DAVIS CUP

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 15 August 1924, Page 9

DAVIS CUP

PATTERSON v. SHIMIZU. A GREAT STRUGGLE. iX CAULS —PBBSB ABSOUIA.’IION —COPY BIG HI Received Aug. 15, 10.30 a.m. mu 4 Y °RK, Aug. 14. the Australians began their Davis Cup preliminary with Japan at Providence to-day. In the first match Patterson defeated Shimizu, 7—5, 11—9, 6—4. The weather was clear, and there was a large attendance. Shimizu, serving won the first two games, breaking through I attersou’s service.'. The Japanese was driving continuously to Pattei son’s backhand, which appeared weak. His service, however, began to function magnificently, and he won fourth. Shimizu won the nfth, Patterson netting and outmg. The Japanese strokes were excellent, though eccentric. The games alternated with the service untiL the eleventh, when Patterson broke through Shimizu’s service. Patterson was now serving with tremendous force, and the Japanese was unable to more than touch his balls. The Australian won the twelfth game 4 —2 and the set.

In the second set Shimizu won the hrst two games. Patterson broke through his service, which is extremely soft, and won the next. There was a deceptive quality in Shimizu’s style, as he appeared to desire only to drive the ball over into his opponent’s court, and his volleying and steadiness were amazingly effective. The 'Japanese would not allow Patterson to play the overhead game, being content to ‘ keep the match to a volleying duel which demanded steadiness. He hammered the Australian’s back hand. The games then alternated with the service, and there was the bitterest struggle until the nineteenth game, when the Australian broke through the Japanese service and eventually "won the set by 11 games against 9. In the third set the games altered with the service, both men playing at the back of the court until the ninth game, when Patterson broke through the Japanese service and won the next on his own service, taking the set at 6-4. Patterson throughout the match seemed tremendously puzzled bv the softness of the Japanese service,' and in attempting to handle it either struck futilelv into the net or hit hard and drove the ball out. He alternated his attempts to. outlob Shimizu with attempts to drive his shots with such force that Shimizu would be able to s return them. Shimizu, however, is lmown to be the finest lobber playing in America, and the Australian’s tactics failed. Patterson’s volcanic service probably played the most effective part in his victory.—Aus ; -N.Z. Cable Assn.

The match was a dingdong struggle throughout, especially in the second set, in which Patterson was extended to the fullest. Finally he dropned a tantalising chopstroke at the.‘score 9-9, and/with a series of vicious baseline drives apd an untakeable service of aces took the next two games. The third set was featureless, the Japanese apparently tiring, while Patterson, with a series of spectacular strokes, had him demoralised.—Reuter. WOOD v. OKAMOTO. Received Aug. 15, 1.30 p.m. NEW YORK, Aug; 14. In the match O’Hara Wood v. Okamoto, the former won, 6 —4, 2—6, 6 —4, 6 —2, 6 —l. In the first set the games alternated for a while with the service, and the score stood four all. The Japanese’s strokes were free and speedy, but he showed a rather cramped backhand. Both played at the back of the court, being content to wait an opportunity to force the opponent into errors or make placements. The service again held until the ninth, when Wood broke through and won.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. In the second set both took each other’s service in the first two games. Raji n yesterday had affected the courts, Patterson in particular seeming to lie troubled thereby, his spikes not holding. . Okomato broke through Wood’s service in the fifth, and he continued to drive for cross-court shots with great success, running out the winner, 6—2. In the third set the score stood at 4 —3. the Australian leading. Okaoto, like Shimizu, is extremely steady, his ground strokes working splendidly. He lost the service in the tenth game, however, and Wood won. In the fourth set each lost the service until the fourth game, which Okamoto won. The service was then held until the seventh, when Okamoto broke through and led, 5 —2. The Japanese won the eighth, making two placements, and the set, 6 —2. Wood appeared extremely tired, but the Japanese played with renewed resiliency after a 10 minutes’ rest before this set. In the fifth set Wood pulled himself together and outvolleyed his opponent, winning the first three games. Okamoto won the fourth and Wood the fifth, and when Wood broke through Okamoto’s service in the sixth it appeared clearly taht the match was over. Wood came up to the net too often during the match, otherwise he probably would have won more easily, although the •Japanese was a very sturdy opponent. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

NEW YORK, Aug. 14. The Jap. developed a sudden streak of brilliancy in the second set, constantly outmanoeuvring Wood and scoring five straight games. The Australian. however, bv great work at the net regained his supremacy in the next, and although Oknmoto won the fourth. Wood easily defeated him in the fifth, after the Japanese had exhausted himself at the' back of the con rt.—Reuter.

Wood’s brilliant service and steady driving gave him an easy victory in the first set. The Japanese exhausted himself in frantic endeavours to return the Australian’s cannon ball drives. — Reuter.