Quist-Bromwich Defeat Depresses

Northern Advocate, 29 August 1938, Page 4

Quist-Bromwich Defeat Depresses

Tennis

NEW YORK. August 27. Australian hopes fur the Davis Cup contest next week-end received a setback today, when, in the final of the American national doubles tournament, Quist qnd Bromwich were beaten by Budge and Mako, C—3, 6—2, 6—l. The Australians played listlessly, and were never threatening to the Americans, disappointing the crowd of 4000 which had been drawn by the prospects of a close match. The Americans were devastating. Budge was at his invincible best, and Mako played one of the best games of his life. Bromwich was evidently ill at ease, and suffering from nervous tension, which, near the end. seemed to, become dull resignation to fate. Quist was far from his best, and made errors frequently. Neither was able to cope with the American service. Mako’s was hardly less severe than that of Budge, and the American's ground strokes and smashing were terrific and their accuracy almost mechanical.

Finding themselves unable to match stroke for stroke, the Australians resorted to lobbing, but the pace on the balls was so great that they were unable to control them. Budge and Mako presented numerous perfect “kills.” The Australians’ resigned attitude puzzled the crowd. In the United States the pair going down at least gives a semblance of grim determination to fight; but the Australians’ seeming indifference aroused almost resentment. A touch of Bradman’s spirit would have helped today. The match was just a monotonous notching of American points. Budge and Mako took the offensive from the start, and the Australians never held a lead. They did show flashes of brilliance, but the episodes usually ended in their netting easy shots ingloriously. The match has shocked American sportsmen, who were widely favouring the Australians’ .chances in the Davis Cup. Hopman, the manager of the team, “I am terribly disappointed. It is inexplicable. The boys could not have been more confident. Quist,, before the match, said he could not have felt better, and he was hitting so accurately that he was considering ceasing practice, yet, on the court, he was only a shadow of himself. There are no excuses; they were just off form. I do not regard the defeat as any criterion of the Davis Cup match, I do not think Budge and Mako can do it again.”