1939-05-29 — Page 18

DAVIS CUP

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 29, 1989.

BRITAIN'S FINE WIN OVER NEW ZEALAND DESCRIBED Ronald Shayes And Charles Hare In Fine Form

FIGHTING FINISH BY C.E. MALFROY

London, May 14.

GREAT BRITAIN came through the first round tie of the Davis Cup against New Zealand when, thanks to a great rally by R. A. Shayes and C. E. Hare, they won the last two singles at Brighton yesterday.

Shayes disposed of A. D. Brown in straight sets with something to spare, but Hare had to pro- duce his best form to beat C. E. Malfroy 7-5, 6-4, 64.

Few people imagined that the Bri- tish team would come to the third day needing both the singles matches if they were to escape from humilia- tion. Confidence in them was so great that arrangements had already been made to meet France or China in the next round, but the shocks of the first two days left it badly shaken. Watch- ing Shayes outwitted by Malfroy in the opening singles and on Friday the collapse of the doubles pair, it hard to believe that Davis Cup play- ers could play so badly, though there Was plenty

admire to

about the brave flight of New Zealand with Malfroy, their captain, as the best of the side.

was

Brown had come in as second string as the result of trial matches among the players, but trials are notoriously

misleading, and with Shayes showing

out-

:

such a horror of spin the wonder was that D. C. Coombe, who spins every- thing, was not put in to play singles. As it was he played his part gallant ly in the doubles, though perhaps he and Malfroy hardly found the inspir- ed touch with which they had played Hare and F. H, D. Wilde ex- actly a week before at Bournemouth. Here, again, it was a shrewd use of spin and the lob that destroyed the harmony of the British players, who have yet to recover the happy under- standing as a pair that existed before Hare went to America. After all, they have been Hard Court champions and runners-up at Wimbledon, so that the selectors were perfectly justified in feeling that half the team picked themselves in advance. One would still hesitate to separate them

grass.

on

It cannot have been a happy experi ence for Mr. F. T. Stowe in his first match as the Davis Cup

captain, though for a moment in the Shayes- Malfroy match it seemed that he had pulled his man together during the ten minutes' interval allowed after the third set in these contests. Shayes, a seasoned international, was checking on his strokes so badly that he might have known nothing about the spin of the ball. Malfroy astutely made the pace slow and Shayes detested it, and the match would not have gone to five sets but for some mysterious service lets that were called whenever Malfroy served, an Davis Cup regulations require a net- cord judge, but he strangely disappear- ed on the second day.

almost

ace.

Happily Hare was in complete com- mand of his strokes, and of Brown in the second singles, or there might have been nothing left to fight for yesterday an extraordinary position for a British team who, on paper, had the winning of all five matches. just shows how little tournament form means nowadays; and if that was the guide, had not Shaffl, the fourth man, beaten Shayes in the Brighton final?

Shayes v. Brown

It

A national service appeal from the Umpire's chair preceded the match be tween Shayes and Brown before the beat crowd of the three days, Brown, who had a fall on Thursday, had his playing hand plastered. It was his service to start with, but the amount of side spin he put into his action was not having much effect on the bounce of the ball.

The way Shayes began gave no great grounds for British optimism. of early errors cost him the first two A crop

games with a passing shot or two from Brown to show that the New Zealander was very much in the picture. It was not until the third game that Shayes found his range and then, with some raking drives speeding to the supplemented by some fine stop vol- leys, he levelled at two games all. He was still patchy, however, and he both won and missed a lot in the fifth game of eleven deuces which Brown took to lead 3-2.

lines,

RACES POSTPONED

To-day's race meeting has been postponed until Satur- day, owing to the weather.

With

won

It

that and two

fault and a missed smash won the first game. A cunning array of cuts and spins enabled the New Zealander to level up at one-all, but the next game indicated that Hare's service was go- ing to be an important factor. Mal- froy's plan of campaign seemed to lle in preventing Hare from engaging in anything like a consistent attack and he used the whole court with all the high degree of courtcraft at his com- mand. The first service break Was in Malfroy's favour in the fifth game New and it meant a 3--2. lead for Zealand. Hare managed to level in things up and then got his nose

front at 4-3.

Hare had two chances for a

5-3 lead, but Malfroy, slowing up the play and using the drop shot with great effect, drew him back to four-all.

mistakes

Just at this stage Hare's were costing him a good deal and a tense ninth game swung this way and that before Hare held his service for 5--4.

back his opponent at his best. and crisp volleys going right away, his flashing drives clipping the lines Shayes gave a spectacular display of attacking lawn tennis which brought him a 5-0 lead in the second set.

In the last four games Brown had won only four points, and in all row when the New Zealander gained Shayes had won nine games in a

his first success by winning the sixth game. He got the next two as well with Shayes back in a careless mood, ninth game, which Brown also and this was followed by a long

For sheer cleverness and adroit use to reduce the British lead to 5--4. was not until the tenth game

of short, angled balls and well-timed lobs Malfroy's game reached a high Shayes found his touch again, then he went out at 6-4 for

standard. It brought him level at five. all before a loose game took Hare in sets to love.

front again at 6-5. From the net dominating figure on the court. Brown lead one set to love.

Shayes, in form or out, was now the Hare finished the first set at 7-5 to plugged away with

great fighting spirit, but when Shayes found whirlwind form the New

his Malfroy's attempts to keep Hare Zealander from the net met with partial success was outclassed, Shayes kept his shots in the opening games of the second the set, though the left-hander had suffi- under control, to lend 3-1 third set, and then another erratic cient power behind his service to come spell cost him dearly, and Brown con-

up on it and bring home his volleys. tributed more than one passing shot He was not so accurate in his attempts to pass him for a 4-3 lead.

against Malfroy's The next two games went to Shayes service, but he managed to get only man on the court for the next despite an angry wasp which buzzed 3-2 lead.

for a British 6-1 lead, but Brown, break through the fifth game for a

ed the points he liked and was out

On the volley he collect about his head, served out a love game

Hare increased his lead to 4-2, with the first set at 6-3 for a leading a visible effort to steady himself, he fluffed a couple of easy volleys, and to keep the match alive. Shayes, mak- but he dropped the next game when of one set to love and British hopes went in front again at 6-5, and then, Malfroy managed to level up matters rose.

after missing one match point, was at 4-all. The New Zealander hud out with the set at 7-5 for the match missed practically nothing so far, and and to put Great Britain level with was playing as well as he had ever New Zealand at two matches all. done. The play on both sides reached a high level, both men being at their best. It was Hare who got the im- portant ninth game after a great Malfroy on his own service, and in aning deservedly earned him. More volley- Hare began his vital match against struggle which his determined volley- odd mixture of fast deliveries, a double | ing gave him the second set at 6-4

for a two-set lead.

Shayes had enough stroke equipment to win if only he could check sudden his forcing shots spells of carelessness when he sent yards out of court,

or volleys sailing check at last and he was virtually the He found that

four games.

Flashing Drives, Crisp Volleys

The grand form shown by Shayes continued into the second set and it became apparent that Brown had little in his rather stolid game to hold

Hare v. Malfroy

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Dropped Service

the

Hare dropped his service in opening game of the third set, but he quickly recovered from what seemed to be reaction, and used every inch of his long reach for some superb volley- ing. This put him in front at 2-1, and there were some hectic games that went with the service to 4-3. Mal- froy was up at the net in the next game, but Hare responded by some grand passing shots that took him to 5-3 with his service to follow.

The New Zealander once more forced matters, and this time his net play broke through Hare's service to fifteen, and the British lead was reduced to 4. A dramatic game followed. Ear- ly in it Hare gathered a vital point by picking up a passing shot on the half-volley when the ball seemed to have beaten him by a yard. The New Zealander was twice within อ point of making it 5-all, but Hare reached match point.

Д

A grand lob sent Malfroy scuttling back, and Hare came up to tap away the return for the game, set, match, and tie for Great Britain.

It had been brilliant match throughout, with some great play on both sides, Hare deserved every credit for pulling out some great lawn ten nis against a man who, used all the court with an unrivalled knowledge of hard court tactics. Hare's win gave Great Britain a 3-2 win over New Zealand.

The next tie is against the winners of the "match between France and China next 'week.

R. A. Shayes (G.B.) bont A. D Brown (New Zealand), 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.

C. E. Hare (G.B.) beat CE. Malfroy (New Zealand)

Great Britain beat New Zealand matches to 2.

a