THE DAVIS CUP.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 55, 20 March 1937, Page 17

THE DAVIS CUP.

AMERICAN TALENT • GLANCE AT THE PUYERS IN THE RUNNING PRAISE FOR U BUDGE Subject to the approval of the United States Lawn Tennis Association at its next annual meeting, and there is no question but what the recommendations of the ranking committee will be accepted, there wiU be one of the biggest shakeups among tha first 10 men players the United States has noted in some time, says the Christian Science Monitor of January 6. There is only one of the first 10 of 1935 holding the same position in the 1936 and there are only four who are still holding positions In that preferred class. The one who has the same ranking is Bryan M. Grant Jr., of Atlanta, Ga., who stays at No, 3. J. Donald Budge or Oakland, Calif., has displaced Wilmer L. Allison Jr., of Austin, Texas, at the head of the list, Allison not being ranited at all because o£ insufficient data. Frank A. Parkes Jr., has been given the most attention, as he is put at No. 2 over the head of Grant, while Gregory S. Margin, the man who seems to win the national indoor championship with the greatest of ease but never comes through to the outdoor tltle, was moved up one position to No. 5. This disposes of the holdovers from the honor list of 1935. Riggs' Advance Startling. Of the five newcomers to the flrst 10, the rise of young Robert L. Riggs and Joseph R. Bunt, both of Los Angeles, is the most startling, especlally in the case of the former. These two players were ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the Junior 10 in 1935 and in one season they showed enough tennis to warrant their being placed among the senior first 10, with Riggs going way up to Nd. 4 position. I Hunt was given ninth place. It may be a rash thing to say, but it is my opinion that young Riggs, if he takes his tennis seriously, will not have many years to wait before he Is recognised as one of the hest men players in the world. The young Los Angeles lad shows a whole lot of natural ability and all he seems to lack is experience and a little more nower, which will come with advancing years. And of the other newcomers young Hunt gave a lot of promise in 1935. The Next Davis Cup Team. ,At the present writing it looks very much as if the leading candidates for the U.S. cup team of 1936 would be Budge, Farker, Riggs, Grant, C. G. Mako and Hunt. In Budge, Uncle Sam has the player who appears as the most likely successor to Fred J. Perry as top player of the world and he should be able to take care of two singles matches. With Mako as his partner, he should look after the doubles match. This would leave one singles player to be selected from the other five above mentioned and the place would probably be won by Riggs or Parker. While such a team mlght not regain the cup this year, It certainly looks like the best America can offer and, if it did not win, it should gain enough experience to put it in line for victory by 1938.