Cochet Beats Hunter

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 462, 18 September 1928, Page 9

Cochet Beats Hunter

GREAT TENNIS ENCOUNTER Final of U.S. National Singles (United P.A. — By Telegraph Copyright) (Australian and 27. Z. Press Associarion) (United Service) Received 10.33 a.m. NEW YORK. Monday. AT Forest Hills, Henri Cochet (France) beat F. T. Hunter (United States) in the tinal of the American national singles tennis championship. The score was 4—6, 6—4, 3—6, 7—5. 6—3.

In the first set, while they both lost their service once to take the score to 4 —4, Cochet could not hold his own service in the vital ninth game, and the American had no difficulty in running out the set. Cochet played only one game consistently to the American’s backhand, and after that Hunter’s vicious forehand put the Frenchman on the defensive. They were so evenly matched in the second set that at the end of the sixth game the score was 3—3. There was only one point difference between them, and thus they continued until Hunter dropped his service in the tenth to lose the set.

In the third set, Cochet, who had lost his service twice to Hunter’s once, nevertheless had an opportunity of drawing even when the American stood o—4o0 —40 on his own service in the eighth game, but the Frenchman dropped the next eight points successively, to bring the American to set point. Hunter quickly decided the issue. The Frenchman was inaccurate beyond expectation, and the crowd roared with glee at his errors.

Cochet in the fourth set accumulated a 4—o lead with lightning rapidity, his shots coming off beautifully; but the American began to creep up on him until the score stood iat 5—5. Hunter was imitating the | Frenchman in mixing his pace, alter-

nating lobs and soft returns and stop volleys with a crackling forehand. The crowd was shouting its head off. Hunter dropped his service in the eleventh in a disappointing manner, and this was advantage enough

for the Frenchman to run out to set. Hunter in the fifth set took the first two on a break in Cochet’s service, but the Frenchman won the next four, and came out at a 5—3 lead on a love game to service. The Frenchman had no difficulty in winning the deciding game. Lacoste (France) did not defend the title, which he won from Tilden last year, ll—9, 6—3, 11—9.