Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-01-14
IS Players Challenge
u. 5. Tennis Team
To Charity Match
BY The Assoeiased Press

BY The Assoeioied Press
ST. PETERSBURG. Fla, Jan.
IA. - The Florida Lawn Tennis
Association hopes to get more big
name stars in Florida tournaments
through relaxation Of rules ON
paying players expenses.
The United States Lawn Tennis
Association has a rule that q
player can't get expenses for more
than eight tournaments in a
year. The Florida group says that
keeps many top players from
entering events in this State be-
cause they use up their quota in
bigger Northern Journeys.
So the Florida association passed
a resolution at its annual meet
ing yesterday asking the USLTA
to abolish the eight-tournament
expense limit.
Davis Cup Team Challenged.
Meanwhile, the Davis Cup cap
tain. Frank Shields. came in for
some sharp criticism from five of
the Nations ranking players.
They said in a statement here
yesterday that there was obvious
prejudice shown in determining
the policies and personnel Of this
country's Davis Cup team" and
offered to meet the team which
recently lost the challenge round
to Australia anywhere, any time"
in a match for charity.
The challenge was issued by
Bulge Patty, Gardnar Mulloy,
Dick Savitt, Herbie Flam and Bill
Talbert. It was made in a state
ment issued through the Univer-
sity Of Miami tennis coach, Will
liam c. Lufler.
F The statement said the players
resented especially the fact that
Ted Schroeder docs not partici-
pate in the designated major
tournaments or the national cham
pionships, yet receives a high ma
tional ranking and a choice Davis
Cup berth from the bigwigs of the
United States Lawn Tennis ASso-
ciation."
Bitterness Caused.
ION the basis of the favoritism
shown and the unfairness of using
Schroeder" the statement says,
bitterness has been caused among
the ranking players because it
has seemed well-nigh impossible
to earn the right to represent the
United States in Davis Cup play"
The statement said Schroeder,
in the past two years, played no
tournaments. on grass, "yet he,
surprisingly enough, has been, the
Davis Cup choice. singles and
doubles, both of these years and
also received high national rank
ing. incidentally, Schroeder has
failed in five of his last six Davis
Cup assignments"
Savitt was a member Of the 1851
Davis Cup team. but was not
called on to play. Tennis followers
point out he defeated Frank Sedg-
man the only time the two met.
Patty, 1850 Wimbledon cham
pion, was named to the Davis Cup
squad but suffered an ankle in
jury before the challenge round
and was replaced.
Schroeder defeated Mervyn Rose
m the challenge round but lost to
Sedgman, the Australian ace. Ted
teamed with Tony Trabert in the
doubles and they lost to Sedgman
and Ken McGregor.
Three Arguments Likely.
At least three good arguments
are expected to highlight the
United States Lawn Tennis Asso-
citation meeting in New York Sat-
urday.
Relaxing of the amateur rules
is expected to claim much of the
delegates attention, but there
also will be considerable discus
sion on the national rankings and
the dates of the national grass
courts championships this sum-
mer.
Many delegates think the anna
teur rule should be relaxed to
permit the United States to COM
pete on even terms with other
nations, especially Australia, which
permits amateurs to work for
tennis companies and accept gifts.
The national rankings, made up
before the Davis Cup matches, had
Trabert first, Vic Seixas second
and Savitt third. These could
be changed, since they were ten
tative.
On the matter of the national
grass courts championships, the
California association wants the
schedule to remain the same, with
the final falling on Labor Day.
Others favor setting it back to the
Sunday after. Labor Day. which