New Zealand’s Part In Davis Cup, Competition

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26349, 2 January 1947, Page 2

New Zealand’s Part In Davis Cup, Competition

By its decisive defeat of Australia, America has won for the fourteenth time the coveted Davis Cup for world supremacy in lawn tennis. Great Britain has won it nine times and France six, but to New Zealanders it is particularly interesting that the name “Australasia” appears on the famous trophy no fewer than seven times in the years from 1907 to 1919. Australia, unaided by New Zealand, won the cup for the first time in 1939. The Davis Cup was presented by Dwight F. Davis, who represented the United States in the first year of the contest in 1900 and again in 1902. He had a proud record both on the court and in the administration of the game.

Just as the Ashes have meant a great deal to cricketers througnout the world so has the Davis Cup figured prominently in the conversation of tennis players in every corner of the globe. But in the early years of this century it had particular interest for New Zealanders, as in 1905 !wo players from Australia and New Zealand began to play a prominent part in international lawn tennis. They were Norman Brookes (Australia) and Anthony Wilding (New Zealand). In that year Australasia was among the challengers for the Davis Cup, but both Brookes and Wilding were defeated by the Americans in the final round, the cup being retained by Britain, which was represented by H. L. Doherty, S. H. Smith, and R. F. Doherty. In 1906, Australasia was again beaten in the final round by America, but Wilding won both his singles. In 1907 Brookes and Wilding won prte c-

singles against the Americans and went on to beat Britain in the challenge round. The players from the southern dominions had reached the top in world tennis. Until 1912, when Britain won the cup again, Australasia kept a firm grip on the trophy. Anthony Wilding, who played such a big part in bringing the Davis Cup south, learned his tennis from his father in Christchurch and at the age ci 17 won the Canterbury title. He played for Cambridge against Oxford in 1904 and 1905. and began in the latter year his international career.

in 1907 he and Brookes won the Wimbledon doubles title, and, partnered by M. J. G. Ritchie, he captured it again in 1908 and 1910. He was singles champion of New Zealand in 1906, 1908, and 1909, and beat nis team-mate Brookes for the Victorian title in 1909. The zenith of a notable career came in 1910, when Wilding won the Wimbledon Singles title. It was not mere passing brilliance, however, for in the next three years the New Zealander retained the title and earned his place for all time among the greatest players in the world. And then came the war and a great tragedy. Captain Wilding was killed on active service in Belgium in May, 1915. Wilding was a great player and a great sportsman. His loss was felt not only in New Zealand, but in the whole sporting world. In 1919 G. L. Patterson and J. O. Anderson retained the cup for Australasia, but at Auckland the following summer W. T. Tilden and W. M. Johnston won all five matches against Brookes and Patterson to commence a run of success for the United States in world tennis. In 1923 the zones were instituted, and Australasia gave way to Australia and (in 1924,f0r the first time) New Zealand. France, with Lacoste, Borotra. Cochet, and Brugnon, came into the picture in 1927 and held the cup till 1933, when Britain’s Perry and Austin achieved world supremacy for their country. It was not until 1939 that the Davis Cup came south again, when Australia defeated America in the challenge round. Australia has achieved a high position in summer sports, and in lawn tennis she has numerous young players who are showing promise of reaching world class. The Commonwealth will not be at all discouraged by her recent defeat, but is already making plans to recapture the Davis Cup at the first possible occasion. While New Zealand has not achieved any sensational success in international tennis, her representatives have acquitted themselves with credit. There are promising young players in the Dominion to-day, but they sadly lack experience. With such a high standard existing in Australia at present, it would seem that everything possible should be done to give New Zealand players opportunities to meet the Australians and gain experience and help from them. There is no reason why New Zealand should not produce another Anthony Wilding.