Evening star., 1951-12-14
|DoubIesShowiinq
|Disappoiints U. 5.
Despite Victory
Trobert- Schroeder
Team Shows Little
To Frighten Aussies
By the Associated Pres.

14.-Lennart Bergelin failed his
Swedish tennis teammates badly
again today as Ted Schroeder and
Tony Trabert won the doubles and
lclinched the Davis Cup interzone
finals for America.
The player who was supposed
to be his couhtry's ace collapsed
almost completely after good
start, enabling Ted and Tony to
come FROM behind and triumph
easily. 10-12. 60. 6-3, 60.
Sven Davidson, Bergelin's S youth
full partner. put up a spirited bat
tie all the way. but the load was
too much for one man to carry.
Bergelin's foldup was big dis
appointment to the crowd Of 5000
which had hoped at least to wit
ness a good doubles match after
yesterdays one-sided singles.
Slump Unexplained.
There was no valid explana-
tion for Bergelin's abject failure
to play his game. His teammates
were extremely unhappy about it.
IF there had been two David
sons out there today. we might
have had a Swedish victory, /"
Frank Shields. captain of the
American team. said.
The first set. which required Al
minutes, was marked by failure
of the American pair to play any,
thing like their best tennis. The
next three sets, which took only
AZ minutes. were distinguished by
Bergelin's failure to hold his serv-
ice in five straight tries.
Despite the one-sided scores in
the last three sets, Schroeder and
Trabert didn't show enough to
alarm the Australians about the
doubles outcome in the challenge
round at Sydney December 1928.
The Aussies' two stars, Frank
Sedgman and Ken McGregor,
might beat them in straight sets
on today'S form.
Schroeder Loses Edge.
Overnight. the veteran Schroe-
der lost the keen edge which cut
Bergelin to pieces yesterday and
had the Australians raving about
him. His. service was much less
severe and it was only toward the
end Of the match that his service
returns began dipping low over
the net and catching the Swedes
coming in.
Ted dropped his service twice,
once in the 21st game of the long
first set and again in the fifth
game of the third set when the
Swedes temporarily pulled even at
3-3.
Talbert played his usual steady
doubles game and got progressively
better after the first set, but the
American team needs Schroeder
at his brilliant best to be a threat
to the Aussies.
Schroeder's fluctuating form
promises to pose a real problem
for Shields after the team flies
back to Sydney Sunday and re-
news practice for the challenge
round.
Seixas Still May Play.
Shields was keenly disappointed
that Bergelin played no better
than he did in yesterdays singles
$50 that Schroeder might have had
the benefit of a tough match un-
der his belt.
There remains the possibility
that Vic Seixas will be moved
into the doubles post after today's
dull showing of the supposedly
"all set" pair.
w iOlI flCOOiy dllCdQy QCClQCO,
tomorrow's concluding singles will
supply a dismal climax to the
sided series here. Shields
said he would stick with Schroeder
and Trabert while Gunnar Calm,
the Swedish captain, said he
hadn't decided, but might change
his lineup.
The Australian sselectors have
named Sedgman, McGregor. Mer-
vyn Rose and Ian Ayre as the
Australian team to meet. the
American challenge in Sydney.
Harry Hopman is their non-play-
ing captain.
The American team will be an
lnounced formally tomorrow or
Sunday. 1t almost certainly will
be Schroeder, Trabert, Seixas and
Dick Savitt.