MUST START TEAM BUILDING

Chronicle (Levin), 30 December 1946, Page 3

MUST START TEAM BUILDING

AUSTRALIAN -TENNIS SURVEYED ( By Harry Hopmau, Fornier Australian Davis Cup CaxJtaiu.) Eecelved Sunday, 7 MELBOUENE, Dec. 29. Australia does not axiXJear to have a eliance of winniug the Davis Cux> withiu the liext five years but she must begin iiumediately by challengiug iu next year's eonixjetition. Australia must start team building. Glie does not need a comxdetely new team. If Broniwioli is available next year he is the man Australia must build arourid but auy Davis Cuxj team shouid iuciude Australia 's two best youug XJlayers of 20 years or uuder. Two who axiXJear eertain of iuelusion iu the 1947 Cux> team are the 25-year-old Dinny Paiis aud the 22-year Geoif Brown. Australia 's two leadiug youug piayers are Erauk Bedgman, the 19-year Victorian, aud George Wortliington, the 18-year New Soutli Welshmau. The Australian team shouid be selected with the twofold objeet of trying to vvin back the Cuxj iiumediately aud giving youug x-dayers uiuch ueeded iuteruatiouai exxjorieuce. Tennis overseas is enjoyiug a great x,ostwar' revival and tliere wouid be a great demaud iu Eurox>e aud America to see Australian playcrs iu aetion. The outioolc does not ax)i)ear much brightor eveu wheu 1 refleet that Bchroeder might retire froiu iuteruatiouai teuuis wheu he returus to America, aud that Kramer might tuni jjrofessional in a year or two because 1 kuow wliat a cliamxuou the 22-year Tohi Brovrn rau be wheu iu forni, and also that Bob Falkeuburg, two years liyj junior, is aiready a lirst. class iuteruatiouai player of Ihe aggressivo tyx>e. Bromvvich will stili be Australia 's best bet next year. Apart from havlug to carry most of the slrain of our defence this year, he lacked ihe right tyxie of touruament xjractice. lle could not stand up to the bustliug type of atlacking game tichroeder played. lie was too unaccuslomcd to it. The yuist-Brouivvich coinbinatiou might be able to play itself back to near best form on good touruament play but 1 would pnd'er not to take a risk with the oid lirm aud to see a new youug combiuatiou tried. Colin Long at 28 might be just too old tu eome iuto a rebuilding scheme. He has, liowever, showu a lot of: iniprovemeut this seasou and may yet develox) iuto the Davis Cup doubles class. Dinny Paiis may yet make a champion but he must learu Ihe uecessity of addiug au attackiug game to liis preseut tjqje oi play. Geoff Brown must be sent. Despite his failures here this season, I have a lot of coulideuce in his ability to rise out of the ruek. He showed at tjjip "killer'^' instiuct we want iu Australian teuuis. The third aud iiual day Davis Cux> challeuge rouud was x)OHU>oned uutil Alouday after a tofrential dowupour pf ■ rain which hit Kooyong just' bel'ofe X)iay was due to 'begiu today. A rearrangemeut of matclies has beeu made fof Monday. Bromwich aud Kramer will meet in the first niateli, foliowed by Mulloy versus Paiis. it was earlier anuounced that Bromwich, who was hit iu the groiu by a fast rcturu from Gchroeder yesterday, and also Kramer, wouid not play in the final rubbers.