The New York herald., 1922-02-23
ITALY CHALLENGES
FOR TENNIS TROPHY
Joins Field of International
Davis Cup Competitors
for First Time.
by SAMUEL J. BROoKMAN.


Italy. for the frst time in the history
OF international tennis. has challenged
for the Davis cup. There have been
rumors for some time that the Italian
tennis officials contemplated such q
move. and they were substantiated yes
terday when letter written by Beppe
Croce. president of the Federazone
Italiana del Tennis, reached the head
quarters Of the United States Lawn Ten
mis- Association. The challenge is the
fourth of the year, Italy being preceded
by British Isles. France and Czecho-
Slovakia. in the order named
While leading italian cities have had
their organized tennis clubs for many
years the Federazione has never before
been represented in any international
OF Importance outside of the last Olym-
pic event at Antwerp. It's players are
not without considerable experience.
however. for many of them have partici-
pated in tournaments along the Riviera,
which is rendezvous for many of the
best players of Europe every winter
In the matter of tennis Beaulieu, half
way between Nice and Monte Carlo is
the resort most frequented by Italian
players The professional there is
Romeo Acquaone. who had his start as
a ball boy in Nice. but who has de-
veloped into one of the best of the
worlds professional tennis players. At
the Bristol Club last year he won the
open professional tournament without
losing set in a field that included
some of the best players of England
and France. 1t Is only natural to sup
pose that the Italian players developed
by so capable a professional must be
fairly proficient at the game.
Count BaIbi, TitIehoIder.
Perhaps the best known Of the italian
players is Count Balbi, who won the
Beau Site tournament at Cannes last
winter against strong field. He Is the
| present champion of Italy and has to
his credit victory over Walter Lau-
rentz. who rates near the top in France
The announcement Of the personnel of
the italian Davis cup players and their
records will be awaited with interest,
for very little is known of them in this
country.
One of the two players to advance TO
the semi-final round of the Seventh Regi-
ment Tennis Club championship yester-
day was Frederick c. Anderson. title
holder. He managed to defeat George
g. Moore, Jr.. in straight SETS c.,
| ID but was hard pressed to prevent
the match from going into an extra
division OF play. Early in the match
Anderson's deep forcing shots and his
ability to follow them to the net for
some decisive volleying gave him a com
Portable lead, but toward the end he
was netting many of his volleys and
was being passed by Moore's well
directed cross court returns. His SUI
~. oil
ever. In the last two games Anderson
brought or series of placements that
ended tine most spectacular rallies of
/ the match.
/ The second player to reach the semi
! final was Samuel r. McAllister. one OF
the veteran players of the club. who
defeated "A comparative newcomer to
tournament play, L. NJ. Brandt, with the
loss of only one game In each set
Frank Anderson Extended.
In the feature match of the second
round Frank r. Anderson, national in
door champion, experienced unexpected
difficulty in eliminating w. D. Cunning
ham. And derson played his customary
dynamic sort of game, forcing the pace
repeatedly and carrying the attack to
the net but his opponents unshakable
/ steadiness on defense and accuracy In
driving for the openings kept the title
/ holder going at top speed 10 win the
! second set. The score was 6-3. So.
Anderson tired late IN the match ano
! his control grew erratic.
Five other survivors in the tourna-
ment are Arthur S. Cragin. Merritt Cut
/ Ter, Morris y. Clark. Charles NJ. Wood,
Jr, and James d. Ewing.
AZ least two of the first ten in ma
tional rank will compete in the Ber-
muda tennis championship, which starts
March on the courts of the Hamilton
| Hotel They are Vincent Richards. who
rates third and Lawrence B. Rice of
l Newton Centre, Mass. who is ninth
on the American list. Frederick G. An
/ derson, captain of the Seventh Regiment
\ Tennis Club. who rates nineteenth, will
| also make the trip. The women entrants
will be headed by Mrs. Marion Iinder-
stein Jessup OF Wilmington, Del, the
! countrys third best woman player ac-
! cording TO ranking.
ENGLAND and Ireland Teams