1938-10-05 — Page 20

THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 5, 1938

Last Of The Davis Cup

FICKLENESS OF WOMEN

PLAYERS

THE FOOTFAULTING PROBLEM

(By F. R. BURROW)

its team anywhere in Europe to play Davis Cup matches. It would be in- deed surprising if the 1989 competition found no team from Great Britain among the entries.

VARIUM ET MUTABILEZ

and

to

No more admirable Illustration of the difficulty of assessing the "form" of women players could well be ima- gined than that demonstrated in the best player in the world. It is safe to match played this last week between say that, if he had been "taken in the team of Australian women London, September 23. These incident, are unfortunate; but hand" early in his career and "coach- their hostesses in the U.S.A. It was At last the long-drawn-out struggte if a man consistently served foot-faults ed," he would never have risen to the a two-day match: on the first day the for the possession of the Davis Cup for (and Quist has long been well known eminence which he achieved. Great Australians led by four matches 1938, which has been going on ever as an inveterate foot-faulter) it is only players are born, not made; lucky are two; on the second they lost four out those who are strong-minded and self-of six, with the result that the whole since the middle of May either in right that he should be penalised. Europe or America, has drawn to its Players eminent enough to play for confident enough to resist having their encounter ended in a draw. The four chief singles had these remarkable re- conclusion; and the Cup remains in the their country certainly ought to school individuality "coached" out of them.

ANNUAL OR BIENNIAL?

sults: Miss Coyne beat Miss Jacobs, possession of the country of its donor. themselves to obey the rules of the

Well, no more Davis Cup this year. Miss Jacobs beat Miss Wynne, Miss Of all the nearly thirty would-be game; and it is no excuse for breaking

More suc- challengers for it, Australia came out them to say that the rule is a bad But before finally leaving it it is not Wynne beat Mrs. Fabyan, and Mrs. top; but to wrest the trophy from the rule. Bad it may be, and in the opin- uninteresting to note that the official Tabyan beat Miss Coyne! hands of the American holders proved ion of most people it is: but the In-organ of the game has at last publish- cinctly, A beat B, B beat C, C beat D, of the and D beat A This sort of thing, just too hard a task for them-but only ternational Federation has spent at ed a report of the meeting just. Budge was too good for either least four fruitless years in endeavour-Davis Cup nations which was held in which occurs much more frequently in of his opponents to win a single from ing to find a satisfactory amendment London more than a couple of months everyday tennis than one would believe of tournaments: who could say which him; but, as I anticipated last Sunday, to it: and until that solution is found, ago. It will be remembered (though possible, is the despair of handicappers the American second string, R. Riggs, if ever, players must be prepared to doubtless there are hopes that it may was able to win one of his two singles, put up with being penalised if they have been forgotten!) that the main of these four is the best player? The subject for discussion was whether the compilers of ranking lists and "seed- and so made up for the loss of the continue to infringe it.

Davis Cup competition should in future ing" committees are not to be envied, doubles.

UNORTHODOXY SUCCEEDS

be held annually or biennially. Ameri- either. Their task is never easy; and It was a great performance on the

Australia's fine fight, however, en can opposition to the biennial proposal when, in a couple of days, every result is turned upside down, what safe con- part of the Australian pair, Quist and Bromwich, to win the doubles against titles her to good hopes for next sea- was, naturally, very strong; Budge and Mako, especially after the son's competition. Quite the feature resolution was lost by fourteen votes clusion can they possibly draw? The G. B. S.'s apophthegm, "You Never overwhelming defeat the two Ameri- of the whole match was the brilliant to seven, although all the strength of only certainty appears to be to adopt

Can Tell." cans had inflicted on them only a few play of Bromwich. It is unfortunate, the British Empire (with the very na- days before in the final of the U.S.A. in one way, that his success should be tural exception of Ireland) was cast in doubles championship; but anyone who obtained by the use of such extremely favour of it, together with the votes as using both of Germany, Greece, and Switzerland. follows the form, of Budge and Mako unorthodox methods must know by this time that they are hands to grip his racket; but his style All the other European countries, as by no means invulnerable-nothing like is undeniably justified by its results. well as India and Japan, voted with the so reliable a pair as Wilmer Allison Australia appears to have unorthodoxy U.S.A. for the maintenance of the sta- and J. van Ryn were a few years ago. in its very air. V. B. McGrath is, like tus quo. To them the Davis Cup has They entered on the match with two Bromwich, a player who uses a two-been the principal agent in popularis- wins in the singles on the previous handed below for some of his strokes, ing the game in their countries, and day to hearten them, but their defeat and very good strokes they are, posses-they saw no reason whatever for pre-nounce that the prices for the threw the issue into the melting-pot sing the great advantage of concealing venting them playing for it every year match between England and the their intended direction entirely from if they wished to enter. Conversely, Rest of Europe, at Arsenal Sta- again.

the adversary. And the greatest of all there is no reason whatever, if a coun- dium, on October 26, will be: Australian players, Norman Brookes, try does not wish to enter every year, The first single of the final day set- was by no means a model of ortho- why it should not enter every second Admission to ground, 28., enclosure tled matters finally in America's fa- doxy. It was said of him that he did or every tenth year if it so desires. It 38. Seats available on day of vour. According to the reports cabled everything wrong held his racket is hard to see why this country should match, 58. Seats bookable, in ad- over here, Budge's victory over Quist wrong, had his feet in the wrong posi- have supported a proposal which was vance can be obtained only on ap- was largely owing to the Australian tion, and, in short committed all the from the very start doomed to defeat. being "put off his game" by being fre- faults it was possible to commit. Yet Of all nations our Association is far plication to the Arsenal Club, and quently and relentlessly foot-faulted. he was, in his day, undoubtedly the the richest, and can well afford to send are 78. 6d., 10s. 6d,, and £1 18.

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