Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-29

v YICTIM of one of the crueleSt
miSfortuneS any nation has
" suffered in tennis, Germany
enters the Davis Cup
matches for 1880 with her strength
reduced almost in half by the
tragic death of Hans Wolden-
hauer.
An automobile accident cut
short the brilliant tennis career OF
this popular young player, one OF
the two best racket wielderS in his
country.
1t was the splendid play of Modem
hauer and Dr. Daniel Prem that made
Germany the sensation of the inter-
national matches last year, when she
fought her way through the European
zone to a meeting with the United
States in the interzone match. The
pair defeated Spain. to 2; Italy, to 2;
CzechoSlovakia, TO !, and England,
3 to 2. No nation had q better record
in the preliminary play.
The loss of Moldenhauer, who had
his best years of tennis ahead, was the
more deplorable because Germany was
just beginning to regain her old place
Is one Of the leading nations in the cup
classics. Otto FroitZheim and Otto
Kreuzer were two of the head liners be-
fore the war, and in 1914 they repre-
sented Germany against Australia In
the semi-finalS of the international
matches at Pittsburgh.
Barred Following War.
Following the war Germany was
barred from Davis Cup play. and 1t was
not until a few years ago that the In
ternational Federation readmitted her.
BY that time Froitzheim and KreuZer
had passed out of the picture as first
flight players, and q new generation
was coming up.
visited Germany in 1926, and was
greatly impressed by the number Of ex-
Cellent young players being developed.
predicted then that in q few years
the Germans would make trouble for
any team In the world.
was not far wrong, as play last
year showed, and IL Moldenhauer had
not been killed / believe Germany
might not only come through the
European zone again this year, but that
she might even reach the challenge
round.
But despite the loss of the popular
Moldenhauer, Germany will be no set
up. In Prem she has a player good
Cochet and LacoSte, and there is large
group of other excellent players from
whom a second singles entry can be
selected, though none of them, of course,
has shown himself so far to be as good
as Moldenhauer was.
These players include Dr. Heinz Land
mann, who impressed me on my visit to
Berlin; DR.. w. Dessert, DR.. p. Buss, F.
Frenz, DR.. Heinrich KleinSchroth and
j. Kuhlmann. These players rank in
about the order named, with Froitzheim
just above them. do not believe
Froitzhein will play any more Davis
Cup tennis. He has seen his best days
on the courts, and Germany would be
wise to use her younger players so they
may gain valuable experience for the
future.
Doubles Also Problem.
The problem of Germany this year is
not only to pick a second singles player,
but also to match a strong doubles
team, for Prem and Moldenhauer
shouldered the entire burden of the play
last year. DR.. Landmann seems likely to
get the call in singles, and it would not
be surprising If he also paired with
Prem in the doubles.
Unfortunately for Germany she was
drawn against England in the very first
round. England appears to be as tough
q nut as there is to be cracked In the
European zone, and it probably will be
too much OF an assignment for Ger
many to beat her before Germany's
new players have had the chance to
gain confidence and experience in pre-
liminary test
But there is nothing certain in tennis,
and 1t may be that Landmann, or Who
ever is the successor of Moldenhauer,
will rise to the occasion and give Eng
land more trouble than she is bargain
ing for.
Prem can definitely be counted on to
make a strong bid for his two singles,
and If a suitable partner can be found
for him in the doubles Germany can
prove dangerous, regardless of how her
second singles player fares.
Next-Italy
(CopyriEtt. 1880, by North American News