DAVIS CUP PLAY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19029, 1 June 1936, Page 5

DAVIS CUP PLAY

AUSTRALIANS IN LEAD TWO MATCHES TO ONE QUIST BEATS ALLISON BUDGE BEATS CRAWFORD [Elec. Tel.. Copyright—United Press Assn.l (Reed. June 1, 11 a.m.) . PHILADELPHIA, May 31. In singles play yesterday on the opening day of the Davis Cup elimination contest between the United States and Australia, each country won one match, Quist- defeating Allison and Budge defeating Crawford. Australia, however? won the doubles to-day, and therefore is leading in the series by two matches to one. The scores were :- SINGLES

Quist (Australia) defeated Allison (United States), 6—3, 5—7, 6—4, 6—l. Budge (United States) beat Crawford (Australia), 6—3, 6—3, 4—6, I—6, 13-11/. - DOUBLES Quist and Crawford 1 (Australia) dotwited Mako and Budge (United States) 4—6, 2—6, 6-4, 7—5, 6—4. The matches opened at the Germantown Cricket Club in brilliant cool weather, which was ideal for tennis. A moderate north-west breeze was blowing across the courts, which were hard ami fast.

In the Quist-Allison match, the Australian served and won his first, game, taking the final point on a fine little rally. Allison served much more severely and ho won the second, love, on the Australian's errors. The Australian after standing 3-0 in the third, found the game deuced on him, but pulled it out on the American's errors, 5—3. . ALLISON ERRATIC Quist now quickly piled on a 4—l lead in games bv taking advantage ot the American's erratic play. -.The latter was allowed onlv two points in the fourth and fifth games! Allison, however, rallied to win the sixth, love. The score was now 4—2 favouring the Australia. He improved this to 5—2 and. then Allison crept up, taking the eighth game on Quist's nets and outs;. The ninth game went to deuce, but the Australian was not to be denied, handily taking advantage of a point and the set, 6—3. Both men had played the set cautiously. There was little spectacular play. In the second set, Allison, with a display of enormously efficient court technique and brilliancy of stroke, ran up a 3—o lead, allowing his opponent only four points in three games. The Australian "won the fourth and then,Allison went into a 4—l lead by another bewildering display of accuracy and daring.

Allison's boldness was costly in the sixth game, hut, while he lost the first two points of the seventh game a smashing attack gave it to him in the end. The Australian pulled up to 3—6 with a love' game, in which was demonstrated that steadiness has its advantages and another love game that seemed to illustrate the same lesson and evened' the score, 5—5. • , ••. ■■■■ ' ■■f.\ ,\

: With' still another love game, the Australian then seemed in a good position to run out the set, but two bits of hard hrck, one in each of the next two games, denied him that happy fortune.. He fell in the eleventh game and outed ; one over the back line by a fraction of an inch at a vital '"Stage in the final game, so the American took the set 7—5.

QUIST IN DANGER *

The third set games stood I—l after :Quii>t had pulled out of an endangered deuce "game. 'He duplicated the feat m the third by breaking through the American's service. He made his own service 'in "trie next effectively and led s—l. Any analysis of Quist's play would show that his stroking was without blemish.

Allison pulled up to 2—3 with some spectacular overhead smashes. Quist lost the sixth on some had decisions, including a footfault. Allison assumed a 4—.5 lead on some indifferent tennis by both players, but Quist evened the score to 4 4by a display of beautiful placing on both sides of the court and finally took the set in a long-range forehand duel, in which his superiority was transparent, by 6—4. ■ - "..'.':

In.the- fourth set Allison was playing extremely .badly and to even the most casual -observer. it appeared that Quist had i'eomc oLage" in international ten-, nis He was disposing of his opponent apparently at will. "He took four games easily. Then Allison fought back desper-ately,-but'it seemed useless. He brought, the fifth to deuce, but the Australian won it on advantage.

Quist was set point in the next game, but was, perhaps; over anxious. He out: ed repeatedly and allowed his opponent a deuce'game and won it. He was again match point at. love on his opponent s service the next game, but, again, rust a little too anxious to clinch it. Cut Allison was a badly defeated man and Quist took the set 6—1.; .

The stroke analysis of service aces, placements, outs, nets and double-faults reads:— •

Quist: 1. 29, 29, 34, 3. Allison: 6, 32, 49, 44, 5. CKAWFORD-BUDGE MATCH

In the first «et of tho Crawford-Budge match, the Australian seemed to have difficulty in getting started. He dropped the first game to the American s service, but made his own effective; Both players were contented to take each other s measnre from the back court. Crawford was rather hard pressed to pull out Jus own service, in the fourth, but did so and the score was 2—2.

The Ampricaii, tall, red-headed and thin plays with'a stiff wrist reminiscent of Lacps'tc and, like the Frenchman, is splendidly;accurate'. .One docs »o.t expect his shots to come off, but they visually do. Crawford is by far the more graceful playeri The American broke through the Australian's service in the sixth, to take a Commanding lead, 4-2. Crawford was came point in the seventh, but lost the next six points and the set was the American's, 6—2.

In the second set, continuing his losing streak, the Australian dropped the tenth point in succession before he rallied in the second game of this set find, after deuciiig it, evened the score to I—l. 1 lie third gamo, .on Budge's service was a protracted back court duel, which the American won on forcing shots.,. Crawford took the next love and the score was £-2. but it was exasporatingiy uneven tennis that the Australian was,playing.

He dropped his service next game.with errors that could hardly reflect his normally fine form and dropped the seventh game and the score stood against hint 6—2. Then, with a demonstration of case and follow through on his strokes,

lie won the eighth love. Budge's backhand, however, was murderous in the next game and tin- American won 'he set, e^. In the third set Crawford took the first three games, with an allowance of only four points to (he American. lie now seemed much more assured. lie lost the fourth game simply because the American, at that moment, was unbeatable, making three placements, but went into a A —l lead in the fiftli game, in which he simply outstroked his opponent with backhand chops and forehand drives that found places Budge was unable to reach.

In the next game, Budge broke through the Australian's service alter a protracted deuce game, which was u contest of stroking from the ground. The Australian ultimately made vital errors which cost him the game, but then he rose to fine heights and returned the compliment, winning the next game and came into the lead. 5—3. The American then moved to 4—5. but Crawford broke through Budge's service and won the set 6-4.°

In the fourth set, Crawford look the first three games, Budge giving an exhibition of pathetic tennis and, although Crawford inadvertently fell and seemed shaken up, he simply taught the American the rudiments of the game. He went on to win the set 6 —l.

Tn the fifth set Crawford and Budge divided the first two games on their own service, but the very subtle pressure which the Australian began to put on his opponent sooii bore fruit. Budge having no chance. The American, however, was not yet beaten. lie evened the score with a line display of forcing tennis that compelled Crawford to out four times. The score was 2—2. Once again, however, Crawford broke through the American's service and led 3 —2. EVENLY MATCHED The match seemed a foregone conclusion at the sixth game, when Crawford led, but dropped his service with a volley which found the net. and Budge evened io 3—3. Crawford went into a, 4—3 lead in the next game with passing shots, on which Budge was unable to put his racquet and also won the next, leading b—s.

He dropped into errors in the next game, netting repeatedly and then lost his .service in the tenth, when he was within two points of the match, a footfault disconcerting him, and he doublefaulted, 5—5. Budge now did the impossible and went into a 5—5 lead on brilliant play, but Crawford evened the next to 6—6. Budge again went into the lead with some fine lobbing in tho thirteenth game. The two men were, now evenly matched. Botli were tired, nervous and giving everything they had. Budge was two [joints from the match in the fourteenth and then Crawford was within a point of pulling it out and did, after Budge deuced the game, the score being 7—7. Budge then led B—7, but Crawford won the sixteenth, which was a deuced game and the match stood B—B.

The American again went into the lead on his own service, but Crawford evened by winning the next game, the score standing at. 9—9. Budge won the nineteenth and Crawford was extremely tired, but he won the twentieth, love, with his placements and also the twentyfirst, in which his opponent only gained one point. Craw-ford was two points from match, but he was so weary that he was unable to get the ball over the net. lie hit it. twice anil outed and lost the game. It was the first time he had been in the lead since the set was deuced, but ho was unable to finish his opponent off.

Budge went into the lead at the twenty-third game and also took the twenty-fourth with his placement after it had gone to advantage three times, winning tho set 13—11 and the match. The stroke analysis- was: Crawford : 5, 25, 23', 26, .1 Budge : 0. 24, 23, 20, 0. NOT WORRYING AUSTRALIAN MANAGER FIRST DAY'S PLAY PHILADELPHIA, May 30. Mr. Sproule, the manager of the Australian team, said after Die first day's play in the Davis-Cup contest with the United States, that, us matters were as yet in a crucial state, lie preferred to say nothing but. intimated that he was satisfied with the showing of the team and indicated that lie was not worrying. Mr. Pate, captain of the American team, said the chief impression lie had of the matches was that his men were extremely tired.

American tennis circles now unofficially condemn the choice of Allison and express the belief that Grant would have made a better showing against Quist.