THE DAVIS CUP.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1620, 11 December 1912, Page 7

THE DAVIS CUP.

HEATH V. PARKE. THE FINAL MATCH DESCRIBED. The singles match) between Heath (Australia) and Parke (Britain) for tho Davis Cup is thus described in the Melbourne "Argus" :— Heath did all that he could. Ho was felt to have very little chance of defeating the brilliant Irishman before he went on to tho court. The Victorian has practically no hope against a player of Parke's calibre because of tho comparative weakness of his back-hand. His forehand drive is an almost irreproachable stroke. Thero are few finer to be seen in the world. But, though his back-hand is much better than it was, it is not yet strong enough to withstand a sustained attack, and on Saturday Parke never left it alono for long. The Victorian had the advantage qf the service, but he seemed very naturally to feel the responsibility resting on his shoulders, and could score only two points in-the first two games. Ho won the next on his service, but then Parke ran away with the following three, and had tho call s—l in his favour. The Victorian rallied for,a while with some fine driving, showing that he could beat tho Irishman as long as he was given a fair chance to make use of his favourite drive; but he lost a love game on the ninth game, on.his own. service, finishing the set with a double fault.

The Victorian flattered the anxious crowd by starting with a fine run in tho second set. Tho spectators in the standing reserve could now hardly contain themselves, and they repeatedly called out advice to the players—particularly to Heath, of course. . In the first game the shouting caused an unfortunate, mistake. Parke drove the ball far back to.Heath's backhand at the end of an exciting rally, and a group of onlookers near the lino called "Out." But it fell inside. Heath returned it, but ParJro took tho call for the lino umpire's voice, and did not try for ball. Heath urged him to have it again, but the Irishman, though ho lost the game on tho stroke, declined to hear of it. As a matter of fact, tho umpiro gave the stroke right, and it had to stand. Shortly after the referee (Mr. P. B. Colqukoira), speaking-through a megaphone, requested the spectators not to continue to call out during tho rallies. "It disconcerts the players," lie said, "and. it is not sporting." Parko took the next three games somewhat easily, but Heath, playing really well, once more went to the front with a run of two games, which made him I—3. Again, however, his opponent came with one of his persistent attacks, and simply swallowed up the next three games, in the last two of which Heath could score no' more than one point altogether. . Both men had dono a lot of running about, and they took the full three minutes' spell before starting the third eet. Parko jumped over the canvas round the court, and lay down on his back under the shade of one of tho':stands. Heath sat on the seat behind tho umpire's seat, talking, to Brookes and,D'urilop. The match so far had shown that''the- Victorian had little hope of out-driving the Irishman from the back of the court, unless Parke would leave his back-hand nlone—a tiling he seemed entirely disinclined to do—whijn Heath's excursions .to tho net, which had been rather frequent for hiin, usually left him at tho mercy of his opponent's wonderful passing shots. Tho crowd, glad to make a banquet out of such crumbs as it could get, cheered wildly as Heath, opening with some of hi 9 best drives, which ho followed with a beautiful lob over Parke's head when the latter came to thu net for a kill, secured the first game. Parko evened the score, arid then they ran to two all. Heath was playing his best gnmo now, hitting very hard, and keeping his opponent busy chasing fine drives from one corner to tho ,other. It was only tho Irishman's great pace, and his ability to drive almost Squally well on either hand, that enabled him to keep up. Heath has a pet drop volley, which he uses more than 'any other stroke when ho gets in at the net. Unfortunately, there is often more drop than volley about it, and several times in.the third set, when he was in a good position to score, he tumbled the ball gently into tho net. When the shot did go over, /moreover, the agile Park© usually reached it and did what he liked with it. At' two all, Parke, with another spurt, carried off two love games. Still Heath stuck gamely to his task, and again roused tho crowd to great enthusiasm by equalising tho score at nil. "Go on, Pod, my boy," yelled ono excited spectator, "you're playing the game of your life." But Heath had shot his bolt, and ho could score no more than three strokes, while Parke took the next two games, the set, the rubber, and the Davis Cup. Immediately tho last stroke had been played—a lob from Heath, which sailed over tho back line—Dixon, who had been .fidgeting on the sent by Brookes and Dunlop; rushed on to tho court, and thumped Parke vigorously on the back and shook his hand. Indeed, if he had not been an Englishman, one might, have been tempted to My that he threw his arms round the Irishman in his enthusiasm. Then Dixon rushed over excitedly to Heath, and thumped him with eounl vigour on the back. Finally, lie shook hands with every-, one near him. The crowd started cheering as soon as play ceased, and cave the British team quite an ovation. Brookes called for cheers for the winners,, through the megaphone, and then Dixon did the same for Australasia.