TENNIS BLUE RIBAND

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11934, 15 September 1924, Page 9

TENNIS BLUE RIBAND

DAVIS GUP CONTEST AMERICANS OVERWHELM AUSTRALIANS IN DOUBLES. i MARVELLOUS PLACEMENTS. B.v Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright Australian and N.Z. Ca'ble Association PHILADELPHIA, September 12. Tile Americans retain tho Davis Cup by reason of their having defeated the Australians in the doubles to-day, giving them toe rubber. Tho weather was perfect, wlsh the sun shining, but not too brightly. The pnly handicap was a strong cross-court wind. There was a large attendance of spectators in tho stand. America (W. T. Tilden and W. M. Johnston) defeated Australia (G. L. Patterson and P. O’Hara Wood), 5 —7, 6—3, 6—4, 6—l. The first eight games of tho first set. went with the service, but. Patterson and Wood crashed through Johnston’s service in the ninth, game, gaining tile lead. The Americans then broke through ' Patterson’s service to even toe score, but in the eleventh game Tilden failed to pull through on his own service. Tilden and Johnston, by slashing placements, stopped the Australians on Wood’s service in a game that went to 6—3. The Australians then crashed through Johnston’s service, winning the set on Patterson’s fine drives from the base-line. PATTERSON FAILS AT NET. In toe second set the Americans tools the first game from Johnston’s service. They then broke through Wood’s service, and when Patterson failed at the net Tilden won his service. Then, in a protracted game, filled, with brilliant returns, in which Tilden dominated, the play, the Americans won at .9—7, cracking Patterson's service. Tilden made a perfect “kill” past Patterson. Wood won his opening service in the third set, as did Johnston, who delivered a perfect love game. Patterson’s dazzling drives •find marvellous - placements were in evidence in this set, but Tilden rose to superior heights with smashes and cross-court shots, gaining the lead and the set. Patterson faltered slightly when serving in tbs opening game of the fourth set, losing toe lead, but Tilden won his service, seven out of the eight points being won on placements, four by Johnston. Slashing placements by the Americans gave them the third game on breaking through Wood’s service, \ and on Johnston’s delivery the Americans took a brilliant love game. ■Patterson temporarily stemmed toe tide by winning hi? service, but Tilden, with two well-delivered placements, took toe sixth game, and on Wood’s service toe Americana broke through to win the set, match, and toe Davis Oup on brilliant placements by Johnston and Tilden after the game had gone to deuce. Throughout to-day’s match the Americans excelled in clean placements, while their ■ tendency to netting at the beginning of the match disappeared. They also excelled in lobbing. HARD FOUGHT GAMEJohnston serving toe Americans won the first game in toe opening set. Wood won toe seoond for Australia. Tilden won the third, and Patterson won the fourth. 5—3. Patterson was winning 3—o in this game when ho doublefaulted twice, permitting the Americans to bring it to deuce. Patterson was deadly overhead, earning many points, and killing Johnston’s defensive lobs. He was, however, weak in his ground strokes, and this resulted in numerous errors. The games alternated with toe service until toe score stood at 4 all. A break came in the ninth game when Johnston’s service cracked when he 6tood o—3,0 —3, and lost often- reaching 2—3, but tho Americans retaliated by breaking through Wood’s service in the tenth game, and the • soore stood at 6 all. It cannot bo said that toe Americans were working smoothly as a doubles team; Johnston’s errors proving costly. He was unable to handle Patterson’s service, and missed l many easy returns. The Australians led 6—6, when they cracked Tilden’s servioe in toe eleventh game, and Patterson pulled his servioe out from I—2. Winning toe twelfth game 4—2, tho Australians won toe set 7— S. In tbe second set Wood lost his service in the second game, when Patterson hammered two overheads into toe net an<} himself missed two retufns from tho forehand. The Americans quickly amassed a lead of 3-love. Patterson pulled his servioe out, winning the fourth game, 9—7, hut the Americans increased their lead to 4—l on Johnston’s service. They were more aggressive than the Australians, advancing constantly to the net. Tilden became more at ease, and they ran out, winning the set with alternate games. 6—3 QUICK DEBACLE. The third set saw Tilden standing 3—o and serving, but the fourth game found the Australians running up a score of 3—4, but Tilden pulled, out his servioe and the soore stood at 4-all. The Americans achieved a curious feat in the ninth game. When 'Wood was serving and stood 3—o the Americans won toe next five points and took the lead, five games against four. Several sharp rallies occurred at the net in which Johnston and Tilden outdrove the Australians or found openings between them. It then became a comparatively easy matter for the Americans to run out, winning the set, 6—4. The fourth set proved a quick debacle. Though the American pair were teaming awkwardly, getting in each other’s way,, and apparently unable to dovetail their efforts, they nevertheless overwhelmed their more experienced doubles opponents, whose team work was perfect. The Americans won because they individually possessed Btrokes which won them points. Johnston’s forehand- drive was functioning with a report like a gun and with a fqroe like a bullet was unanswerable. Tilden’s stroking was smooth, accurate, forceful, and gained points. Patterson whep running up to the net to answer a return from nis owh service, seemed unable to lift t]i6 ball more than a few inches. Patterson lost his service in the first game and Wood in tlie third and seventh games. This gave the Americans the requisite headway to win with ease. Patterson again found hia service endangered in the fifth, gamo, but he pulled it out 5—3. add tho Americans led, 4—l. They quickly tore through Wood's service in the final game, and ran out the set expeditiously, 6— l. Following are the details of the scoring:.— America (Tilden and Johnston): 139 points. 41 nets, 37 outs, 38 placements, 4 servioe aoes, 1 double fault. 1 Australia (Patterson and Wood): 113 points. 52 nets, 38 outs, 32 placements, 1 service aces. 7 double faults.

TILOEN PILES ON POINTS WOOD KEPT ON THE RUN. PATTERSON MAKES GREAT EFFORT. Usurer's TelesrrtP) (Reoeived September 14, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, September 13. The 'final Davis Oup matches were favoured with summery weather. In the first set Wood broke through Tilden’s service in the first game, and Tilden returned the compliment on Wood's service. Thereafter the American, stripping off sweater, rolled . up points with comparative ease. He raced through the other two sets, playing a deep court game, without effort at killing strokes, and he kept Wood running across the court. Patterson won his first service in the second game. Richards then took the lead and control until the eighth when the Australian broke Richards’s service and took his own, his slashing first ball being almost unplayable. Richards then reeled off a set on his own service. In tire second set Patterson crashed through Richards’s service in the second game, the American faltering, and making two double faults. The Australian won the fourth game through two fin© service aces, and a clean placement. Richards took the fourth gjgme, and staged an amazing rally, winning six successive games and the set. Patterson made a brave effort in the third set to turn the tide, but Richards, coming to midoourt, kept pounding his backhand. The Australian netted drives. He took on a full volley at midoourt and could not save the game. Upon tho completion of the challenge round Patterson announced that the team would proceed homeward via Chicago, *Winnipeg and other centres where they will play exhibition matches amongst themselves. The team embark on the Sonoma on October 7th for Australia. * SCORE IN SINGLEB DECISIVE VICTORY. (Received September 14, 5.6 p.m.) WASHINGTON, September In the Davis Cup final singles Richards defeated Patterson 6—3, 7—5, 6—4, and Tilden defeated Wood 6—2, 6—l, 6—l. PREVIOUS WINNERB The following is a record of the challenge rounds for the Davis Cup since the contest was inaugurated in 1900: 1900—At Boston, U.S.A., United States beat, British Isles, three matches to one, one drawn. - 1902—At New York, United States heat British Isles, three matches to two. 1903 At Boston, British Isles heat United States, four matches to one, one by default. 1904 At Wimbledon, British Isles heat Belgium, five matches to love. 1905 At Wimbledon, British Isles beat United States, five matches to love. 1906 At Wimbledon, British Isles beat United States, five matches to love. 1907 At Wimbledon, Australasia beat British Isles, three matches to two. 1908— At, Melbourne, Australasia beat United States, three matches to two. 1909 At Sydney, Australasia heat United States, three matches to love. 1911— At Christchurch, New Zealand, Australasia beat United States, five matches to love. 1912 At Melbourne, British’ Isles beat Australasia, three matches to two. 1913 At Wimbledon, United States heat British Isles, three matches to two. 1914 At New York, Australasia beat United States, three matches to two. 1915 —No competitions. 1919 At Slydney, Australasia beat British Isles, four matches to one. 1920 At Auckland, New Zealand, United States beat Australasia, five matches to lave. 1921 At Newport, U.S.A., United States beat, Japan, five matches to love. 1922 At New York, United States heat Australasia, four matches to one. 1923 At .Forest Hills, United States beat Australasia, four matches to one.