Untitled

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 145, 25 July 1914, Page 8

As everybody anticipated, the Australasian tennis champions had no difficulty in accounting for the Canadians in one of the Davis Cup 'preliminaries, j The match will give the colonials some practice for the more important events ahead. The American team which has been chosen to defend the cup coinprises' two of last year's team and T. O. Bundy and Karl Belir. The combination does not» promise success against Brookes, Wilding and Co. Behr is a player who showed meteoric "brilliancy some six or seven years ago against the best in the woi'ld, but since then he has dropped out of the collection of fixed stars. His selection suggests that the Americans have had a difficulty in completing the team. If Behr could manage to get back to his old-time form, he would strengthen the side, but the evidence is against such a possibility. Since the defection of the lion-hearted Beals Wright and the decline of Larned, the American lawn tennis world* has looked in vain for others who could fill their shoes with satisfaction. The great burden of battle is to fall once more on the shoulders of McLoughlin, the Californiau. representative, who, on his game, is guaranteed to push Brookes or Wilding to the limit. Williams, the second singles string, proved himself a brilliant youngster in the test against England last year, but he will find the head work of the Australasians an obstacle to success. If, as appears inevitable, the colonial representatives are called upon to fight for the cup in the final round, there should be some exciting and thrilling tennis. The defenders will have the small advantage of playing on their home courts, but, on paper, Brookes and Wilding will be able to give that in and then have a little to spare.