Evening star., 1952-01-21

May Become Problem
For U. 5. Cup Team |
By the Assoeiafed Press
NEW YORK, Jan. 2l.-An in-I
triguing situation will Develop
when the United States Davis cupI,
team Is selected next year If Frank
Shields still is captain and Dick |
Savitt remains one Of the Nations
top players.
Speculation on that possibility
was making the rounds among
tennis ofiicials today as delegatesl
to the annual United States Lawn
Tennis Associations annual meet
ing scattered to the four cornersI
on the country. i
Shields unprece edented blast atl
Savitt one .of the country's best
players, whom the captain ac-
cused of bringing s.discredit to thel
entire game Of tennis" at the Sat-
urday meeting. brought a prompt
reply from Dick, who is defending
his Australian championship inl
Adelaide.
I thought Frank was a pretty
good CAPTAIN. !" said Savitt. OBJ
viously upset BY Shields remarks.
II was . bit disappointed at not
being named to the team, but II
did not think he thought all the
things he said. I don't think II
ever have been q detriment to
tennis"
Shields Blasts Savitt.
When Savitt's name came up|
for discussion as the No. player
in the country. Shields rose be-
fore the gathering and said:
II would not like to see Savitt
ranked No. l. I have been with
him the last three months. and
never did he look like America s.
top player. Furthermore, I think
that his sounding off after the
Davis Cup matches has brought
discredit to the entire game Of
tennis"
That undoubtedly cooked Saw
tits goose as far as the No. /
ranking was concerned.
In Australia Savitt said he felt
the newspapers had built up his
sounding off," Asked about not
looking like a champion. he said:
II don't know how a champion Is
supposed to look"
The entire affair was touched
of when Savitt. annoyed at being
left on the team that lost to Aus
tralia, said he thought a IDEAL"
had been worked out whereby Ted
Schroeder was assured place on
the team. Shields has denied the
charge.
Aussie Captain Backs Dick.
The net result was that Vic
Seixas of Philadelphia was given
the No. l ranking. with Savitt
No. 2 and Tony Trabert Of Gin
cinnati No. 8.
Meanwhile. in Melbourne. Aus
sic Cup Capt. Harry Hopman got
into the argument in favor of
Savitt. a.
Hopman, a tennis writer for
the Melbourne Herald, wrote
that the reasons advanced by
Shields against a No. ranking
for Savitt are weak, He wrote:
/ eff he wished to do so, Savitt
could point finger at Shields
land say he Is the main reason
why ! did not play at my top
form during the three months he
mentions
Figures to Improve Play.
| From the moment the Ameri-
can team arrived in Sydney,
Shields ordered Jack Kramer to
direct training schedule of rum
ming, callSthenlcS and skipping
which was quite foreign to the
preparation and training Savitt
had followed to achieve his
Wimbledon and Australian titles.
"Savitt objected but was told to
continue or else Kramer himself
was crippled from it.''
Savitt is essential for Davis Cup
competition. He should get better
before he gets worse and the rec
lord shows he has beaten Frank
ISedgman, Australian ace.
What Shields will do is any,
ones guess. Perhaps by the time
this years cup team is selected,
he will have made up with Savitt.
There also is a possibility that
Shields won't get the job again,
or if he is offered it, will turn it
down.
/ Whatever happens, it's a job
with enough headaches to last
the rest Of the year.