THE DAVIS CUP

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 78, 2 April 1938, Page 4

THE DAVIS CUP

AMERICAN OUTLOOK “NOT TOO ROSY” SAYS ONT PAPER That the American outlook towaid the 1938 Davis Cup contest i.s not to rosy at the present time must be ad mitted, comments the Christi?. Science Monitor. Don Budge is sti an amateur and the only candidal'? fr the No. 1 position; but. when it come to the question as to who will be pa r cd with him as a partner for th doubles or who will play’ the single w’ith him, the answer is far from sim pie. Last year Gene Mako was his port ner in the doubles; but it is quite gen erally felt that if America is to wii the doubles this year, another par'.ne must be found for Budge. Budge an' Mako are great friends and it seem, 100 bad to break the combination up but it does not appear strong enougl to defeat the German team of Voi Sramm and Henkel, which defeated i in the United States doubles champion

ship at Longwood last jugust. if Budge is to have a new partner, it looks as if Wayne Sabin would be the most logical player to name. As foe the other singles assignment there is a merry (unofficial) battle going on between a number of players. Frankie Parker, who came through to clinch the Cup for America last year, is again available as i.s Bryan M. Grant, who played against Germany and lost; but to-day it looks very much as if neither of these players would ■ l l the call, as Bobby Riggs is slated lor the No. 2 position. And at present his chief rival appears to be Frank Kovr/s of Oakland, California, who has been showing up very well in the South and who is generally p.ckcd with Riggs to be the foundation of the 1939 Cup team should Don Budge turn professional before then. (The comment published by the Monitor may have to undergo some reconstruction in the light of Von Cramm’s recent arrest in Germany. What the outcome of that will be remains to be seen.—Sports Ed.). Arrangement of the Draw. Although there are still a number of months before the Cup campaign really gets under way, it is already receiving considerable attention at the hands of those who will have the management of the teams of the various countries which have entered as \/Jl as the lawn tennis public in general The draw has been completed and announced, Australia has announced the team which it expects to enter in the North American zone, and one pf the original challengers, New Zealand, has already announced its withdrawal due to the fact that one of its best double* player* will be unable to compete. Then, too, reports are being circulated that Japan will not send a team to meet Canada in its North American zone match as the money necessary (■ , cover the expenses of such a trip has) not been forthcoming. In the mcar.-i time, one of the players who is cx- > pected to take a leading part ini America’s defence of the trophy is . with his doubles partner, on the wav| back home from Australia, w litre thc\ j have been playing in many exhibition ■ and championship matches with more ! or less success. Australia and Germany. So far as the outcome ot‘ the twe 1 zone competitions is concerned, the absence of New Zealand or of Japan •should the latter occur, will have no effect. There was and is little chance of any country coming through the European compelilion other than Ger-

! many, and it is equally certain that • Australia will b the N’i 11.- Anv.’Jean | winner. When, those two countric* j come together in the inlcr/.ane lina’ I for the right to challenge the United ! Slates, it. will really be the first time that any real doubt, regarding the winning country should coni'’ up. While the team which Australia named does not appear quite as .strong as the one which represented lh.ii country in 1937, it. should bo able v put up a good battle against the Germans, provided, of course, both come through their zone matches as expected. Jack Bromwich and Adrian Quisi are the veterans on the team and they will be supported by L. A. Schwartz and Harry C. Hopman. Jack Crawford ,Vivian McGrath, and Don Turnbull, of last year’s team, arc unabl? to make the trip this year