New-York tribune., 1920-01-17
By Fred Hawthorne

The result of the opening day of
play in the challenge round of the
historic matches for the international
trophy donated by Dwight F. Davis,
indicates that Australasia, the cham
pion nation. may not have the easy
time in defending the cup that many
followers of the game have been ex-
pecting. Australia's greatest hope now,
in my opinion, lies in the doubles, in
which either Norman Brooks and Pat
terson, American national doubles
V. Thomas, worlds schampions, will
oppose the British pair, and either
Antipodean team should win, judged
by the records of previous play.
From the fact that no mention Is
made of Brookes in the brief cable
report from Sydney. it may be that
the great Victorian is not playing. in
success will almost certainly have to
depend upon the doubles, for the vet
eran Lowe should take the measure Of
young Anderson in the singles. 1t is
entirely within the range of posi-
bility, too, that Colonel Kingscote may
triumph over the sensational Patter-
son, particularly if the latter has one
OIL MS eTTat1c days.
Lowe Cup Veteran
Patterson's victory over Lowe in the
first match comes as no surprise, for
Lowe, never a player of the first rank
in international competition, has been
competing on Davis Cup teams since
1911. In that year he was defeated
by both William A. Larned and Maurice
f. Mclaughlin in the final round of
the matches. In 1914, at Longwood. in
the final round, Lowe was vanquished
by the late Anthony F. Wilding in the
singles.
Anderson is taking part in his first
Davis Cup matches this year, and
am unaquainted with his previous rec
ord on the courts. He is evidently one
Of the coming generation of Australian
tennis players, and probably lack of
tournament experience told heavily
against him when he faced the deft
master Kingscote, who proved his
worth at Wimbledon last June, in the
all-England championship.
The matches yesterday were played
before a crowd of about 5000 persons
on the famous Double Bay courts. with
the temperature at more than 100 de-
grees. Patterson was apparently in
rare form against Lowe. using his ter
rific service to the fullest advantage.
and storming the net for sessions of
furious smashing and sharp volleying
Lowe, as | saw him play at Long
wood in 1914, is of the typical English
school. Essentially baseline player,
he relies more upon accuracy of place
ment and tricking his opponent into
errors than on speed and hard hitting.
Patterson placed much reliance yester-
day, according to the cabled reports.
upon cut stroke, and this bothered
Lowe considerably, for he was forced
IL trpy Ls- IL
He must have had all his shots work
ing beautifully in the third set, which
he won at GO, or else Patterson "let
down in this period preparatory to
making whirlwind finish.
Kingscote Has Improved
1t is not so easy to comment. upon
the kingscote-Anderson match, for
neither has ever been seen in action in
this country. Of Kingscote, we know
that he has improved distinctly in the
last five years, in spite of his arduops
war service in France. His work at
Wimbledon stamped him as Of genuine
international caliber, for he defeated
several of the best players in England
and one or two men from this country
on his way to the final round.
When Brookes and Patterson were
in this country last summer, the former
told me that he expected to play or
the defending Australian team, and i
will surprise me if he does not take
the courts in the doubles at least.
may be that, having already lost one
Of the singles matches, Australia will
call upon Brookes to take Anderson.
place in the match against Lowe, ane
dispense with his services in tn,
doubles, where Wood and Thomas ar,
considered almost, if not quite, tn,
equal of the team that captured ou
own national doubles title last August
Taking everything into consideration
l believe that the Davis cup will re
main in Australia this year, whicl
means that this country will send
team to Australia next fall.