LAWN TENNIS

Otago Witness, Issue 3755, 2 March 1926, Page 60

LAWN TENNIS

DAVIS CUP COMPETITION. SYDNEY, February 22. A meeting of the Lawn Tennis Council of Australasia unaimously decided not to send a team to the United States this year to contest the Davis Cup. One of the principal reasons for the decision is that neither Patterson nor Anderson is available The Lawn Tennis Council has decided to devote its energies to developing juniors and to securing overseas teams to visit Australia. A communication has been received from the United States governing body stating that an American team will be sent to compete in the Australasian championships. There is also a possibility of an English team coming out at the same time. NEW YORK, February 22. Prominent lawn tennis players and officials expressed great regret when they were informed of the decision,,not to send an Australian Davis Cup team to America in 1926. Borotra said: ”1 am very sorry. The Australians are fine sportsmen and I would like to meet them again this year—that is, provided ire the victors of the European /.one Tilden, interviewed between the acts of a Broadway comedy in which he is now playing, said : ‘‘Of course I am regretful, but I do not blame the Australians They have been sending teams here and we promised to send a United States team there, but none went. That, however, was due only to the inability of the five ranking players to arrange their affairs. I believe the Australians will not send another team until they have men who, they are certain, possess the best chances of victory, thus justifying the expense.” Tilden indicated that he would probably not be available for the proposed Australian tour. Mr Julian Myrick, chairman of the Davis cup committee, said he would like to reciprocate Australian courtesy by sending a satisfactory United States team to touT Australia next winter, and for this purpose he would continue to endeavour to enlist the high rankers. CANADA ENTERS A CHALLENGE. OTTAWA, February 22. Canada will participate in the Davis Cup contests in the American zone in 1926, a meeting of the Canadian Lawn Tennis Association at Toronto having decided to enter a challenge. AMERICAN INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS. NEW YORK, February 22. Tilden and F T. Anderson on Monday won the United States indoor doubles title, defeating Richards and F. T. Hunter 3—6, 6—3, 6—4, 3—6, 12-10. Lacoste won the singles championship defeating Borotra 15—13, 6—3, 2—6, 6—3. PARIS, February 22. At Beaulieu in the final of the mixed doubles Miss Wills and Kingsley beat Miss Bennett and F. M. B. Fisher 6—4, 6MISHAP TO MLLE. LENGLEN. PARIS, February 21. Mile. Lenglen collapsed while riding at Cannes. She was taken home in a motor car and doctors were summoned. Her illness is not serious, but she has decided to play only in the doubles at the Monte Carlo and Nice tournaments, and consequently she will not meet Miss Wills again till the French championships in Paris early in June. Her only other singles appearance will be in the Franco* American match in Paris and at Wimbledon. A WIN FOR MISS WILLS. PARIS, February 21. In the final at the Beaulieu tourney, Miss Wills beat Mrs Satterthwaite, 6—l, 6-1. COUNT VON KEHRLTNG DEFEATS KINGSLEY.. LONDON, February 21. In the final of the men’s singles, Count von Hehrling (Hungary) beat the English Davis Cup player C. H. Kingsley, 7- 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. NEW ZEALAND TEAM’S TOUR. SYDNEY, February 24. Owing to Victoria being unable to play the annual inter-State match against ' New South Wales on April 9 and 10, it has boon decided to utilise those date for the match against New Zealand, and to arrange an

additional fixture between New Zealand and a team of New South Wales colts for April 3 and 5. FRAXCO-AMERICAN MATCHES. NEW YORK, Februa f; 23. Tilden has been drawn to oppose Lacoste, and Richards to face Borotra in the opening matches of an internatonal series between the United States and France on Thursday. LACOSTE DEFEATS TILDEN. NEW YORK, February 25. Lacoste scored a sensational victory over Tilden to-day in the opening match of the Franco-American contest, which he won 6—4, B—6, G —3. Richards beat Borotra 6—4, 4—6, 6—4, 6—2. MONTE CARLO TOURNAMENT. MONTE CARLO, February 28. In the Beaumont Gold Cup semi-final Mrs Satterthwaite and Bennett beat Miss Wills and Aeschilman. 6 —3, 6—l. IS TILDEN LOSING HIS PRESTIGE? NEW YORK, February 27 The 6ports editor of the United Press states: —“The convincing defeat of Tilden in the first of the Franco-American matches makes it apparent that the United States is not only slipping in international lawn tennis prestige, but is in serious danger of losing the Davis Cup. It is not a frontpage story for Tilden to lose a match. He has been beaten several times by Richards and once or twice by Manuel Alonso, but there have always been reasons to believe that he did not have the throttle open. But when he drops two such important matches as he has in the last week there is cause for anxiety.” FRANCO-AMERICAN MATCHES. NEW YORK, February 27. The United States gained a lead of two matches to one in the international indoor series with France, when Tilden and Richards defeated Lacoste and Brugnon today, 4 —6, 6 —2, B—lo,8 —10, 6—l, 7 5. THE DAVIS CUP. FRANCE ENTERS A CHALLENGE NEW YORK, February 27. France’s formal notice of challenge for the Davis Cup, to apply to the European zone, has been received by the United S.tates Lawn Tennis Association.