AUSTRALASIA WINS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18174, 21 August 1922, Page 7

AUSTRALASIA WINS.

. -p ~ DEFEAT OF SPANIARDS. FOUR MATCHES TO ONE. WOOD'S GALLANT EFFORT. VICTORY OVER GOMAR. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received 7.5 .p.m.) A. and N.Z- YORK. Aug. IS). Australasia defeated Spain in the final round of the Davis Cup competition by four matches to one, Patterson and Wodd winning the doubles on Friday, and each winning their singles match to-day. Thus Australasia has qualified to meet the United States in the challenge round for the cup. Wood defeated Gonuir to-day, 6—B, 3—6, 6—o, 6—4, 6—l. In the first set Gomar won the first and second games after deuce twicc. * Wood won the third to 30, lost the fourth after deuce once, won the fifth after deuce twice, and the sixth to 15. Gcmar then won the seventh to love on Wood's service. Wood won the eighth to love, and the ninth to 30. Gomar won the tenth to 15, and the eleventh after deuce. Both men were playing carefully without too much speed. Wood won the twelfth game to 30, and Gomar then won tho thirteenth after deuce three times, and tho fourteenth io 15, taking the set. In the second set Wood won the first game to 30. Gomar then won the second and third to love. Gomar was playing perfect- tennis, but Wood was. strangely wild. Gomar won tho fourth to love; Wood won the fifth to 15; and Gomar won the sixth after deuce four times, and the seventh after deuce once. Wood appeared to be troubled with his arm, and his face showed: strain and weariness. Ho won the eighth game to 15, and then by three errors gave the ninth game and the set to his opponent after- deuce. Turing Point of the Match. In the third set Wood won the first game to 15, the second to 30, and the third to love. He had steadied remarkably, and won the first three games exclusively on volley placements. He then won the fourth to 30, and tho fifth after deuce twice. Gomar showed signs of tiring, and his service lacked severity. He appeared to make little effort, and to be anxious for a rest. Wood won the sixth game to love, thus taking a love set. In the fourth set Gomar won. the first game to 30. Wood won the second to 30, the third to 15, and the fourth after deuce twice. Gomar won the fifth to love, hut Wood won the sixth after deuce twice, and the seventh to 15. Gomar then won the eighth, and ninth to 15. He covered the court splendidly, and recovered some harci shots. Wood, who was at his steadiest, won the tenth game to 30 and the set. In the fifth and deciding set Gomar won the first game to 15, and Wood the second to 30. Gomar appeared to be tired, but Wood, who won the third to love, seemed refreshed, and covered the court, freely hitting returns hard. He won the fourth game to love, the fifth to 30, the sixth to love, and the seventh to 15, taking the set and the match. Easy Win lor Patterson. Patterson defeated Alonzo, B—6,8 —6, 6—B, 6—2. In tie first set Patterson won the first game to 15, the second to 15, and the third to love. Alonzo won only two points in the last three games, on a double fault by Patterson, and a netted boll. Alonzo won the fourth game to 15. Patterson's serrioe was absolutely untouchable, owing to his speed, and he won the fifth game to 30. Alonzo won the sixth game to 30, and the seventh to 30, on Patterson's service, who netted neaily all his returns- Alonzo also won the eighth game to 30. Patterson won the ninth to 30, andl Alonzo won the tenth, 7 Patterson netting every return. Patterson won ' tho eleventh to 30, and lost the twelfth to 15. He then won the thirteenth to 30, aud was on the point of taking the fourth game and the set when he netted the ball, permitting Alonzo to pull out, but a wild 1 shot by Alonzo ended the game, after deuce, and gave Patterson the setIn the second sot, Patterson won the first game to 30. Alonzo won the second to love. Patterson then won the third, after douce twice, andl the fourth to 30. Alonzo won the fifth, to 30, Patterson serving two double faults. Patterson won the sixth after deuce four times, the seventh aiter deuce three times, and the eixrhth to 15. In the third set, Alonzo won the first game to 30, Patterson cutting his returns. Patterson won the second after deuce five times, the third and fourth to 30, andthe fifth and sixth to 15. Alonzo won the seventh to 30, and Patterson won the eighth to 30. Wood's Remarkable Recovery. G. L- Patterson, in his account of the day's play, says: —" We were able to defeat Spain to-day by lour matches to one, though really the finish was a bit closer than the score indicates. Wood made a mose remarkable recovery from a losing position, and defeated Gomar, so clinching tho round, Wood playing weakly at first. He was missing volleys with terrible monotony, and had soon faded from the lead in the first rat, and lost it, together with the second. Gomax was showing ereatlv improved form, compared with his play on Thursday, though I believe the lack of sting in Wood's strokes allowed the count more time, to shape up for his shots. Gomar, after working hard for the second set, was tiring, and Wood, sticking gamely to his task, took tho next set to love. : Gomar, after a reeit, made a great effort for the sixth game in the fourth set, but Wood, volleying* well, took the game. This was 'the turning point, for his service held till the end of the set, which Wood won. Wood ultimately ran out of the match the winner, after a most gallant up-hill fight. " My match against Alonzo came soon j after, and the strain being off, enabled us to indulge in some good hard hitting. Alonzo, as usual, was all over the court, and made some remarkable saves, so much so that in attempting to putr my volleys out of his reach I was sending several over the lines. The game was played at breakneck speed, and I was glad when the last stroke was played, as Alonzo is a fighter to the end. " The Australasian team will now slacken off preparatory to the challenge round, and though we are playing in doubles at Boston, it is only to keep in touch 'with match practice." ; Decisive Doubles Victory. In the doubles match on Friday Pat-' terson and Wood won in straight sets, 6 —3, 6 —3, 6—4. , The Australasians opened by winning the first game to 15 and the second io love. The Spaniards won the third to ,15, *nd the Australasians the fourth after

deuce had been called four times. They took tho fifth after deuce twico and the sixth to love. lii this game Patterson's' service was so fast that his opponents could not t'ouch it. *. The' Spanish* pair : won' the seventh game to 50 and the eighth to love, but the Australasians took the ninth to 30. and won the set at 6—5. In the second set-the Australasians won tho first game to 15, and lost the second after deuce. They won the third to 15. and the fourth. after deuce. „,They had proved themselves very much betterdoubles players t'iian the Spaniards, though Alonzo was the best of the four at covering the ground. Gomar's play ■was distinctly the weakest of the four. Tho Australasians won the fifth game after deuce, and their opponents took the sixth to 30. The Australasians won the seventh game after deuce, and lost the eighth to 15. They won the ninth and the set on Patterson's service, which still .continued to baffle the Spaniards. In the third set the Spaniards won the first game to love, and the Australasians won tho second to 15 on Patterson's service. His aim seemed to be to hit hard at everything, and this proved to be a successful policy. The third game went to , the Australasians after deuce twice, and the Spaniards won''the fourth after three deuces and the fifth to 30. The Australasians took the sixth to 30, lost the seventh after deuce twice, won the eighth to love and the ninth after deuce. The Spaniards did not seem to be a match for Patterson, who served in the tenth game with such speed that the ball could not be seen from the side-line. He made two double faults, however, permitting his opponents to work up 5 to deuce, but then served two aces which they were unable to touch, taking the set and the match. Patterson's Speed Tells. Patterson in his account of the doubles mat-cls says: 44 Spain and Australasia decided three quickly-played sets, wherein the Australasians gained a decisive victory. The Spaniards were weaker in service, and did not have the pace to play an attacking game. Wood was below his best form, probably on Account of his gruelling: in the singles match yesterday, and it was only in his interceptions at the net of some of the Spaniards' best volleys that he approached his usual form. The wind blowing across the court, though making tho sun less oppressive, made anything but severe strikes float out of court. This affected Wood's volleying occasionally, for he had not power in his right arm to handle these shots decisively. Alonzo was easily the better man in the Spanish team, but evtn so he was not at homo at the net, and his vole's often went astray. " My serves, having the benefit of the wind, were going in fast, which usually invited defensivo lobs, and of these we took advantage. This was wh erei the Spaniards failed, most, perhaps, in that they could not keep the return of the serve low across the net, but gave us a chance at hitting down. Wood, in my opinion, is entitled to the greatest praise for the way he carried Anderson's burden under such painful conditions, for almost every shot with, any force caused him great pain. It is only by diily visits to an electrical masseur that he is able to hold his racquet. He is due for a rest now, and will probably be forced to drop out of the American national doubles at Boston next week."