European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 04, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Of 1 1 i something reaches inside Don Budge first to make a grand sweep. Playing Davis cup Tennis in t like playing in any tournament. Tips the crowds of other players milling around and laughing it up with you in locker room there in t the steady Stream of news from a do in Touru m who s beating whom. You Don t have a week s series of mulches la labout. Tic whole horizon focuses Down to a pinpoint on the one or two my. Opponents you la be playing. And something reaches inside and squeeze ?88heart when you hear the Umpire Call advantage United states instead a Vantage Ashe " Arthur Ashe jr., . Davis cup Jcj by Ben Abrams staff writer Dwight f. Davis served his coun try in Many ways As director of War finance in the world War i Era a assistant Secretary of War and later Secretary of War As governor general of the Philippines but it was a relatively modest trophy he donated in his under graduate Days at Harvard in 1900 that perpetuates his mime today. Then he was a top american Tennis player a member of the National Cham Pion doubles team. To encourage the growth of the sport he donated a Mas Sive cup to be awarded annually to the Best Amateur Tennis team. The Davis cup now symbolizes a tonal lately australian supremacy in the realm of Amateur Tennis. In the 68years since Davis inaugurated the cup Competition has been held annually except for 1901 1910, world War i years and world War u called Australasia in the Early Days because Australia and new zealand entered combined team the United states great Britain and franc have dominated the Competition Over the years. He Challenge round the finals is always hosted by the defending Cham Pion. To meet the defenders teams must work their Way up through a series of matches divided into six zones in clashes called obviously the champs have a tremendous advantage in that they Don t have to Wear them selves out fighting their Way to the finals for last year s winners the Challenge round is the Only Davis cup play they face. There is another major advantage forthe defenders As they Are hosts they select the courts. And that can be critical. Most ., British and Australia championship courts Are grass this is the fastest surface for the game tailored to big booming volleys to Low skidding serves. Clay is a slower court an grass trained players Are Hurt by it. But in the zonal or tie play the sur face works both ways. Americans aus sies and British jump from Home grass to slow Clay and their game suffers from it. In a curious twist of the rules nations May compete in any of the six squeezes cup tics tripped them lir is in Anu Picans. Names have glittered Over the he biggest included America s ii Lii Australia s Roy Emerson " Tilden my Dwight Davis donor of the cup. Zones they chose in theory a latin nation jumping to a european zone loses key rights As far As picking courts an balls not All Tennis balls Are the Sam but at times the International Lawn ten Nis association has ruled otherwise As in the Case of Brazil which elected to play in a european zone recently. In the tie the . Expected to meet Barziland to pick the site but the Ilta ruled otherwise and the americans were out after going Down 3-2 in mat Dies on Bra Zilian courts. The play is always four single match Sand one doubles two singles the firs Day a doubles the second jul two More singles on the third. Obviously a nation could Field a two Man Tram but most pick a larger group. The Davis cup has always been the most glittering Star in world Tennis play but now that other traditional event such As Wimbledon have opened the Way for pros to play alongside the More or less amateurs its supremacy is bound to become enhanced. The biggest Shock in the ancient series came when the United states failed for the third straight year tomake it to the 1967 Challenge round. Ecuador which never before had in Australia s Roy Emerson compiled glittering 15-3 record. Norman Brookes left and Tony Wilding a fuming Point in the gome. Page 14 the stars and stripes sunday years Bill. In Loh sum or Bill and Little Bill 11111 is As us . Swept to seven i i Pion ships starting in 1920., in More Pion slip 19 played Challe in mum � the r Avis Cupp Erthe . Won seven 1 while approached s 1,-Ulini Australia to nine showing lost record was a interim a i .1 Sill s and 4-2 in doubles by i Holh Tim years Davis cup play has As he expected for the v Radho Deuce and even lie went on to but had event in Amateur Tennis moments of great drama. One of Rhost and Al a turning Point in the time _ came in 1914. The Challe Geround was being played at Forest Hills by with Norman Brookes of Australia and Tony Wilding of new zealand he challengers. War had just broken the Jeriean Star was Maurice the California Comet . The first outstanding player in America fro Mother than the East coast. Milo Ligham had Hurst on the Tennis scene m 1hjwith a startling new style of play hard smashes and rushes to the net. I upset the establishment and made him America s outstanding Tennis Man. Mcloughlin met Brookes in the Lii game. At the end of 17 games it was 9-8 for the aussie. Then it was 40-Loveand it looked like the Australasia team was set. But then the Comet smashed three straight aces for Lually won the game grab the set 17-15 and to take the last two finally lost the round 3-2. Not before the California come ushered in a new Brand of Tennis. Davis cup play at Wimbledon in 1937 was another High Point in the was meeting Germany in in Ter zonal play with Baron Gottfried Voncram doing teutonic honors. The bar on was an outstanding sportsman magnificent Tennis player and the great est net Man in against him was America s incomparable j. Donald Budge who in 1938, was to be the first Ever to make the m and sweep of the australian French . And British National titles. 1 us 1937 match will live As Long As Tennis matches Are replayed in the club House afterwards big Bill Tilden called the match the finest the world Lias Ever and most viewers Cramm won the first two sets and then Budge fought his Way Back Totake the next two. The volleys rattled like machine gun fire As the lean. Lank redhead and the dark aristocrat battled away. Von Cramm pushed the game score to 4-1 before Budge found the hinge and evened the score. Then in burning slashing fight he edged ahead. But the German would t give the score 7-6 Budge got to match Point five times Only to be fought Backoo Deuce. Then on the sixth match Point Budge slammed one past the Germanor game set and match. Luiere were other moments of drama in Davis cup history some not As much a matter of play on the court As Here was the time in 1954 when austra Lia was Host to the Challenge round for instance. H was the fifth straight trip Down in a or the americans. In 1953 the loss jihad been a 3-2 heart breaker and Amer fun Star Tony Trabert had had some in Kiihul things to say about aussie fans hid aussie officials. But 1954 was another Story. Tony s looming Bat was just too much and the Ujj Nen cans won 3-2. The cup presenta let i was just after the final match and your heart Aithur Ashe it in t like any other tournament. Red Mcloughlin hard smashes and rushes to the net. Bill Tilden More Challenge rounds than anyone some 25,000 fans looked on As Traber got ready to speak. But first they gave him a tremendous out at the Sydney crowd tra Bert said thank you for that. 1 was wondering what you would do. A year ago 1 said some foolish things but 1think 1 can Tell you 1 have Learned from won him a real ovation clearly As much for the Man As for ins game. Arthur Ashe became the Jackie Robinson of Tennis when he ked theolor Barrier and was chosen to the 191.3 Davis cup team but he a laced Only a us a series against Venezuela had been . He was the team again Ziy in hut did t see any action As capias Bob Kelleher stayed with aces Mckin lev and , he did get into the zone com petition against Canada and Mexico m1965, but new Captain George Macrall decided not to use him in the semifinals against s emergence into Davis cup com petition went relatively quietly although. Harcourt Woods chairman of the selection committee was asked if Ash had been picked just to make the negroes stilled All criticism with a terse Ashe was picked on ability not because of the color of his skin while the Ashe transition was rather Serene such has not been the Case m19li8 it demonstrations challenging the sunday August 4, 1968 the stars and stripes eligibility of racially segregated Rhode Sia the european zone match Between Sweden and Rhodesia scheduled Tor Baastad Sweden had to be moved to Paris when More than 1,000 youths Romall Over Sweden demonstrated. The 19b 8 zone eliminations have Al ready begun but whether Australia will be Able to maintain its domination de spite the loss of Emerson and others to the professionals won t be determined until dec. 26-28.the Odds Are that Australia under Brilliant coaching by Harry Lopman once Aquin will prevail. The trophy Wight Filley Davis originated to pro Mot Eood will Between the . An Britain seems to have found a Home Down under. Page 15
