DAVIS CUP

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 125, 28 May 1937, Page 18

DAVIS CUP

KZ, Y. CHINA MALFROY'S INDISPOSITION (From "The Post's" Representative). LONDON, May 5. A thoroughly interesting contest played in good weather before fairly large attendances ended in New Zealand's first win in a Davis Cup tie for some years. As was to be anticipated from his showing against Malfroy, Kho Sin Kie proved just too strong for Stedman. Kie is in his second season of play in this country. Last yeai\ after leading G. P. Hughes 5-2 in the anal set of a first-round match at Wimbledon, he was beaten. During the winter he has come into prominence by winning the championship of Greece against a strong field and he has also had a very fine record in the Riviera tournaments. Tennis experts rank him as highly as any English amateur, except Austin. . Today, he began strongly against Stedman, winning the first two games, but he could win only one point on Us service in the third game, Stedman lost his chance to draw level, but he again took Kie's service and by winning a love game on his own service made the score 3-all. The next two games went with service, and Kie went to 5-4 in spite of a double fault. Stedman helped him by missing an easy smash. Stedman could win only one point on his service and the set went to Kie, 6-4. The second set went much the same course after Stedman had won the first two games, but the battle was sternly fought and there was at this period little between the two. Kie's extremely hard and clean hitting, crisp volleying, and clever drop shots were matched by Stedman's, persistently deep driving and greater experience. Kie went to 5-3, but Stedman saved two set points and took the next games. On his own service in the next game he found himself at love-40, and though he saved no fewer than five set points he lost the game and set 6-4. The third set was very different from the second, no game going to deuce. It was Stedman all the way, and the New Zealander displayed again his ability to fight with his back to the wall. The set went to him easily at 6-1, Kie getting only seven poinuts from four service games. The ten-minute interval after the third set seemed to revive Kie, and he quickly went to a 3-love lead. He could not hold his service in the fourth game, however, and Stedman after a terrific fight took the fifth after deuce had been called six times. Kie got only ane point in the next game and 3-all was called. As so often happens after a rally at a critical stage, Stedman could do nothing right in the next game which he finished with a double. Stedman is a great fighter of rearguard actions, but he has the tantalising habit sf relapsing when he has raised the liopes of his supporters. His lapse in this game was fatal, the next three games going with service, and the set and match to Kie, 6-4. MALFROY AND CHOY. With the score 2-all, Malfroy was Eaced with the necessity of beating Choy in the final game. It transpired that the New Zealander has been under doctor's orders to refrain from playing Eor a month, following an internal indisposition which developed during his recent tour in Egypt. This accounts Eor his absence from the singles in the Brighton hard.court tournaments last week. D. C. Coombe has not been in the country long enough to strike his best form, and E. D. Andrews, who was at the match, has not appeared in competitive tennis this season. Malfroy began the game with great determination, and it was soon obvious that he was much too good for Choy, who played some brilliant shots but was not strong enough, particularly in service, to break up Malfroy's volleying game. Rlalfroy won 6-1, C-3, 6-1, and before we left the ground the placards were announcing the tie between South Africa and New Zealand on May 8, 10 and 11.