, 1923-08-31
BY HENRY l.. ARIEL
United Press Sports Editor

NEW YORK. Aug. S1.-CUnited
Press).-Australia and the United
States will start today in the new
stadium at Forest Hills the seventh
battle staged between the two coun-
tries for the worlds tennis cham
pionship. as It is represented in the
Davis Cup.
The United States holds the cup.
and Australia, as the survivor of sew.
enteen foreign nations that chal-
lenged 70 rthe cup, meets the Amer
lean team in the challenge round
of four singles and one doubles
matches extending through today.
Saturday and Monday.
Interest in these Davis Cup
matches is not confined to those
who know intimately and those who
closely follow tennis. The Davis Cup
matches are perhaps the classlest In
ternational events OF all sport and.
with the possible exception OF the
American Yacht cup. there is no
sport trophy with so much glorious
prestige behind II and no other tro-
ply in sports is SO thoroughly gym
OOiAS VI NoiAo odpA tAAhtJ va ah
athletic field as the Davis Cup.
Dwight f. Davis. now president of
the United States Lawn Tennis as
ISOLATION, got the idea while he was
one of the ranking stars OF the u
try at Harvard that the sport could
be developed and friendly interna-
tionai relations promoted by a cup
that would be competed for by sew
eral of the big international powers.
When he offered the cup in 1900.
he had no idea that it would be the
means OF developing the sport In
every civilized nation OF the world
and would develop tennis into the
only established international sport
played under standard rules in every
orner of the globe.
For several years competition was
confined to the English speaking
races. but interest was SO developed
by the cup competition hat seven
teen nations challenged this year for
the honor OF playing the team Of
star Americans.
over the stretch Of twenty-three
years since the cup was first played
for. the United States has won 1t six
times. Australia six times and the
British isles five times. None but
English-speaking nations have been
successful in winning the CUP. but
the Japanese and the Belgians have
reached the challenge round and the
French and Italian teams have de-
veloped into strong ~contenders.
The United States came into its
most recent possession of this cup
in 1920, when Bill Tilden. Bill John
son. Dick Williams and Watson
Washburned journeyed TO Auckland
and defeated the Australian team.
Since then. Australia. which has
maintained Its prestige as this second
leading nation on the court with al
most unbroken regularity. has been
forced TO fall back upon young
blood and tho United States with
TIleen and Johnston. the worlds
greatest players, has had an undls-
putcd reign Of superiority.
With both Ti.den and Johnston
Playing in the most brilliant form
and with the most capable assistants
the United States again is a big IA
vorite to successfully defend the cup.
Australia will have to depend up
on Jim Anderson and Jack Hawkes.
10 carry the heaviest load of the
team and even though they are ex.
peiienced and capable players. It is
f.,rdly within their game to do much
with the American defenders.
Last year. when the two teams
met in the challenge round. the
stands at Forist Wills were not big
enough to accommodate the crowds
that wanted TO Gee the matches.
Since then the West Side Tennis club
has erected 0 concrete stadium TO
seat $4,000 spectators at the expense
OF s250.000. Advance seat sales, In
dicate that tho stadium will be
packed,
1t is an ideal stadium for tennis.
Every seat in the stands command
a most excellent view OF the courts
and everything has been done to pro.
vide comfort fo- 10th tho spectators
and the players.
The courts were uted for the first
timo in tho team matches between
! the British and American woman
for the W.ghtman trophy