Evening star., 1952-01-25

Dick Sayitt Fails
In Bid 10 Retain
.AussiieCroWn.
Defeat by MeGregor
Ends Chunce to Prove
Cup Choices Wrong
By the Assoeiafed Press

pionship failed today. The bic
American from Orange. N. j..
waged a valiant but losing semi
final battle before Australia's Ken
McGregor. He was beaten, Ga
Ga, SIS, Ga.
Thus died Savitt's hopes OF
meeting Frank Sedgman, the
Aussie's No. / player, in the finals
Monday. Dick wanted a chance
to demonstrate that a mistake
had been made in leaving him of
the American team in the Davis
Cup challenge round.
Sedgman had little trouble
reaching the final. He showed
his best form of the tournament
in taking only SO minutes to druh
his countryman, Southpaw Mervyu
Rose, 60, Ga, GO.
AuSsies Take Doubles, Too.
Sedgman and McGregor COM
|pleted a victorious day for the
Aussies by trouncing Savitt and
young Hamilton Richardson of
Baton Rouge, La, 60. in the fifth
and deciding set of their post
poned semifnal doubles match
This averted one of the greatest
doubles upsets of this or any other
season.
The doubles match had been
called because of darkness yester-
day after each side had won two
sets. The final score for the Aus
sizes was 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3
l6-2.
The two semifinal singles and
the postponed doubles set were
played on a center court made
heavy by a thunderstorm last
night. The storm ended Adelaide &
heat wave and dropped the tenn
Eperature 80 degrees to IS.
The soft court appeared to up
Iset Savitt's driving game more
than the volleying play Of Nc
Gregor. The latter. defeated by
Savitt in their last three meet
Iings. beat the American to the net
|even on Savitt's service. On sew
Ieral occasions, Dick failed to get
up to the ball which rose only a
few inches from the soft turf.
Shower Interrupts Play.
After losing the first two sets,
Savitt rallied to take the third
and appeared on the way to squar-
ing the match when he took a 3-2
lead in the fourth set.
At this point, a short heavy
shower occurred and Savitt re-
quested that play be halted. Nc
Gregor seemed to want to go on.
Referee Frank Piper went on
the court, but apparently was un-
able to settle the issue.
The rain stopped after a few
minutes and the crowd of more
than 5000, the majority sitting
in open stands, called, Come on.
play Savitt."
Savitt sat on a linesman's chair
on the sidelines. Sir Norman
Brookes, president of the Aus
tralian Lawn Tennis Association.
spoke to him, but still play did
not resume. Then Savitt talked
to Richardson, took off his
sweater and went back on the
court.
The crowd cheered as play re-
sumed after a delay of 13 min
utes.
During the delay, McGregor had
put on a pair of spiked shoes and
played in them thereafter.
McGregor tied the set at 3-3 on
Savitt's errors after the game
twice went to deuce. The Aussie
then held his service to go ahead,
4-3.
Savitt Stages Rally.
McGregor broke Savitt's service
to make it 5-3 and took a 400
lead in the ninth game.
Then, faced with three match
points, Savitt drew cheers from the
crowd with a great rally to win
the game. He got one point on a
net by McGregor, the second with
an accurate placement, the third
and fourth with passing shots and
the winner on another net by
McGregor.
But once again, Savitt failed on
his own service. Fortune favored
McGregor as he again took a 400
lead, two of the points coming on
balls that hit the netcord and
toppled on Savitt's side of the
court.
Savitt. again faced with three
match. points, smiled, picked up
his towel and tossed it on the
court. The crowd cheered him for
joking about his hard luck with
the netcords.
Savitt got one point back on an
out by McGregor, but the Aussie
finally ended the match with q
clean passing shot.
After q 40-minute wait the post
poned doubles set started. The
American pair. behind Sayitt's
service, won the first game at love,
but the AuSSies tied it on Sedg-
mans service and went ahead
when Richardson footfaulted twice
in the next game.
Sedgman and McGregor now
will play Rose and Don Candy for
the doubles title tomorrow.