TENNIS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 18 May 1928, Page 6

TENNIS.

FRENCH CHAMPIONSHIPS. MANY NATIONS REPRESENTED. (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH—COPYRIGHT.) (AUSTRALIAN PRESS ASSOCIATION.I PARIS, May 16. There are 69 entries in the men's singles hard court tennis championships, opening on May 21. Germany and Italy are not represented. The top half of the draw includes Patterson Brookes, F. T. Hunter, Borotra, Boussus, Cochet, Boyd (Argentine), and Timmer (Holland). In the bottom half are Hawkes, Crawford, Laeoste, Brugnon, Gregory, Sleem (India), and Robson (Argentina). There are 64 entries for the doubles. Borotra, Bragnon, Hunter, Brookes, Hopman, and Crawford are in the top half of the draw, and Laeoste, Boussus, Cochet, De Buzelet, Patterson and Hawkes are in the bottom half. Entries for the mixed doubles include Hunter and Miss Wills, Cochet and Miss Eileen Bennett. Misses Wills and Anderson have entered for the women’s doubles.

ITALY’S DEFEAT OF AUSTRALIA

TIL DEN’S COMMENT,

NEW YORK, May 15. Commenting on Italy’s defeat of the Australian tennis team in the first round of the Davis Cup contest, Tilden said to-day that Patterson and Crawford had not had time to adjust themselves to the tennis -surfaces or climatic conditions of Italy, and that was largely responsible for their defeat. Had they arrived in Italy earlier and had the opportunity to play a feAv weeks more on the local, courts, he said, they Avould have been “tough nuts for the Italians to crack.” He did not believe the Italian players Avould be as effective against the Americans as they Avere against the Australians, because they Avould not be playing on their oAvn courts, but in France. He said that De Morpurgo was an exceptionally good player, but Avas not at his best anyAvhere but. in Italy. Tilden held up the fate of the Australians as a warning of Avhat is in store Avhen they play at Wimbledon after competing for months on clay courts. He Avould be surprised if there Avas a single American player left in the men’s singles at the end of the first week’s play.