New-York tribune., 1920-11-14
Australasians
Still i'm Doubt
Over Cup Team
BroOkcs and Patterson Only
Players Certain to Face
Americans Next Month
By Fred Hawthorne

By Fred Hawthorne
meet with something of a surprise
when she faces Australasia in the chal-
lenge round of the international lawn
tennis matches for the Davis .up ~
Auckland, New Zealand, next month.
On this side of the world we have
known the personnel Of our team for
weeks. William T. Tiden, I'd, worlds
singles champion, and William NJ. John
ston, national doubles title holder. rem
resent the ve4y best in American ten
mis-; and Watson NJ. Washburn, while
not champion, should prove one Of
the most reliable men in pinch and
tor practice matches with his fellow
players who could have been selected.
Samuel Hardy, who goes with the team
as captain and general guardian
seems the ideal man for the place and
player who is quite capable of jump
ing into the breach in case of necessity
and taking an active part.
Down under," in Australasia, things
have not by any means been so easily
settled as to the final selection of the
defending team. Nothing but physical
disability at the time of the matches
can prevent Brookes and Patterson
from representing Australasia at
Auckland, but the other two places on
the team were still open to question at
a quite recent date.
Two Places Still Open
Pat O'Hara Wood, winner, with R. v
Thomas, of the worlds championship
in doubles last year, and Thomas him
self, are regarded as having the best
chances of making the team, but there
are one or two players who might win
tod w.t.,
tralasian Tennis Association has as yet
given no indication of its ultimat.
choice.
There are SO many possibilities, so
many contingencies, in making up a
successful Davis Cup team that have
no doubt the Australasians will weigh
most carefully every combination that
may be used against the challenging
nation.
1t is in the pairing of .he doubles
players that Brookes (the great Vic
naming Of the team will find his chie1
problem, / fancy. The singles can be
we'll attended to by Brookes, Patterson
and Wood, but the fourth man ma,
prove the pivotal point of the entire
team.
The whole problem. as "Austral," the
Australian tennis critic. sees 1t, lies in
the question as tr whether Brookes
seeks to strengthen his team in the
singles or in the doubles. For the
singles the fourth place would probably
be filled by j. O. Anderson, one of the
younger school, While Thomas would
fit in best as doubles player for il is
felt that he and Wood would be almost
if not quite the equal of Brookes and
Patterson as pair.
Anderson Valuable Man
On the other hand, young Anderson
would prove a very valuable man in the
many practice matches that the Aus
tralasian team will have in prepara
ton for the international matches. He
is known as possessing the most ter
rife forehand drive Of any player in
the Antipodes to-day, and hence should
give his teammates just the practice
they will reed if they are to stand
against Johnston.
Austral mentions J. B. Hawkes.. an
Hawkes. recently defeated Brookes
twice in local interclub tournaments,
but it is not believed that his expert
ence entities him TO liberation as
Davis Cup player yet
"Austral" advances a solution of the
problem himself, although he frankly
admits such q move would be a mis-
take in his estimation. he says:
"Tf one could think that Brookes
could stand the strain Of playing
through the whole three rubbers, sin
giles and doubles, the question would
be ended. OF course. the choice lies
with him, and he Will know best as
to his own stamina. If ne thinks he
can stand the strain there is no doubt
whatever as to his skill. In August of
last year he extended Tilden to the
that was described as the best of the
whole series of the American cham
pionship. He was then certainly not
at his best physically. and should be
better next December, even though he
is older.
Needed in Doubles Also
"His play in the doubles last Janu-
AIRY was quite perfect. and therefore
he is most needed for the doubles; but
there is one aspect of the selection that
deserves consideration, though, per-
sonally, | would decide against it, IT
is this: We have in Thomas and Wood
pair on the same plane as Brookes
and Patterson. They beat them in the
worlds championship last year
"One can't get past that result,
though the general opinion here is
that they could not repeat the perform
ance and are not so strong pair. But
they might be strong enough, Could
we risk them and leaves Brookes free
for the singles, x>ping him out Of
the doubles: nirnt ten beat