ACES OF THE CENTRE COURT

Cue (NZERS), Issue 33, 15 October 1945, Page 9

ACES OF THE CENTRE COURT

THE International Lawn Tennis r Federation is not allowing the grass to grow under its feet —not even the incomparable sward of the famous centre court at Wimbledon, where championships will probably be resumed next summer. For the last traces of bomb damage have new been removed from the surface of the Wimbledon courts, which are being prepared for a resumption of international tennis. It is six years since there has been either a contest for the Davis Cup or a championship tournament at Wimbledon which is to) British lawn tennis what Lord’s is to cricket and Twickenham to Rugby football. Only in the United States, with its tennis headquarters at Forest Hills, California, has there been any tournament competition during the war, and already the Americans are anxious for an early resumption of contests for the Davis Cup, which was wrested from them by Australia in 1939. The next challenge . round for the trophy will, of course, be played in Australia, but first there will have to be the usual series of . elimination rounds to decide which country will send its team to meet the Australians.

It is too early yet to* make guesses as to what is likely to happen next

time the Davis Cup is up on the block. With the exception of the United States, none of the major contestants has had much opportunity for. taking stock of the talent it has at its disposal, and while the promotion of sport is likely to be encouraged as part of the post-war reconstruction programme it is probable that many difficulties. will have to be surmounted before the pre-war routine can be restored. But the sudden termination of the war means that the position can be viewed from a new angle,. with every prospect of a much earlier return to the full pre-war set-up than could have been hoped for previously. Since 1902 the United States has had the greatest number of successes- in the Davis Cup challenge round (the final contest between the holders and the country which, by the elimination of the rest of the field, has earned the right of challenge). The United States has won eleven times, Britain nine times, Australia (or Australasia) seven times, and France six times. The trophy was in the possession of the United States continuously from 1920 to 1926 —the Tilden erawhile France, due to the brilliance of Lacoste, Cochet, Borctra and Brugnon, held it for six years from 1927 to 1932. Britain, with F. J. Perry and H. W. Austin dominating the scene, had it for four years

from 1933 to 1936, and then the Americans, led by Don Budge,,claimed it in 1937 and 1938. Australia, defeated in the challenge round in 1938 by three matches to two, reversed the score in 1939 and have been the war-time holders. Taking the four major Davis Cup contestants — Australia, the United States, Britain and France —it looks as if the advantage at the start will lie with the Americans. While most of the leading American players are either in the armed forces or have been until recently, their opportunities for participating in first-class tournaments have been a good deal more numerous than , in the case of. players of any other nation at war. The only two. members of . the United States Davis Cup team of 1939 who will be available after the war will be F. Parker, who is serving with the Army in the Pacific, and J. Kramer, who is an ensign, in the 'Navy. R. L. Riggs, also serving, pi the Pacific, has joined the professional ranks, and the fourth member, Jo-e Hunt, . r as killed while flying with the Navy. Still available are such pre-war headliners as E. T. Cooke, . E. Schroeder, Lt. Don McNeill, Lt. G. Mulloy and W. Talbert, while there is a promising crop of new players coming along, ■ Australia should have the services of J. Bromwich and Adrian Quist for a long time yet, and with this pair as the backbone of the defending team, any challenging combination ■ would have to be powerful to have a chance; Quist and : Bromwich have had their chances' of- first-class tennis restricted by their duties in the services, but they should have little difficulty in reaching top form by the time* the next challenge round is due. ■ France and Britain are the least favourably placed of the four nations. In both countries tennis will need a

lot of reorganising and rebuilding, and the chief problem will be to find players of international class. It may be years before Britain can hope to develop performers of the calibre of Perry and Austin. France’s position is even more obscure and possibly more difficult. In both cases it appears as if it will be necessary to- start off again from scratch. It is interesting to recall that in the qualifying round at Berlin in 1939 the British team was defeated by Germany, five matches to nil. When competition for the Davis Cup was resumed after the 1914-18 war the United States refrained from challenging because the other nations had suffered much heavier losses. This time, however, she is certain to be in the Davis Cup arena from the beginning, and at the present stage appears to have a strong hand in prospect. Equally certain is it that she will have powerful representation at the first post-war Wimbledon tournament, to which, in addition to a formidable array of seasoned performers, she will be able to send a number of young players who, though promising enough, have yet to make their reputations in the international sphere. Two who have been mentioned in this connection are R. Falkenberg, brother of the film actress, Jinx Falkenberg, and ’’Buddy” Behrens, who is only 16 years old, but who has already revealed himself as a potential champion. There will be some countries which will, be less fortunately situated than others when the endeavours now being made to restore international tennis take definite shape, but that is not important. The main thing is that Wimbledon and the Davis Cup contests should be resumed, and that as soon as possible. A start has to be made some time, and if it can be made next year, as leading tennis authorities hope, so much the better.