Lawn Tennis By "Drive."

Evening Post, Volume 97, Issue 97, 21 October 1933, Page 6

Lawn Tennis By "Drive."

A BRILLIANT BAND

DAVIS CUP PLAYERS

GAMES NEXT SATURDAY

On© of the strongest overseas combinations ever to visit New Zealand will be aeon in action at Wellington next Saturday. The three English players who are touring New Zealand and Australia ana two members of the Australian Davis Cup team, together with the first ranking players in the Dominion will play, singles and doubles at Miramar Grounds. F. J. Perry, the. young and brilliant Englishman, is the star, of the side. Perry is one of the most spectacular players, perhaps the most spectacular, that Britain has produced. He i» the man who is directly responsible for the last win in the Da-vis Cup in which he defeated Cochct decisively, was the first Englishman to capture the American singles championship for thirty years, and is now ranked as»second player in the world, a rating which may be warranted on this season's form, but is not representative of his grade at the present moment. For Perry defeated Crawford, ranked as ilumbcr 1 in the world; in the final of the American singles and ended .that" match in very one-sided manner. It is significant, too, that when playing. Perry Vines fainted and Crawford appeared overcome with illness. The truth is not so much that these players were definitely off form as that the extreme pace set by Perry, the most spectacular volleyer in the game today, was too much for his rivals. The game is now more strenuous than* ever before, and Perry's attack found out the weakness in his adversaries. PERRY'S SUCCESSES. F. J. Perry's victory in the American singles cannot, be said to have como without warning. Last year he ranked seventh in the World's First Ten, and in 1931 was ranked fourth. In 1931 he beat Sidney B. Wood, then Wimbledon champion, and Jean Borotra in Davis Cup matches, and reached the semi-final of the American singles championship. That season he defeated seven of the first ten players on the American ranking list, and had some terrific duels with Vines, then. at top form. Last year he beat Borotra in the Coupe de Noel, which had come to be regarded as almost Borotra's own, was in the Wimbledon doubles final, won the British hard court doubles and singles, and took the French mixed-doubles with Miss Betty Nuthall. This year he fell a victim to FarquliarsOri, the South African-Davis Cup player, at Wimbledon, 7-5, 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 64, and to Satoh in.the- French singles, 1-6, 7-o, 6-4, 3-6, (5-3, won the French doubles with Hughes, a.nd beat McGi'ath, Vine's, Allison, Coeliet, and Merlin in the Davis Cup singles. Crawford and Perry did not meet in the Australia-Britain Davis Cup match as Perry had strained his shoulder and Britain had already won.tho match. Perry also proved that his win in the American singles was no more than M» duo when he1 won the Pacific South West .singles 'for the second year i.n Succession, boating1 Satoh by three' sets to one. : ; LEE'S PERFORMANCES. ■ 11. G. N. Lee was ranked as third player in Britain last year, and substituted for . Perry; in the Bavis Cup match between Britain .and' Australia, so he must hold that rating this season. Lee is 20 years old,(Perry is 24), and has won various-important titles. He took the German, mixed doubles and the North of England hard court championship in 1929, and was in the British Davis Cup team in 1930 against Germany, Poland, and Australia. He won three of his first four singles, but lost to both Crawford and Hopman in five sets in the encounter with Australia. In 1931 he w(jn the British hard court championship, the Irish championship, the Beaulieu title (boating Austin in "t.Re final), and visited America with a British representative team. In 1931 he beat G, M, Lott, the American Davis Cup player, at Wimbledon, and last year represented Britain in the Davis Cup", beat Lacoste in the French championship, and ran Prcnn to rive sets iv the German championship. He also went to South Africa with a British team. During the season just ended he was again in the British Davis Cup team, beat McGrath in the British hard court meeting, represented Britain against France, and at Wimbledon had Stoofen, who is riow ranked. as s eighth in the world, two sets down from'which position,the'American won the match. Lee was seeded as No. 8 on the AVimbledon singles list, and beat McGrath again at tire- meeting, taking less than an hour to win three straight sets. In the American championship Leo" fell to Stoefen again, the American reaching the semi-filial in a remarkable streak of form. F. H. D. Wilde is ranked as twelfth player in Britain, and has some useful pcirforffiaiices to his credit.. In 1928 he won the junior championship of Great Britain, and the hard-court championship of Ireland in 1930-31, In 1982 he represented England against Wales, Germany, Belgium, and defeated G. L. Rogers (the Irish giant) at Wimbledon. '