TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 288, 30 November 1908, Page 3

TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP.

THE DAVIS OUP. ,j! ~' AUSTRALASIA v. AMERICA. WIN FOR THE AUSTRALASIANS. A GREAT STRUGGLE. [By Telegraph.—Press AssociationCopyright.] Received 2!), 8 p.m. Melbourne, Saturday Night. The ninth annual contest "to decide which nation shall hold the Davis Cup for the year, commenced with the singles on Friday, was continued to-day, when Brookes and Wilding, representing Australasia, met the American-pair Wright and Alexander. The match, which was TMy «eitiug, particularly in the last set, was witnessed by 4000 people, Lady Dudley being among those present.

The Australasians won the first two sets, the scores being ti—l, ti—2. The Americans annexed the succeeding two, with the figures 5—7 and 2—o.

Wilding's driving was magnificent, while Brookes played with great judgment, his smashing down the centre of the court being a great success. . In the fifth set America led by 2 to love. The excitement at this juncture' was intense, every stroke being cheered. Gradually Australasia worked up the enthusiasm of the crowd, adding five games' to the, addition of one by America, the scores reading 5—3. Then Wright won his service. In the tenth game, Wilding serving, Australasia* led by 40---/15, but their representative j double-iaulted. The Americans thus annexed two more aces, but lost the next three, and the match went to Australasia,

To Mr. Dwight Davis, of St. Louis, U.S.A., belongs the honor of having first mooted the idea of different nations meeting each other annually to decide the lawn tennis supremacy. With a view t» creating interest, in 1000 he ' presented a solid silver punch bowl,, valued at £2OO, to the United States Lawn Tennis Association, who were to be the first holders. Any nation which considered it could raise a team strong enough to wrest the cup from the holders haft the right to challenge. If more than one nation wished to make the effort, then these met in preliminary rounds, and the winner obtained the right to challenge the then holder of the cup, it being a condition that the, challenge round must be played in the country of the challenged, exactly in the same way as the America Gup (yachting) is raced ior in the waters of the defending nation. The matches usually extend over three days. The | first day is devoted to the first round of . the singles, the second to the doubles, ; and the third to the second round of j '_ the singles. Nations must enter not i less than, two nor more than four

players. This, of course, provides for breakdowns, but the principal consideration is that two men may compete in the doubles .only,- and two totally different players in the singles. Great singles players are frequently all at sea in doubles, and vice versa. The cup has previously been held as follows: — 1900—America. 1901—America (not challenged). 1902—America. 1903—British Isles. 1904—British Isles. ' i 1905—British Isles. 1906—British Isles. 1907—Australia-New Zealand. Australia and New Zealand first joined forces and entered the lists in 1905.