Evening star., 1952-12-21
American Hopes Soar
As Trabert Shines in
Final Match With Italy
By the Assoeiated Press

SYDNEY, Australia, Dec. 90
Elated over their SO Shutout of
Italy in the interzone finals, the
United States Davis Cup players
will go to Adelaide tomorrow and
Immediately begin practice for the
challenge round, starting a week
from Monday.
The Americans. completed their
sweep against Italy today when
Tony Trabert and Ham Richard
son chalked up almost identical
four-set victories in the closing
singles matches.
Richardson, the Baton Rouge
GaD youngSter who substituted
for the team captain. Vic Seixas.
defeated the Italian veteran, Ro-
land Del Bello, rs, 6-3, ST,
6-3. Trabert finished with an
impressive 6-3, ST, 6-3 victory
over Fausto Gardini. It was the
lanky Gardini who carried Seixas
to five sets Thursday.
AS a result of Trabert'S per-
formance, Seixas was. sublimely
confident that the Americans will
take the cup home from Australia,
and Australian experts conceded
that he might be right.
Trabert Needs Practice.
The Americans are scheduled to
travel to Adelaide by plane tomor-
row morning and to start getting
acquainted with the grass courts
there in the afternoon. Seixas ex-
planned that Trabert, who is on
leave from the Navy, needs every
minute of practice he can get.
Tony's long absence from COM
petition didn't show today as he
whipped Gardini in a much more
convincing way that SeixaS had
done. The American captain and
local observers agreed that Ira
bert is a more dangerous player
now than he was a year ago,
when he was used only in doubles
in the challenge round against
Australia after playing singles
in the interzone final against
Sweden.
Tremendous Service.
Trabert has a tremendous first
service. He slammed 13 clean aces
past Gardini and the Italian won
only few points off it in four
sets. Tony suffered one lapse in
the second set when that bullet
serve was missing the lines and
Fausto broke him twice to take
the set.
In addition, Tony's beautiful
passing shots down both lines
piled up As placements to the
Italians "a.
AS a result, Trabert has been
made the favorite over Australia's s
No. 2 singles player, whether Ken
McGregor or Mervyn Rose gets the
call. That apparently puts it up
to Frank Sedgman to win two
singles matches if Australia is to
regain the cup, and Sedgman
had better be at his peake when
he faces Tony.
Richardson, who had breeze
against the pudgy Del .Bello, man.
aged to lose the third set by dou-
ble-faulting four straight times.
Otherwise he never was in trouble.
Gardini Pleases Crowd.
Although Trabert's play in every
department was slightly terrific,
it was Gardini who won the affec-
tions of the 5000 spectators. The
Italian youngster must have run
eight miles chasing Trabert'S re-
turns. He put up such a cour-
ageous stand and joined Tony in
SO many spectacular rallies that
the Australians certainly will bring
him back for their championships
at Melbourne after the challenge
round.
He's a colorful character and
will draw many customers, which
is a quality tennis officials love.
Fausto did all this. too, in a
new pair of sneakers which he
didn't like at all.
Somebody swiped his old. COM
Portable pair from the clubhouse
during the night and for a time it
looked as if they might not play
the fifth match. Fausto shouted
he wouldn't hit stroke unless
they were found, but he gave in.