotra, with extraordinary interceptions, twico running across the net to beat Hughes. Bnigiii'ni was equally vigorous in volleying- and cross-court driving, scoring re-

peated winners.- Tlio Englishmen occasionally rallied. They reached 2-3, but the Frenchmen ended the match with a blaze of brilliance. - I