LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19250, 14 August 1924, Page 5

LAWN TENNIS.

By Smash. Rapid progress towards finality is now being made with the Davis Cup matches in the American zone, and only one contest remains to be played to find the zone winner—namely that between Australia and Japan. At the end of last week the Australians eliminated the Mexicans, who were able to place in the field a team that might just about have defeated the Chinese, but that had no real chance against the Australians. Patterson and O’Hara Wood again won all their matches in straight sets, the total scores being— Australia 5 matches, 15 sets, 83 games; Mexico no matches, no sets, 29 games. The only set which went to advantage was the third set in the match between Wood and tho captain of the Mexican team (Ignatio do la Borbolla). which was played in a driving rain and under conditions when anything might have happened. In his second match Wood defeated Franz Gerdes with the loss of only four games. Patterson won both his singles with the greatest of ease, and it was only in the first two sets of the doubles--each of which went to 6—4—that uio Maxicans put up anything of a fight. As was generally expected, Japan accounted for Canada without any great difficulty, Okornoto and the veteran Shimidzu, who won the Bengal championship as far back as 1913, bearing the weight of the contest. Japan and Australia will now have to play off to decide which nation shall contest with France the right to fill the role of challenger. Taking into account Patterson’s recent form m singles arid the recognised strength of the Australians in doubles it will be surprising if Patterson and Wood do not pilot their team into tho final round, even if Wood’s singles play up to the present has not been inspiring. Tilden has expressed the opinion that it will bo Australia versus France “with the odds about equal.” Writing on July 25 the American champion stated that Patterson would have to round into better form than he had so far shown to win both his singles, while he ventured the opinion that r.ny one or all of the French stars would defeat Wood He granted that the Australians would win the doubles. It seems to me that Tildmi is somewhat inclined to underrate the ability of W ood in singles, whereas he has frequently shown in Australia that he is but little inferior in this department o? (he game to Patterson and Anderson. If France should reach the challenge round it will be a thoroughly well-deserved victory, but Cochet, Borotra, and Lacoste will have to show better form than they have hitherto been called upon to produce to defeat the Australians. Tilden and Johnston are again to form the foundation of the American Davis Oup team, and with these stalwarts as its defenders it would bo a bold man who would dare to predict that the trophy will find a icsting for 1924-25 in either France or Austialin. The chances appear to be all in favour of tho Americans retaining tho cup, but a bettor indication will be afforded by tho results of the National Singles and Douifiss Championships, which will precede tho challenge round. Tho United States Lawn Tennis Association seems to be experiencing its old difficulty of finding a doubles team up to tho standard it desires. The possible combinations mentioned in the cablegrams are Johnston and Griffen (former national champions), tho Kinsey brothers (who have already been twice defeated by the Australians), and Williams and Washburn. The omission of the Olympic champions, Richards and Hunter, is rather difficult to understand and must surely be an- oversight. The Australians were rather surprised by the spirited opposition of the Chinese in the doubles. Haung developed a top spin off tho forehand, which enabled the Chinese to break through Woods’ sendee in tho second game of the first set, and again in the seventh game of the second set. The Chinese made the best stand in the second sot, using spiked shoos, which improved their footing. In the third set the Australians put full power into their strokes, and thus made a wonderful execution, quickly .reeling off six games. Greater international tournament experience was only one of tho various factors which led to the success of the Australians. Tho Chinese are all young students studying in America, and while showing promise, nevertheless are not yet ready fpr a serious Davis Cup competition. “Seeding” the draw was definitely established by the United States Lawn Tennis Association three year* ago. ft is obligatory in all tournament sanctioned by the association, and tho seeding is done in a thorough-going manner as laid down in tho rules. The English Lawn Tennis Association seeded the Championship draw this summer for the first time, and the Wimbledon meeting was the only one at which seeding was prescribed. 'ine terms of the English rule are as follows:—“The Lawn Tennis Association or covresponding organisation of every nation qualified to compete in the International Championship (the Dcvis Oup) shall be entitled to nominate for each event at ‘The Championship’ players or paiis to a number not exceeding f our. The Management Committee shall be entitled to divide the draw for each eyent into such a number of sections as it nianv think proper, and, having done so, it shall arrange the draw so that no two nominated players of any nation are in the same section, provided always that the precise position of every nominated player hi the draw shall be determined by Jot.” T. M. Bayley, who beat Fisher in the final of the Hampshire tournament, was described by a London journal as one of the discoveries of the first week at Wimbledon. He is a very severe player (said this paper), and has a reverse serve with which he gets a lot of spin on the ball. He staggered the onlookers by beating Randolph Lycett in the second round of the singles, and to show that his form was no duke he took a love set and only lost by tho odd set of five to the hard-hitting Washer. Actually, Washer and Bayley won 25 games each, and most of the aces went to the Australian. Bayley is a prospective champion of' the future, and may easily tread the paths of glory which Patterson and Brookes have trodden. He is not the type of man to be upset by a great occasion. Ho ran Lycett off his legs, and showed masterly restraint in letting tho impossible ones go by.

Two vivid pictures of Brookes on the occasion of his reaonearanco in ‘'The Championships” :—(1) Wimbledon sweltered in the heat. The great amphitheatre was packed with 13,000 spectators keyed up to the excitements of the occasion, for here was Brookes, the great veteran of 47 years of age, playing an inspired game—and. as one spectator remarked, “Bringing off shots the American ferocious hitter (Hunter) had novor heard of!’’ (2) The hero of the week at Wimbledon was Norman Everard Brookes, even if he was beaten on Saturday (by Washer). Ho is a man of 47 summers, a man of great mental but moderate physical force. In beating F. T. Hunter, the American cannon-ball, he exploded a much-loved theory of the present generation of players. This theory had it that lawn tennis has improved so much that the old champions of a yesteryear—the Brookes, Wildings, Dohertys, etc., could not live with the Tildens, the Johnstons, the Richards, and the Pattersons, The game has become more severe but severity is not everything. Hunter is probably the hardest hitter of a ball alive—not excepting Washer, but Brookes saw that guile would beat this Ajax of the courts. Tho lapse of years was best indicated by his refusal to chase after impossible balls. He wanted to conserve his energy. After two hours both men were very tired, hut tho mental machine of tho old master was cool and calculating. It would not be right to say that it was brute force against science, because Hunter, 100, is a scientist.

Commander G. W. Hillyard. in his book ‘‘Forty Years of First-class Tennis” comments as follows on the Australian and American champions:—“Tildon is a law’ unto himself —a genius who always does the unexpected—the most versatile player I havo seen. G. L. Patterson has possibly the best service in the world. His second delivery > s nearly if not quite ag deadly as the first; but in the matter of effective serving there is little to choose between Patterson and Tilden. Norman Brookes, entirely unorthodox, is an absolute wizard in the way he brings off the most astounding strokes. The greatest compliment paid to the famous left-hander was in 1905, on the occasion of his first visit to England, when a beaten opponent said despairingly. 'He’s not a tennis player; he's a juggler.’ I have never made up my mind,” says Commander Hillyard, ‘‘who has the finest service—Brookes, Patterson, or Tilden I am not sure that the palm should not be awarded to Brookes, because ho has such an infinite variety. Brookes at his best had four distinct services—by no means distinct to his opponents.” The speeding un and intensive play of the so-called modern game, as compared with the orthodox methods of the old-time champions of the Doherty school is,” savs Commander Hillyard, “all rubbish.” “No modern player had a harder forehand drive than S. IT. Smith, and in no later day championship contest has the play been more ‘intensive* than the historic IT. S Barlow v. W. Ronshaw match at the 1833 Wimbledon meeting, when Rensfiaw v.-on at s—-6, 5—7, B—6,8 —6, 10—8, 8---6, after the score hod been called s—o against him in the fifth set. Quick and restless on the court aa Alonzo or Schmiclzu, neither

of the two contestants were allowed a moment’s breathing time in the five sets that wore extended to no fewer than 67 games.” The visit of the Stanford University lawn tennis team to Australia has caused much interest amongst enthusiasts across the Tasman. In University contests the team has met with marked success, for in its test mutch ag-rnst the Australian Universities, despite the fact that it was playing on turf courts, which were very soft, the team won nine rubbers to three. Ft is interesting to note that in Australia it is possible to play important matches on grass courts in the middle of winter. Reports to hand emphasise the marked accuracy in stroke plav and footwork of the American visitors, 'two cf whom arc under 21. Their strokes are produced as described in text books, each one being played with meticulous care, thus showing the extent that coaching is indulged in at the American universities. In a match against a strong Now South Wales team, which included J. O. Anderson and Norman Poach, the visitors were beaten by four rubbers to two, the University team’s wins being a single in which Mertz, the captain, defeated Norman Peach. 5—6, 6—3, 10— 8, and a double, De Back and Ovorfolt beating A. Willard and North, 7—5. _ 6 —4. J. O. Anderson had no difficulty in beating hia opponent, Hinckley, 6—l, 6 —2. America has at least three University teams touring at present, and it seems strange (says an Auckland writer) that an effort is not being made by the New Zealand University to arrange a visit to the dominion by an American, or even an Australian, team. Many of the leading players in the dominion are university students, and a strong side could bo obtained to represent New Zealand. Much benefit would be derived from such a visit and a quite good games could be offered as an inducement. Organisation is the only tiling needed.