TENNIS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 19 March 1925, Page 3

TENNIS

DAVIS CUP

THE DRAW

V CABLE—press association- copyright WASHINGTON, March 17.

A record list of twenty-four teams have entered for the Davis Chip. 1 lie ambassadors of most pi the nations ot the world foregathered at the PanAmerican building here, when the \ ice. President (Brigadier-General C. GDawes) drew from) the Davis Cup the names of the twenty-five challenging nations. The complete draw is as follows :

American zone. —First round: Cuba v. Spain. Second round: Japan v. China-; Mexico v. winners of Cuba v. Spain ; Australia v. Hawaii; New Zealand v. Canada. European zone.—First round : Holland v. Czeeho-Slovakia; Switzerland v. Sweden; Belgium v. India; Austria v. Ireland; Hungary v. France ; Portugal v. Italy; Rouniania v. Denmark; Poland v. England. The uneven number of challengers in the American zone necessitated that all nations hut two should receive byes in the first round. The winner of the European and American zones will challenge the United States. At the conclusion of the draw, Air. Davis, the donor of the cup, said the competition this year was surrounded by unusual circumstances. It marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the cup competition, and it was- a coincidence that there were twenty-five nations challenging. This was a new record in international tennis, the entry being two greater than a year ago. Mr. Davis outlined the history of the Davis Cuii competition since 1900, when there were only two entries. No other amateur sport competition, with the exception of the Olympic Games, attracted such world-wide interest. It was a splendid demonstration of the growth of tennis as an international pastime. Aleetings on the courts were the means of developing better understandings of the personal sportsmanship of the nations involved. It was to be hoped that this sport and l good fellowship-would continue to grow and broaden as a result of these annual contests.

AM ATEUR STATUS! A DRASTIC RUDE, Received Alarch. 19. 9.5 a.in. LONDON, Alarch 18. The council of the Lawn Tennis Association has passed a resolution that a player accepting a reduction of more than 40 per cent, from the ordinary charges made by hotels .and similar establishments in connection with playing a game in any tournament, match or competition, will forfeit his amateur status under rule 27. An offer of such a reduction to a player in connection with any tournament will render the meeting liable- to have the sanction of the council withdrawn and any future sanction refusers. Any reduction not exceeding forty per cent.' which may he iffered must be extended without distinction to all players competing. Aus.-N.Z-. Cable Assn.