The daily independent., 1937-06-02
Dietrich Pitched NoIit And Noun Game Against Browns
BY JACK CUDDY

HlOSG amazing LAWS Cup IOulS Ill
history over Au tralia.
On the basis of returns from
those weekend matches at Forest
Hills, you'll find plenty of tennis
followers ready TO award Uncle
Sam the historiC court SilverWare
right noW-reaGy to insist that
the Americans can beat the Eu-
ropean zone winner and march on
to take the defending cup holder,
England, in stride.
But I think these foregone con-
clusions are a bit preSumptious
and that they emphasize the great
American Weakne in time of VIC
tory. That weakness is simply this
business of shouting, They pay
off on the Score-don't they -
and never analyzing how the score
was made.
Sure, we beat Australia five
matches to none in the North
American zone finals. The lads
from down under" won only one
set. And those Australians had
been Us faVoriteS a couple OF
weeks ago to Wallop our imposed
ly lack-luStre Davis CupperS. We
gave the AuSSieS their worst Cup
defeat since 1924 when they won
only one set in the doubleJ Of the
challenge round against the U. S.
But, before our young men in
white flannelS and shorts sail for
Europe Saturday on the Colum-
bus. let us place our feet sQuarely
on the greeSWard. Let Il, inquire.
exactly what happened out there
at the West Side Tennis club" -
regardless of the score. And in
making this inquiry, l do not wish
to Whittle away one bit Of the
glory that may halo MesSr5. Don
aid Bulge and Gene Mako, who
were baWled out for being late for
practice. nor from BitSy Grant,
about whom they tell such funny
stories.
When the Australian team in
vaded our continent and knocked
off Mexico in the opening tie, 1t
was hailed as one Of the strong
ct aggregationS from the Anti
podeS since the days of Norman
Brooks and Tony Wilding. And
maybe it was. But illness and in
jury sapped their strength. Injur-
les cot the services of Adrian
QuiSt. the agile little man who
might have done so much. Illness
weakened Vivian McGrath, the
two listed back hand sWinger who
might have replaced Quist. And
Jack Crawford, the man who ruled
the worlds courts in 1888. faded
,uddenly as a top flight player be-
cause of age or condition.
AS a result, young John Brom-
wich - the tWo-fisted forchand
performer was drafted to replace
Quist at singles. And this was 49,
year-old John first important
start in international competition.
BitSy Grant beat him in straight
sets in the opening singles and he
managed to hold Don Bulge to
four sets Sunday VIXEN it dion !
matter. Meanwhile, Crawford lost
in .traight sets to Bulge in the
Cpening singles. And when CraW-
ford and the ailing MCGrath at
tempted the doubles, they were
dOWned in straight sets by Bulge
and Mako. In the wind-up singles
match. Crawford lost to Grant in
straight 1etS.
1t was a notable triumph for
the Star-Spangled forces, indeed,
and on this basis the young men
will sail for Europe Saturday hail
ed by many a virtually certain Of
recapturing the Davis Cup which
we haven't possessed since 1927
when Frances Three MuSketeers' 3
lifted it from us.
In Europe our young men must
first meet the European Zcne
Winner-Which is expected to be
Germany. And if it is Germany
with big blond Baron Gottfrid
Won Cramm and Heiner Henkel
doing singles and dOubleS-our
young men may run into uneX-
pected difficulties. Because our
best informed tennis authorities
regard Won Cramm as the world S
outstanding singles player-Since
Fred Perry deserted the English
team and turned pro. Moreover,
Herr Henkel is a man who can
rise to an occasion. And they are
a brilliant tandem at doubles. I
mean. you just can't take it for
granted that the American team
can beat those Germans. In fact
some of our foremost tennisers
claim it's an even bet that they
will not.
If the Americans beat Germany
they still must down England in
the challenge round. And Eng
land, even without the great Fred
Perry, cannot be laughed down as
easily as most tennis followers are
doing. The BritOnS still have
Bunny Austin in singles. And
Bunny is one of the greatest
money" players in international
competition. Moreover, it seems
to me that Pat Hughes and Cyril
Tuckey won the doubles at VIM
bledon in 1886. You Just can't
Il.