Evening star., 1947-09-01
Singles Triumph Rated
Beyond Title Seekers;
Final Matches Today
By Austin Bsolmeor
Asseeioted Press Sports Writer

Associofed Press Sporfs Writer
FOREST HILLS, N. Y, Sept. L.
Davis Cup tennis teams of the
United States and Australia came
down to the wire today. battling in
the last two singles matches of the
1947 challenge round, with the issue
still officially in doubt.
Unoficially, however, there were
few, if any, who gave the courageous
Aussies the slightest chance of du-
plicating their feat of 1899, when
they came off the floor to win 80
decision at Philadelphia after drop
ping the first two singles tests.
John Bromwich, one of the heroes
of the 1899 comeback, and Colin
Long, a newcomer to Davis Cup
competition, kept Australias slim
hopes alive yesterday when they
stopped Jack Kramer and Ted
Schroeder, Ga, 2-6, 60, Ga, in
the only doubles contest of the
series.
This turn of events, unexpected
in some quarters, prevented SO
route, such as the Aussies suffered
at the hand of Kramer, Schroeder
and Garnar Mulloy at Melbourne
last year and set the stage for a re-
peat performance of the 1899 rally.
Schroeder in First Tilt.
The first crack at the clincher
today falls to Schroeder, who
tangles with Dinny Pals, the Aus
tralian champion, in the initial
singles match at 2:15 pm.
Should Pals succeed in conquer
ing the No. American and thus
square the series, the defense of the
big silver bowl will rest finally on
the broad shoulders of Kramer, who
meets Bromwich in the windup.
Off their showing in the opening
singles battles, both Australians en-
tered today's competition as under
dogs. Pals was humbled by Kramer,
60, 6-1, 60, on Saturday, while
Bromwich went down before
Schroeder Ga, 81, 6-3, ga.
But in 1899 Bromwich and Adrian
Quist had bowed to Bobby Riggs and
Frankie Parker in the first two
singles matches. Then they turned
back Kramer and the late Joe Hunt
in doubles to trail, 1-2, the same as
they do at the moment.
And after Quist had upset Riggs
in five sets to square that prewar
series, Bromwich crushed Parker in
a straight-set clincher that saw the
American capture only four games.
Bromwich at Peak.
Bromwich, recognized as one of
the worlds finest doubles players,
seldom has been better than yester-
day and Long brought his game to
an unexpected peak as they whipped
the United States national doubles
champions before some 5000 fans
at the West Side Tennis Club.
Although they form the best COM
bination this country has to offer.
Kramer and Schroeder never
achieved the methodical teamwork
which carried their opponents
through when the pressure was on.
The Aussies broke through Kram-
er's usually reliable service three
times in the match and it was this
maneuver that gave them the ad-
vantage they needed in each of the
three sets they won. The Americans
cracked the Australians delivery
twice, both times in the second set
The challengers scored 43 place
ments during the match, compared
to 26 for the Americans, and these,
coupled with the fact that Kramer
and Schroeder netted the ball 80
times, told the story.
Alrick H. Man, jr., nonplaying
captain of the American team, said
later he had no regrets for having
picked Kramer and Schroeder for
the doubles instead of his other
combination of Mulloy and Parker
After ALL" he declared, "if We
can't beat 'em with our national
champions, we can't beat 'em at all" i"