AUSTIN’S REVENGE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20477, 1 December 1934, Page 36 (Supplement)

AUSTIN’S REVENGE.

Youth on His Side in Game With Borotra. (Special to the “Star.”) LONDON, October 25. For two or three years H. W. Austin and Jean Borotra have been the keenest of rivals in the covered court lawn tennis championship, with the Frenchman holding the balance. Their meeting in the final on the latest occasion was of special interest. Borotra wanted one more win to beat the record of the late H. L. Doherty of six consecutive victories, and of 11. W. Lewis’s seven in all, but he failed, and I am afraid that he will now have to be content with his achievement as it stands, states a London writer. Borotra laughingly declares that he is too old to take part in a five set match, and he is so convinced of this that he refuses to play for France in the Davis Cup except in the doubles. He finds playing on wood easier, and it is on this a'ccount that he has been persuaded to continue as an entrant in the covered court event. But all the time he has good-naturedly protested against the conditions. He has insisted that in a five-set match the players should be entitled to a rest at the end of the third set. This is allowed in the Davis Cup competition as well as in other events in France and other countries. In England, however, the rule says that a match must go on without a break, and this is a very severe strain. Indeed, men much younger than Borotra are in favour of a rest. As an alternative, they would cut all matches down to three sets. Sympathy of Gallery. Borotra is a dynamic figure on the courts, and is as popular in this country as at home. In his match against Austin the sympathy of the gallery was obviously with him; they wanted him to realise his ambitions in setting up new records. Austin must have sensed this, and it would not make his ta.sk easier. The standard of the play was not up to the level which the players had set in their previous matches. Austin won the first set at 6-2, lost the second at 4-6 and sailed away in the third to take it to love. But the Frenchman is never so dangerous as when he is threatened with defeat and, making a supreme effort, he took a lead of 4-1. If he could have finished off this set quickly and so conserved his energies for a fighting finish' he might have battled his way to victory. But it was obviously Austin’s intention to prolong the match, and instead of conceding the fourth set he fought it, and only lost at 6-8. By this time the Frenchman was beginning to show some physical distress, and he went down in the fifth set at 6-2. Austin’s tactics were superb. lie made Borotra run all over the court by drives to the corners, and he lobbed craftily to prevent his opponent making his famous running volleys. Youth was on his side and he made the most of it.