A Davis Cup Debacle

Northern Advocate, 25 May 1938, Page 4

A Davis Cup Debacle

THE history of lawn tennis affords few instances of a more startling- decline than that ’ of Britain since R J. Perry embraced professionalism. It was only last year that Brit-

ain lost the eup to. America. This year, Britain has been eliminated by Yugoslavia in the second round. How the mighty have fallen! This year’s British team failed to win one match against a nation that did not even exist when the first Wimbledon tournaments -were -held.

Sometimes the trends in lawn tennis cause considerable uneasiness as to the future of the game. Puncec and Mitic, Yugoslavia’s star players, have done little else but play tennis for several years past, and yet, by some mysterious formula, they still contrive to be classified as amateurs. Perry, before turning professional, was in the same happy position. He travelled the world. Jiving like a prince, but eventually tired of this idyllic existence, and turned his skill to even greater profit. Today, America has Budge, Mako, Biggs, Grant and several others whose claim to amateur status according to strict, but today somewhat old-fashioned, standards, would be considered dubious. Nothing is more certain, however, than that these players will be given every opportunity of playing tennis, day after day, week in, week out, at someone else’s exp ense, and yet without jeopardising their position as amateurs, for the first and most important consideration is not that they should be amateurs in the spirit as well as the letter, but that they should be eligible to play for America in the Davis Cup contests. The situation which developed when Budge and Mako visited Auckland in March, and received £2O “expenses” when their expenses were nil, is clear evidence of the spirit of shamamateurism which exists among the world’s leading players. Budge and Mako denied having committed any breach, but it is significant that American newspapers were disposed to treat their denials with considerable scepticism. Apparently the United States Lawn Tennis Association has not even bothered to investigate the alleged breach of the rule. The Davis Cup has assumed an importance which unfortunately is not untinged with commereialiam. -■ -?Aii