Lessons Of The Davis Cup Tour

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 580, 5 February 1929, Page 13

Lessons Of The Davis Cup Tour

FOUR ESSENTIAL Patterson’s Report “The main lesson we learned from the Davis Cup tour was that if it ia worth while sending a team it is necessary to have a team of four,” writes Gerald Patterson, the Australian international, who captain and manager of the Davis Cup team, in his report on the tour. allow advantage in practice; reserves in case of injury or illness; wider selection rf any member of the team is off The larger team, he explains, will form, and two complete teams for doubles in tournament games. Discussing the Davis Cup match against Italy, Patterson says:—“We had a trying time in an effort to nurse Crawford into condition. I realise the terrific strain imposed by an attack of asthma, and if we had been warned of this chronic condition we could have acted strike an early streak, and Hopnian, 1 considered, had some little chance of heating Stefani. If Crawford had not played in the first match he could not play on the final day, and I knew we could procure the necessary doctors certificate to allow us to use Hopman against Stefani. “From ihis I do not want it to be Imagined Crawford was going on to the court in an unfit condition, though he was by no means as well as one should be for a Davis Cup match. We did consider the advisability of using Hawkes and myself, and although Hawke's form had been fair, there had been nothing in it at the time to justify such controversial displacement of one of the selected men, even 4 .f Hawkes had been keen on playing, which he was not. Hopman’s Weakness. “Mv friendship with Hawkes was well known. Had Hawkes been officially sent as fourth man I thipk I would have risked criticism on this score. The weakness in Hopman’s game lay in his great uncertainty in being unable to bold his service at that period. There was no need to concern ourselves with the question of who was to play in the last match against Stefani, as Morpurgo settled the match by beating me in five sets.

“I think it Quite clear.” adds Patterson, “that Crawford, if he is fit and the climate suits him, is amon<r the leading players in the world. “Hopman's game has undergone changes which have produced a good deal of uncertainty, but I anticipate that if he is able to steady down he will gain real benefit from his trip overseas. I cannot commend him too highly for his enthusiasm and keenness, and feel sure that he amply justified the nolicy of the association in sendinz such a young player overseas. “Taken right through Crawloru s Performances were much better than Hopman’s, and if somethmg can he done to overcome his chronic bronchial asthma we have in him a player who is quite capable of putting Australia m the fore front inter nations! tennis.