THE DAVIS CUP.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 251, 29 November 1909, Page 3

THE DAVIS CUP.

The opening match.

AMERICANS OUTCLASSED.

By Gable.—Press Association.—Copyriga Received 27, 5.5 p.m. Sydney, November 27. Brookes (Victoria) beat McLoughlin (California), o—2, U— 2, 6—4. He he'd ■him easily throughout. Wilding (New Zealand) beat Long (America), U—i, 7-5, o-l. Lon „ weJ ° to pieces in tile last set. "

DERAILS OF THE PLAY,

Received 28, 5.5 p.m. Sydney, November 28. The first of the Davie Cup contests resulted in an easy victory for Australasia. The weather was fine and cool, and about 5000 were present. Brookes and McLaughlin opened, the American winning the toss, eerviji" | with the wind, which was at times puffy! After the rain, the courts dried well, although a trifle heavy. The American carried the score to 40—15, when a double fault let Brookes m with advantage to the server. A fine rally ended with the game to McLaughlin.

The American could make nothing ol Brookes' service, and repeated the performance till tho score stood 3—l. McLaughlin was outclassed at almost every point.

The American tlien got his second ;ame in, but Brookes afterwards had it ■ll his own way, finishing with two love ;ame6, and winning the set by o—2. The next set was almost similar to ne first. The Victorian had the visitor ompletely tied up with his cmbarrasing service and fine generalship, and the esult was again 6—2. McLaughlin made a harder fight at lie commencement of the third set, geting the first two games to his credit Jrilliant play was being shown by both ides. The Victorian placing his shots fith rare judgment, annexed the four ucceeding ifame9, hut. McLaughlin put in his third' game, and Brookes won his ervice, making 5—3. ' McLaughlin's lext service ended in his favor, but trie Victorian somewhat easily disposed ol lim in the next one, ending 6—4. The 'isitor played a plucky match, with lashes of brilliance, but the experienced udgmetft of the older player was toe nuch for his youthful opponent. The second match, Wilding (New Zeaand) versus Long (America) promised ' tougher contest. Wilding won th( oss and served with the wind. The irsr four games were evenly balanced ach player winning off hie service. Ths few Zealander, after winning his thirc erve, went clean away and appropriatoc he remaining games. His play was haracterised by excellent drives. 6—2 The second set was a hard one, ant ts hardness tol<l on the American. Hi ippeared to press Wilding, but the New lealander always had a bit in hand. Wild ng won his first service, but Long .lie lie samy, and beat the New Zealandei <ff his second serve. He wa 6 placin« ery cleverly, and kept Wilding movin" 3he score stood at 2—l in favor ofLong 'hen Wilding levelled matters in tin text game off the American's service nd followed up bv winning his own loth players made the pace warm fo ach other, andjhe score was called fiv 11, but Long was "palpably weary. Th few Zealander secured the lead with : ■varm service; \y hard driving temptin Ins opponent to the net, then tossing oto the hack line. With the score a 6—5, Wilding won brilliantly off a lon serve, 7—5.

The third eet saw the American fail badly. Wilding got the first three games to love, and the American won next off his own service, and then the New Zealander got the next three in quicK succession, 6—l. The doubles will be played on Monday.

THE AMERICAN CHALLENGERS. Maurice McLoughlin and Melville H. Long, the two young United States challengers for the Davis Cup, bring high credentials for youth, fire and skill. Mr. C. P. Dixon, a member of the English team that lost the preliminary tie (Davis Cup) writes in the English Lawn Tennis Journal:—"Of the rising lawn tennis players in the United States Maurice McLoughlin is considered to oe the most promising. He hails from California, and is only nineteen years of age, and promises some phenomenal strokes. He is a wonder, and the idol of the American crowd. He smashes the ball with terrific force, imparting to it the reverse spin. On his forehand off the ground he ig almost equally severe, but the most dreaded point of all to play against is his service. Not only j does he employ every specie of American service, but. more important still, as a rule he gets in. Occasionally lie is guilty of a double fault, but he is a luckv player who contrives to win with evin one of McLoughlin's service games. His service is considered in America bv those who have played against it to be more difficult than that of Norman Brookes. He has been selected to represent America against Australasia for the Davis Cup, and it will be interesting to see how he fares against Brookes." American Lawn Tennis says:—"McLoughlin. the Pacific Coast wizard, gave the crowd a glimpse of his form, ami all experts agreed that his play was little short of phenomenal. Hi 6 services were shot into the Easterners' court with the speed of a cannon-ball, and Dabney and Niles were powerless to handle them. Overhead McLoughlin na? unbeatable, and after one long rally, which was won single-handed against both of the Easterners, the gallery could no longer content itself with applause, and the exclusive, conservative Onwentsia crowd got up and cheered the work of the brilliant Californian."

Commenting on the above, the Sydney Referee remarks: "There will be some fun when they start hard hitting against Brookes. Tn his earlier days, of course, Brookes was himself a hardhitter. and can hit just as bard now, but is above that stage. In the last four games of the Victorian championship final, against Beals Wright and Alexander (just prior to the Davis Cup) last November, Brookes suddenly changed to hard drives off every ball, and fairly drove the ball through Wright and Alexander close to the net. It was a little experiment to see how they shaped at it, and he beat them by sheer pace. Usually he scores by perfectly placed strokes, and getting fairly close in himself, relies on his perfect low volleys to send back every ball, till he works his opponent hopelessly out of position."

"I had no actual teacher (says M:Loughlin), but just picked up a bit from each I saw. f use the cut stroke and the left drive, but prefer the plain drive, and go for a good length. I pia.v the rising ball so as to get to the net quickly, but mostly prefer to hit- the ball on the top of its bound, or a shade later."

McLoughlin (says the Referee) also uses all three varieties of ground strokes; but prefers always to play the rising ball as soon after it leaves the ground as possible, his whole aim being to get into the net, and then to volley everything hp can. Another account states; "Long ,s reckoned just about even with his eliminate. strangely enough, he generally beats MeLoughlin at practice, but. almost invariably loses to him in matches. The two met in the National Championship, and MeLoughlin won after a long ■five-set match with only a couple of nces to spare. Long is more accurate on ground strikes, and is more vigor-ins on low volleys, but he far Jess reliable on the service and the smash. Besides, he has not the equable spirit of the match-player so pronounced as his rival." Another critic says: "Long has no weak points. He can play from the back of •the court or at the net, and usee good ■judgment in adapting his methods to the style of his opponents." MeLougiilin's methods of play, it is stated, differ from those of Lone in two essentials: he hits the ball earlier in its bound, and uses the left drive with over spin mote | than Long does, getting greater pace, but a hit less depth.