DAVIS CUP FINAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 September 1924, Page 5

DAVIS CUP FINAL

AMERICANS WIN SINGLES.

AUSTRALIANS OUT-CLASSED.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

NEW YORK, September 10.

A Philadelphia telegram '.says the Davis Cup draw is: Patterson v. Tilden ; O’Hara Wood v. Richards. Doubles: Tilden and Johnston v. Patterson and O’Hara Wood. Third day : O’Hara Wood v. Tilden; Patterson v. Richards.

The matches begin at 1.30 in the afternoon, on the Germanstown Cricket Club courts, where O’Hara Wood, Patterson, Kahns, and Schlesinger will practise to-day.,> American observers express the certainty that the Davis Cup will remain in the United States, but the question has now arisen as to whether Australia will "be able to repeat its last year’s and the 1922 showing. Patterson has beaten Iticliarcls before, but it is not the same Richards to-day. He has been playing brilliantly, and is in his best ’form, while Patterson recently has been decidedly below par. O’Hara Wood, too, is not playing as well as he was a month ago. It is generally held that the Australians cannot expect to win. any of the singles, but have decidedly more than an even chance to win the doubles, if they can return in time to the form shown in the match with Griffin and Johnston this year, or that shown against Tilden and Richards in the Davis Cup of 1922. . , Brookes and Mrs. Brookes have departed from New York en route for Australia, and are leaving on September 16 by the Sierra.

THE GAMES DESCRIBED.

NEW YORK, September 11.

Ak Philadelphia, in the Davis Cup final, the Americans won both the first day’s singles matches. Tilden defeated Patterson, 6/4, 6/2, 6/3. Richards defeated Wood, 6/3, 6/2, 6/4. In contrast to the overpowering heat in the recent Davis Cup matches Patterson and Tilden began to play at the. Germantown courts in bright sunshine, tempered by a cool breeze. The spectators wore top coats and sweaters. Patterson began serving but cut his service. This proved effective and he amassed a two to love lead, breaking through Tilden’s service 1/4. Tilden, like most American tennis players who know Patterson’s style drove every shot to the Australian’s backhand. Patterson won the third game after standing 0/3 and Tilden won the fourth. After some difficulty he ’evened the score to three all by breaking through Patterson’s service with his forehand drives which were tremendous. Patterson’s ground strokes were imperfect; he found the ball rolling softly off his racquet, while Tilden was getting both length and pace in all his shots. Patterson won the ninth, his service bringing aces. Tilden had a little difficulty in clinching tlie tenth, the crucial game, which went to deuce several times, but Patterson made several errors, permitting the champion to pull out the game and set. Tilden was some time getting started, but his superiority was then clearly evident. In the second set Tilden hammered the Australian’s backhand unmercifully, and handled Patterson’s service with the greatest ease, playing a back-court game and making it impossible for Patterson to approach the net. Patterson rising to great heights, tore through Tilden’s service in the sixth 4/2, but it was only a temporary spurt. He succumbed next game, losing his service in a deuce game and giving the American a preponderant lead. Tilden won, taking the eighth game in his own service.

In the third set both men played a back-court game, Tilden never coming to more than midcourt and there driving deeply. Patterson made numerous errors, driving wildly or rolling shots into the net. He missed even those opportunities when he could have approached close to the net by outing. Tilden lobbed a few times, but these were earned points for Patterson who killed them overhead. Patterson lost his service in the third game and this lead Tilden held. Patterson was being badly outplayed, not because he was not playing strongly; as a matter of fact he was getting his best effort in, but Tilden’s shrewdly calculated management forced the Australian to errors, by hitting to Patterson’s backhand, or keeping him racing back and forth on the back line. Patterson lost his service in the seventh and with the end in sight fought desperately but ineffectively. Tilden playing faultlessly showed his mastery. His backhand with its little trajectory and his low forehand would require nothing less than a genius in order to successfully handle them. Patterson fought right to the very finish but it was not of the slightest avail for Tilden ran out in the eighth on his own service.

RICHARDS v. WOOD

The spectators’ stand, holding ten thousand, was nearly filled when the second match began. Richards, wearing a heavy sweater, served first, but lost the first game. He Js the outstanding net player of America and compelled Wood to give shots of the greatest length to prevent the American’s approach to the net. Wood obtained a 3/1 lead by beautifully calculating line drives that caught the American decidedly off pace. Richards’s accurate, forceful playing, however, soon began to count, and cracking Wood’s service in the sixth, and winning his own in the seventh, he led 4/3. Richards demonstrated himself an able back court player, and also earned many points with hard forehand drives.'shoulder high, that sailed like a, bullet back over the net, and were practically unreturnable. Wood, still playing accurately, was nevertheless in difficulties. He lost his service in. the. eighth game and Richards led 5/3. Tlie latter was winning eas-. ily; he,lobbed every time Wood attempted'to run io the net, and kept the Australian running back. His first service was hard, and Wood was compelled to return it defensively. Richards ran out the set, six games against three. In the second set. Richards took the lead, breaking through Wood’s service. In tlie third his finely balanced play proved always effective. Wood, like Patterson, was here playing well fighting hard and repeatedly working’ in handsome placement shots. Riehai'ds, however, was more accurate, The American’s service waS also' effective his first service often being

unanswerable. Wood continued to have great difficulty in holding his service. Both men engaged in a volleying duel, each trying to get the other running to and fro in the back court. Richards usually ended such issues with a fast fore hand drive that whistled through the air and cut the corner of the court for a winning point. Wood lost his service in the seventh, Richards leading 5/2. The American then overwhelmed the Australian with brilliant speed from the ground and succeeded in coming to the net oftener. He was impassable there and Wood, fighting to do so, found himself checked continuously. Richards won the eighth game and the set.

The third set developed into an instance -where the defeated man shows he can fight defeat to the last point and one can never tell he is beaten until all is over. W’ood lost his service in the first, third and fifth games. He appeared as clay in Richards’ hands and in the seventh the game stood 2/3. To lose the service meant losing the match, but he brought the game to deuce and won. Richards then led 5/2 Wood now hung on to the match through sheer will. No shot was too impossible for him to get and he was beating Richards point for point. Richards lost his service and Wood by winning three games consecutively appeared to have a chance to win the set, if he could break Richards’ service in the tenth. The Australian had fought bitterly to win his own service in the ninth. The tenth game found Wood seeking weak spots in Richards’ play. This was difficult, nevertheless the Australian won the alternate points, taking the crucial game into deuce where it gravitated for some time. Richards -with winning shots, by inches snatching a possible redemption from ‘ the Australian. The. American could , not ..'lie denied' aaid won the set and match.