TENNIS CHAMPIONS

Taranaki Daily News, 30 November 1934, Page 11

TENNIS CHAMPIONS

FRENCH TEAM ARRIVES. DAVIS CUP PROSPECTS. “I think Great Britain will again win the Davis Cup next year,” said Jacques Brugnon, captain of the French tennis team, which arrived at Auckland on Sunday from Vancouver, on its way to the centenary tennis tournament at Melbourne. He said that in Perry and Austin England had two of the four best players in the world. “Any team with two players of that calibre is always likely to have the best chances in the Davis Cup,” he added. “That has been the case in history with the United States and my own country.” 'Accompanying M. Brugnon is Christian Boussus, who, with Brugnon, has been a leading Davis Cup player for many years. Both players visited the Dominion in 1928, when they played matches at Wellington. “I still remember the terrible battle I had with Bartleet on that occasion,” said Brugnon, “and look forward to my match with him to-morrow. It will be our return match.” ( Brugnon spoke hopefully of the future for tennis in France. He said that, unfortunately, Borotra had been unable to accompany them on the visit to New Zealand and Australia. Lacoste had ceased to be an active player, although he was keenly interested in the administration of the gome. There were plenty of young men coming on, but, as it took several years to make a first-class tennis player, it might .’be a year or two before there were new players of Davis Cup standard. Of next year’s competitors the United States would undoubtedly be Britain’s most dangerous rival for the cup. Although' both Stoeffen and Lott had recently become professionals, two excellent substitutes had been found in Birch and Mako. Reference to professional players led M. Brugnon to remark that he had recently seen Tilden playing in Paris, and he was still the great Tilden. His view was that the outlook for professional tennis was materially influenced by the shortage of talented players willing to sacrifice their amateur status. Tennis in other European countries, particularly in the newer states, was in a very healthy condition. In addition to the marked increase in the number of players, the general standard was improving rapidly. The French players have recently been engaged on a playing tour of Southern California and are accompanied on their trip to Australia by Mr. W. Robertson, a member of the committee of the Los Angeles Tennis Club, who hopes to be a competitor in the Australian tennis championships. Mr. Robertson had played with the Frenchmen in Paris and in California, and they considered his play was of a standard that would warrant his; entering.

M. Brugnon said there was no possibility of the team returning by way of New Zealand, as they were due back in France by the middle of February and their passages were booked via Suez.