THE DAVIS CUP

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10517, 4 January 1912, Page 5

THE DAVIS CUP

RETAINFD BY AUSTRALASIA AN UN/tVOIIDABLE HITCH. A GREAT GAME. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHMSTCHiURCH, Last Night. The Davis dip meeting of 1912 was brought to a conclusion to-day in a rather unexpected manner. Beals Wright was to have met Heath ia the first singles match, hut did not appear, and after waiting half an hour the referee announced that, owing to am unavoidable hitch, Beals Wright wdutti be unable to play. Tt was. not explained what the hitch was. Thie officials were reticent, ar.d all that was known was that Wright was indisposed. The crowd-took vt very good-naturedly, and; were rewna-died by seeing a singles match thaSlhey will probably never forget. Of course Heath scored the singles match *y default, and as Brookes defeated McLougMin, th© Australians retain the Davis Oup by winning all five matches. The weather was again fine, though a shower during tho last set made the ground rather s%pery. There was again a big attendance, prob&My over "3000 being present. To say that the singles match between Brookes and McLoughMn- was a magnificent exthlhition of high-clasis iennis, but faintly expresses it. From start to finish it was absolutely thrilling in its brilliancy. Brookes- Bad has. reputation to maintain, and there is little doubt that he was- asi keen on winning as though the Gup depended on the result. But McLoughlin tosi at the very heigh/t of his form. A player of hi® parts hafi hi» "on" days and ♦'off" days. He takes all the risks, servriog, driving, and volleying with sledge-ibamimer force, and "on" day© , finds- him a formidable opponent even to a class, of player like Brookes, and to-uiay was his day of days). Eight through he got in his terrific stroSea with marvelous accuracy. Over and over again he sent down serves that Brookes never touched. Time and again he got in clrrves boBE down the side line ana anxross the court that the Victorian never goi to, and Ms) volleying and stmeshing were so powerful and accurate t'hat his opponent was frequently left afcanddng. Ftfom. time it miufti not be inferred

that tie honours were all on one side. The fact that Brookes won the match I against such a superb dispH&y shoves •that the Australian, by stemming sudh an onslaught, demonstrated ■more than anything else could what a great player ne xs. What he lacked m force of stroke he made up in accuracy and general tactics. His service, though not so severe, was better placed. "fTis driving was almtosit as powerful and was far more accurate, whilst has underhand vk#ieying, which is his> chief among i many good assets, was absolutely bewitching in its anticipation- and correctness of placing. Howerer, after all is 'said that can be saod, there wa,s> little ffileafience between the two men on the day's play, and when McLaughlin, in the last sex, was 3—2 and vantage in the sixth game, it will be seen what a narrow escape Brookes TiSdi. Faiom th : s on Brookes wa& steadier and more accurate than ever, whtikt McLoughlin failed with a large proportion of has shots. It was a great match, and when the winning stroke was made the big audience rose as one person and cheered themselves hoarse with dtelaght. - The cheetry disposition and bright

demealnoU'r of the young American, i. ifaad endeared Ir'm to the biig audience, and when he left the court fop was again enthusiastically cheered. After the big, match the court wa& quickly rolled a<nd put in order 1 , for a. double, and soon Larned andi MteLougMin appeared to mieet Brookes and Heath in- an exhibition, double. The Austarailamsi won the two sets, 6—3, 6—2.

AN ENGLISH OPINION.

(Received Last Night 9.50 o'clock.) LONDON, January 3. The Westminster Gazette states that • Brookes' victory might have been anticipated, but it fails to understand Larned's defeat.