THE DAVIS CUP.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 24, 9 December 1908, Page 11

THE DAVIS CUP.

MELBOURNE, Ike. 1. I’h<‘ concluding stages of the Davis ('up competitions were fought out yesterday. In the end Australia won by 3 matches to 2. Wilding winning his single against Alexander, ami Brookes losing his against Wright. Now that all is over, it must l»e admitted that much of the success of the recent contest —for a memorable sporting success it wa«, irrespective of which side won or lost—was due to the ealih’ • of the men America sent across. Wlndiier the result would have been different had Larned and Hackett made the journey it is useless now to inquire. The two who came were thoroughly representative of the Hower of American tennis, and both, as is generally admitted, played right up to their home form. They were not only a representative hut an admirably matched pair. A better doubles combination has seldom been seen a;.ywhere. The freedom ami dash of Alexander, with his magnificent sweeping shot from t he base line, could not have been better placed than alongside the coolnes". generalship ami overhead work of Beals V\ right. In beating this pair on Siturdiy. even by the narrowest of margins. \ istralia deserved to retain pride of place. Interest in the serie- of gam«s was maintained right up to the finish. Despite the heal, and the absence of -hade, some 3KOO people were present, to see Wilding make the winning -tmke. The young New Zealamh r was the hero of the occasion. There were m.my r who thought. aft< i Brookes’- defeat, that he ■was leading a forlorn h<qs>. <ume doubt ed how he would fan against such an opponent a* .\lc.\amler. and tie* majority thought the test would Im* i trifle too -even-. No <»ne umleir.it* 1 Wilding’s ability, hut the downfall of Brookes had prepared them for anything, even for the 10-- of the cup. win b on Saturday .-reim'd almost won. \- it happened, the second string proved a brilliant success when most wanted. Wilding has played many fine games and has won many tropines, but -ho has never done anything finer than his performance yesterday, lie championed a wavering cause, and his rhainpionship was its salvation. Even the way hr gripjwd hi- racket as he walked on to the court put heart into those who already, tn imagination, saaf the cup on its way to America. Serving lindv. hitting out finely, judging every-

tiling to a nicety, ami making every shot with the strength and accuracy of a man who was master of any situation, Wilding did for himself ami his country what, it most wanted. Alexander, as already remarked in these columns, is a player who seems to he not wholly free from nerves, and he may have felt the importance of the occasion. Jt is probable, however, that on his very best form he could not have beaten Wilding yesterday. “Two sets all, Australia leads," was the cry as the third set was entered on. Even then there were hundreds, renaemliering Wright's great uphill game, who expected to see Alexander do likewise. They could not see the match won even then. Wilding, however, played better and better as he got nearer the goal. He led five games to one in last set. lie got up to 40 against Alexander's service. The latter sent in a double fault—the game at this stage was practically over —and Australia had won the Cup. The crowd rushed Wilding, and carried him in shoulder high. It was an ovation never bet ter deserved. Although beaten in his match against Wright, Brookes also put up a great contest. It was stated in the morning that the Australian champion was not at his best, and he certainly did not look in the bloom of health as lie walked on to the court. To an anxious inquiry, however, he responded that he was “all right.” In the first two sets he certainly did himself ample justice. He quite outplayed ■the American, his placing shots time after time leaving the latter standing. Wright, in the meantime, was moving about the court in'the laborious fashion of one who was doing penance for his sins. But this, it appears, is his normal manner. The harder he pulls, and the more laboriously he gets about the more dangerous, not to say deadly, he is becoming. In the third set they won alternate games, each man taking his service to 5—5. Then \\ right, going on, won the next two games and the set, and the next set he captured easily, 6 —l, Brookes playing at this stage like a beaten man. His volleying, which had been wonderfully accurate, became suddenly feeble and uncertain. Instead of passing Wright with beautiful strokes down the side, he kept on finding the net. When Wright led 4 -1 in the concluding set, the match looked as good as over. By a game effort, every stroke of which was cheered. Brookes pulled up to 5 —5, and then to 6—G. The desperate, dingdong battle went on till 10 all was called. The games were long, as well as numerous. Deuce after deuce was called, until •the issue seemed likely to be determined • by sheer process of exhaustion. Brookes led al 10—9, and as he then had the service it seemed as if he mint, after all, win the match. 11 is opponent, however, is the kind of man- who is never beaten, lie plugged away with desperate gameness, and finally had the satisfaction of winning the 22nd gam?-- Brookes’s service to 30. and with it the match. The two players .-hook hands across the net, and two more viary contestants have rarely done so at the close of any athletic game. The match began punctually at 2 o'clock, Brookes commencing to serve from the northern end. B« ii men wore their hats, but half wax through the second game Wright discard ais, and for the remainder of the match lied the strong Australian sun. Il soon became evident that Brookes was in his very best form. Kight through the first set he outplayed his opponent. As usual, he got up to the. net very <p:'.. kly, and when hr got his racket on to the ball for the volley it was seldom that the visitor could reply. The game wa< called 3—o in Brookes’s favour. ‘'Wright is a slow starter,'' said one admirer of the American to another in explanatory tom*. During the first set he never got properly started. His opponent’s placing heat him repeatedly, while lie failed to ( -hou the dash and vigour »»f hi.- game on Friday and Saturday. The only deuce game was the fourth, whi h. like the other®, went to the Au-tralian. Bro<»k<*> took the set 6—o. In the next set Brookes began by taking his service as usual. He had won the first s»»ven games in-succession, but now Wright Ijogatf to improve. When he picked up the balls for flu* second game of the set he got in a number of particularly hot one*, and though Brookes was •dill playing a remarkably lino game, the American made i one all. Thereafter e.wh man won his service, until 3 —3 was on the board. At this point the visitor seemed to have a fair chance of winning. His ileciaivc* killing shot at the net—it is about the most decisive

thing seen on an Australian ground for a long while—was doing excellent work, while his placing had almost risen to his opponent's standard. In the seventh game he made a bold bid for Brookes’s service, but lost it after deuce had been called once. Brookes took the game—--—3, and, winning the next two games rather easily, took the set —6—3. With two sets against him Wright was facing a difficult situation, lie faced it, however, with characteristic gameness. Beginning the service, he won his game, and Brookes did likewise. There were alternate successes, until 4 —4 was called. At this point Brookes made a forward movement, and looked like winning the set and match, lie led by 40 to love against Wright’s service in the ninth game; but the latter, who is surely the most determined “plugger” against odds yet seen on a tenuis court, carried off the next six strokes and the game. He then led at 5—4. Brookes won the next, and thus equalised matters; but the redoubtable American, hatlese, perspiring, yet undaunted in the sun, pulled off the next two games and the set, 7—5. The last game he won against Brookes’s service, after some brilliant rallies and fine net play on either side. The fourth set saw the position equalised. Wright began serving and took the first two games. The next went to Brookes, but thereafter matters were all in favour of the challenger. He was serving admirably and placing infinitely better than at the start of the match. For the last four games of the set he was easily on top. Brookes was not getting up to the net with the dash he usually displays, and when he did get up he was frequently beaten by passing shots down the line. His service, too, seemed to have temporarily lost its sting. The set went to Wright, 6 —l. Tlie early part of the fifth and deciding set was all in Wright's favour. He won the first three games straight out. His opponent had tired perceptibly, and the result seemed now a foregone conclusion. Brookes won his service, however, but as the American did likewise, the game was 4—l, America leads. Then the tired Australian made a gallant effort. He won the next three games amid great enthusiasm, and the score was 4—4. A few minutes later it was 5—5. Then began a long, ding-dong, exhausting struggle for the deciding two games. Wright led at 6—5, but Brookes took the next two, and led at 7—6. As he had the service it looked as if. after all, lie must pull the match out of the fire. “'What a reception he will get,” said one man to another, Jn loud appreciation. But it was not to be. He lost his service, and Wright led at B—7:8 —7: a little later he was leading 9 —B. But the lead of two games was slow in coming. Both men were all out; for nearly two hours and a-half they had been lighting a desperate battle. Brookes’s turn came again, as, with his service co come, he led al. 10—9. Again Australian hopes rose high, and again they fell. Wright took the next three games and the match at 12—10, after a tremendous contest, the like of which, is rarely seen.