DAVIS CUP CONTEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18813, 13 September 1924, Page 11

DAVIS CUP CONTEST.

THE CHALLENGE ROUND

TWO SINGLES PLAYED.

AMERICANS WIN BOTH.

HARD - FOUGHT STRUGGLE.

TILDEN'S BRILLIANT PLAY.

By ToleKraph--ProFS Association- -Copyricht. A. and N.Z. NEW YORK. Sept 11.

The challenge round of the Davis Cup contest was begun this afternoon on the court of the Germanton Club, Philadelphia, when the Australians met the Americans, holders of the cup.

Tho Americans won the first two of the five the results being:—

W. T. Tildcn beat G.'L. Patterson, 6—4, 6—2, 6—2.

Vincent R. Richards beat P. O'Tlara Wood.. 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

In contrast to the overpowering heat experienced at recent Davis Cup matches, there was bright sunshine tempered by a cool breezo when Patterson and Tilden began |>lay. The spectators wore topcoats.

Tilden recovered to win tho first set after Patterson had won three games, two by brilliant service, which the American eventually broke through. Then by brilliant placements Tilden took the lead. In the next set Tilden, thoroughly warmed to his work, began a long-range bombardment of his rival's backhand, and won without extending himself.

Tildcn, while not scoring service aces, was getting his first hall over with such severity and Retting such length to bis opponent's back hand that Patterson was unable to reach the net and volley. When Patterson attempted to half-volley, Tilden's pace and cut were so effective that the Australian's returns were flat and constantly netted. In tho third set, Tilden. playing from the back of the court, made a series of dazzling placements along the sidelines past Patterson's backhand. Tilden v. Patterson. Patterson opened the game with a cut service, instead of his usual method of hitting with all his force. This proved effective, and he got a two—love lead, breaking through Tilden's service to fifteen. Tilden, like most American tennis players, who know Patterson's style, drove every shot to the Australian's backhand. Patterson won the third after standing love—forty, and Tilden won the fourth with some difficulty. His strokes were not working well. Tilden equalised the score to three all by breaking through Patterson's service in the fifth to love, and winning tho sixth to love on his own service. His forehand drives were tremendous. The American again cracked the Australian Bervice. Patterson's ground strokes were imperfect; he found tho ball rolling softly off his racquet, while Tilden was getting length and pace on all his shots. Patterson won the ninth, his service bringing aces. Tilden had a little difficulty in clinching tho tenth, the crucial game, which went to deuce several times, but. Patterson made several errors, permitting the champion to pull off the game and set, six games against four. Tilden was slow getting started, but his superiority was then clearly evident. American Hammers Unmercifully. In tho second set Tilden was hammering the Australian's backhand unmercifully, and handling Patterson's service with the greatest ease, playing a backcourt game and making it impossible for Patterson to approach tho net. He was beating his opponent at will, althou Igb the Australian was working hard and playing good tennis. Tilden broke through Patterson's service twice, and led 4-1. Patterson, rising to great heights, tore through Tilden's service in the *ixth, to make the score 2-4, but it was only a temporary spurt and he succumbed next game, losing his service after deuce and giving the American a preponderant leau. Tilden won the set, six games to two, taking the eighth game on his own service. Tn the third set both men playr.d the back-court game, Tilden never coming to moro than midcourt, and there, driving deeply, he compelled the Australian to volley defensively. Patterson made numerous errors, driving wildly or rolling shots into tho net. He missed even those opportunities when he could approach close to the not by outing. Tilden lobbed a few times, but these wero earned points for Patterson, who killed them overhead. Patterson lost his service in the third, and this Head Tilden held. Patterson was being badly outplayed, not because lie was not playing stronglv-as a matter of facthe was getting his best effort m-but Tilden's shrewdly calculated management forced the Australian into errors. He Int. to Patterson's backhand, or kept him racing back and forth along the back lino. When Patterson lost his service in the seventh the end was in sight. Patterson now fought desperately, but ineffectively, and Tilden, playing faultlesslv, showed his mastery; . His backhand had little trajectory, and his low I forehand would have required nothing less than a genius to handle it successfully. Patterson fought right to the very finish, but Tilden ran out the eighth game on his, own service and won the'set six games against two. Eichards v. Wood. The spectators* stand, holding ten thousand, was ncarlv filled when tho second match began. Richards, wearing a h«avy sweater, served first. Wood's fast pace and splendid placements were at first too much for tl.ie youthful New Yorker, who, however, found himself, and by brisk volleying and sharp serving won the sot. Richards made few errors, playing a careful driving game. Richards won the second set mainly through the persistence with which he came to the not, rattling off volley shots and passing tho Australian. Wood then made a splendid rally, pushing the Anieri:' cm to the utmost, but Richards finally captured the set by terrific drives past Wood. In the third set Richards, from the front of the court, flashed smashing volleys and cross-shots, keeping Wood on the baseline and making frequent kills. Wood made another splendid rally that all but turned the tide of the buttle, winning three straight games before tho American could put over the winning game,

Richards, serving, lost the opening game. Richards, who is the outstanding net player in America, compelled Wood to give his shots the greatest length to prevent tho American approaching the net. Wood amassed a 3 to 1 lead, winning earned points by beautifully calculated lino drives that caught the American decidedly off pace. Richards' accurate and forceful play soon began to count, however, and cracking Wood's service in the sixth and winning his own in the seventh, ho led 4to 3. Richards demonstrated himself an able back-court player aJso. Ho earned many points with hard forehand drives shoulder high that sailed like a' bullet back over the net and were practically unreturnable. Wood w.as still playing accurately, but was nevertheless constantly in difficulties; He lost his service in tho eighth and Richards led 5—3. Richards now was winning easily. He lobbed every time Wood attempted to run to the net and kept the Australian running back. Richards worked hard to approach the net every time. His first service was hard and Wood was compelled to return defensively. Richards ran out, tho set ending six games against three. A Duel in Volleying. Richards again took the lead in the second set, breaking through Wood's service in the third gamo. His finely-bal-anced play proved always effective. Wood hero too. like Patterson, was playing well and fighting hard and repeatedly working in handsome placement shots. He was accurate, but Richards was even more accurate, while the American's service was also effective, his first service often being unanswerable. Wood continued to have great difficulty in holding his service and pulling it out. Whenever he was successful it was only after deuce. Both men now engaged in a volleying duel, in which each tried to get tho other running back and forth at the back of the court. Richards usually ended such issues with a fast forehand drive that whistled through the air and cut the corner of tho court for the winning point. Wood lost his service in the seventh, Richards leading 6—2. Richards aiow overwhelmed tho Australian with brilliant speed shots from the ground and succeeded in coming to tho net. oftener. He was impassable there, and Wood, fighting to pass him, found himself checked continuously. Richards won the eighth game and the set, six games against two. Struggle to the Last Point. The third set developed into an instance in which a defeated man shows he can light defeat to the last point, and one can never tell"lie is beaten until it is all over. Wood lost his service in the first, third and fifth games. He appeared clay in Richards' hands. Wood, in tho seventh game., stood at 30—40, to lose his service and the match, but he deuced the game; and although he fell, losing a | point, when he had the advantage, he nevertheless won the game. Richards I now led 5—2. Wood now hung to tho match through sheer will. No shot was | impossible for him to get, and he was [ beating Richards point for point. Richards | lost his service, and Wood, by winning [ three games consecutively, appeared to I have a chance to win the set if he could ■ break through Richards' service in the | tenth. Wood had fought bitterly to win j his own service in the ninth. The tenth I game found W«>d seeking weak spots in j Richards' play. This was difficult to do, nevertheless the Australian won alternate points, taking the crucial game into deuce, where it gravitated for some time. Richards, winning shots by inches and snatching possible redemption from tho Australian, could not be denied. He -won the set, six games against four, and the match, three sets straight.

The Americans gave both their champions in to-day's contest the credit of not being forced to show their limit. They predict that the Cup will probably stay in America another year.