THE DAVIS CUP

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 29 November 1912, Page 5

THE DAVIS CUP

CABLE NEWS

*M Pms Attociotim — Bg TOkofete Telegraph — Copyright.)

DOWN FALL OF AUSTRALIANS

DIXON AND PARKE VICTORIOUS

(Received East Night, 9.50 o'clock.)

MELBOURNE, November 28. The. weather was perfect and the courts excellent for the opening day of the Davis Cup matches, between Australia and England. The attendance numbered 40,000.

Dixon, the captain of the English team, yielding to the persuasion of

his colleagues, decided to play in- ' stead of Beamish. | The Englishmen had a fine reception. PARKE v. BROOKES. Parke and Brookes played tho first : match, which ended in disappointment for the Australians. | Brookes served and took tho service to fifteen and won Parke's service. He won tho first'three games to love. Parke took the next, amd Brookss the following. Brilliant driving by Parke was cheered. Parke, getting ' 4—3, won on Brooke's service to love, making the game if on r all. Parke took the set, amidst great cheering. ' In the thirteenth game Brookes lost the service, finishing the game with a double fault. In tho second set Brookes played poorly cm- thevolley, breaking down repeatedly, and failing to find a length, his efforts to do so sending the ball to the back line. Parke got two sets .in against ' him, a feat not done for years with Brookes., , ,

In the- third set Brookes was ex- , tromely tired. When Parke was loading s—l,5 —1, Brookes won a sequence of six games by grim determination. The seventh and eighth was lost by Parke, rather than won by Brookes. In the fourth set Parke won the first game off his service, Brookes netting : two returns off serves. Brookes won the next game off his own service, after the vantage server was called eight times. After tho game was tvto all, Parke went out by a sequence of four games. Brookes was very tired and scarcely able to .step aside to intercept a ball at the net. Throughout the match Parke executed perfect drives, either deep down on the side line ; or across from corner to corner. Such perfect driving was never previously witnessed here. I After tho game stood at four all in the first set, Brookes never looked like winning. He mistimed balls and got too many on the wood. J Parke received an. ovation at Hie conclusion of the match. i •

I DIXON v. HEATH. I 7>Lv!7' started serving finely and won the. game on it, to Heath's forehand. Three halls were not returned although he .served two doubles. Heath won the last Dixon breaking down on his own service. In the second set Dixon won the first two games and lost his servo in the third, . finishing with a double fault. Heath did the same- in the next.. The seventh game was one of the best of the day. j Heath taking it and the next with > fine .serving, after a service to love, making them four all. ! Tho ninth game saw .some splendid rallies, Dixon winning that and the next set. In tlie fourth set Dixon took . the - first two games killing beautifully , weak returns by Heath, who won the third. Heath won his service to love, I making tlnjf game two iall. Dixon won the next three, pounding Heath • with beautiful backhand strokes. i Heath won his service to love. Dixon carried the game to 5—3, with' vantage to the server twice failing, a double fault allowing Heath to get out of the difficulty and win. Dixon was still leading by five to four. Dixon won the next game off Heath's ! service, and the match. Tho striking feature of the day's play was tlie complete break-down of I the Australian service, Heath's serving nearly as many double faults as first Lserviccs. There was no sting or length in his second sen-ice, which Dixon punished severely. Both scorned afraid to hit. It was a question rather of one good man playing a better, and both playing badly.

The scores were as follow: Parko beat Brookes, B—6, G—-3, 5—7, 6—2. ■ Dixon beat Heath, 7—5, 6—4, 6—4, 6—4.

The. Britishers won t#*o jruibbers, six sets and forty-eight games, and the Australians two sets and thirtyseven games.