TENNIS.

Northern Advocate, 9 February 1920, Page 3

TENNIS.

DAVIS CUP PLAY. STUBBORN BRITISH RESISTANCE. The Davis Cup challenge round, 1919 (played in 1920) was a striking success, wet weather notwithstanding (says the "Sydney Referee"). Magnificent tennis in some of the matches has set a neW standard for local players. If New South Wales does not produce a crop of tennis men and women to emulate the Brookes, Patterson, Kingscote fighting- methods, varying thoup-h these be, with brilliancy, variety and guile supplement ing accuracy, the younger ones in lawn tennis will have shown that they are less observant and less gifted than those In other games.

Public enthusiasm, ardent and concentrated in a degree hitherto marking only cricket and football anions? national games; playing skill, individual and collective, of the highest possible order; perfect grass courts, and the spirit ideal permeating the contest, all contributed to the striking success. If the British Isles team went down before the Australasians, their piny was dominated by John Bull's tenacious f ghting spirit to the last. Thaytook the medicine presci'ibed for the vanquished with the utmost good spirit. "Sportsmen to the finger tips," as Punch said of the Australian Eleven to invade Old England and whip the giants of forty years ago at Lord's. Their captain, Colonel Kingscote, demonstrated in the singles that Australia and America have not a monopoly of the daring, brilliant, aggressive and versatile in lawn tennis. A country which produces a Kingscote must produce a crop of the same type sooner or later.

Australia is fortunate t 0 have such a masier as N. E. Brook?s, whose singles expositions in other Davi«s Cup contests have been praised the world over, and whose form in the doubles to-day stamp him as a wizard of the racket. This country is similarly fortunate to have developed a younger player, such as G. L. Patterson, who links outstanding brilliancy with ?uile and an over-powering ser- j vice, to fill the place held with so much honour by the late Anthony Wilding Australasia is very d e eply indebted to Victoria for having brought out these talented and dis tinguished players and others to set the standard and to fight for the Davis Cup. COLO JEL KINGSCOTE GIVES HIS IMPRESSIONS. In a Sunday Times interview, the captain of the British Isles team is interesting, generous, and a great loser: — "Comparison of form is always an extraordinarily difficult matter," h- 1 stated. "Such a lot depends on ho T v on e f l> els at the the match, and the condition of the courts. The courts here are as good as any in the world, and I'm quite satisfied with them. In fact, I'm more than satisfied with the whole trip. Certainly, we didn't win the Cup, but then, we hardly expe?ted to, Perhaps I'd better say we hoped to, and were confident that we had a good chance. It was a close go.

"I'm quite satisfied that I played my best here, and that my confreres were ?.l?o at their top. I certainly played better than I did against Gobert in Paris or in the championship matches at Wimbledon.

"Patterson is a mighty good player. I know of nobody who could beat hira at this moment. There are. two or three American top-notchers of whom I know very little, but I doubt if they could prevent him from winning. He's the only man who has beaten me this season, and he did it twice—once at Wimbledon and again last Wednesday,

"Ho has, besides the match-winning temparament, an extraordinary capacity for coming on top at a critical moment, and an extraordinary number of shots. His cut shots, especially, .u-e the most difficult things I've ever encountered. I really think he's the best singles player there is. His greatness overshadows even the mighty Brookes, and that is saying a lot.

"It has been a most enjoyable trip for all of us. Everybody has been most 1-indj we've had a topping time, and .ire all perfectly satisfied with conditions, matches, spectators—oh, everything,"