TENNIS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15754, 28 February 1919, Page 6

TENNIS.

THE DAYIS CUP. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association LONDON, February 26. Britain has issued a challenge for the Davis Cup. Belgium is also entering. America lias declined to enter, as sire considers the challenge to be unsportsmanlike in view of Australasia’s losses, notably that of Wilding. CHALLENGE BY FRANCE. Like a bolt from the blue has come tbe challenge of trance for the Davis Cup of 1919, says a sporting journal. France was the one nation that one would have thought would have had no time for international lawn tennis. It has the players in Gobert and Decugis and many others of international rank, and so far no word has come of serious injury to any of these champions; but France has so much to do in rebuilding its ruined cities that no one looked for any public lawn tennis, let alone a Davis Cup contest, which may involve a trip to America or Australasia. However, there the challenge is, and our champions will undoubtedly meet it. *

France has Gobert, Decugis, and Laurentz, and to answer them we have (or will probably have) Norman Brookes. He still holds the title so worthily won of champion of the world in a contest in which Decugis himself competed, and was defeated by J. C. Parke, who was afterwards eliminated before the final by Froitzheim, the German champion, who then went down to Brookes.

Five years will have passed away before the contests can be restaged, and although Brookes has been through a most strenuous time in Egypt, France, and Mesopotamia, he should be ready again to don the flannels and wield the racquet for his native country. In his best form of five years ago Decugis would never have had a chance against him, not even on hard courts, and much less on grass courts.

The writer adds that if Germany should challenge, the challenge wouia be refused. No other countries, save France, have so far announced their intention of competing. Against any team that earns the right to challenge Australasia, for all the challenging nations, he continues, if there are more than one enter, must play off to determine which shall be the challenger, we shall have a fairly wide choice in Brookes, R. W. Heath, A. B. Jones, 5. N. Donst, and Horace Rice. The first and the last are already here, and so is A. W. Dunlop, quite young enough if he chooses to get really fit. Tire other three are in England or Franco, but probably could bo got back if needed, for the challenge of France will make a request for their return much more reasonable. All the same it is tbe need for. sneb a request that makes one dislike the idea of a contest this year.