TENNIS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 March 1925, Page 1

TENNIS.

UJSTEALIAN AND N.Z. OAULH ASSOCIATION DAVIS CIT DJIAAV. NEW YOU K, .March IS. A record list of twenty-live tennis hnve entered fur the Davis Cup. The Ambassadors of most of the nations of the world foregathered at the I’anAmerican Building here, when VicePresident Dawes drew from the Davis Cu'p the [names of twenty-five challenging nations. The coin.olete draw is as follows:—AMEUICAX ZONE. In the first round, Cuba plays Spain. Tn the second round : Japan plays .Mexico: Vustralia plays Hawaii, and New Zealand plays Canada. lOt'lf OPE AX ZONE. In flic European zone. the first round is:—lioliaml v. ('/.echo-Slotaltia Switzerland v. Sweden ; Belgium v. India; Austria v. Ireland; Hungary v. France; Portugal v. Italy; Hoiiniania v. Denmark; Poland v. England. An unofpml nninher of challenges in the American zone necessitated that all nations but two should receive lives in the first round. The winner of the European zone will c hallenge the United States. At the conclusion of the draw. Mr Davis, donor of the cun, said the competition this year was surrounded by unusual circumstances. It marked the 25th anniversary ot the ( up competition, and it was coincident that there are twenty five nations challenging. This was a new record in international tennis, the entry being two grcntci than a year ago. Mr Davis outlined the history of the Davis Cup competition since 1900. when there were only two entries. No other amateur sports competition, with the exception of the Olympic Games, had ever attracted such world-wide interest. It was a splendid demonstration of the growth „f tennis as an international past-time. The meetings on the courts were the means of developing a better understanding of the personal sportsmanship of the nations involved. It was to be hoped that this sport and good fellowship would continue to grow, and broaden, as the result of these annual contests.