Davis Cup: Finals

Everyone agreed that Jack Crawford could be counted on to win his two singles matches for Australia, that Lott & Stoefen would win the doubles for the U. S. That left the issue of the Davis Cup interzone finals squarely up to Australia's Vivian McGrath (pronounced McGraw), the extraordinary 18-year-old who hits backhand shots with both hands and has, at one time or other, beaten most of the world's best players. If McGrath could win one of his two singles, against Sidney Wood or Frank Shields, Australia was almost certain of playing England in the challenge round. But the chances of his doing so seemed so slim that odds favored the U. S. 3-to-1 for the series.

After Shields, playing wobbly tennis, had lost to Crawford, 6-1, 6-2, 12-10, McGrath and Wood walked out on Wimbledon's centre court last week. McGrath, brushing his awkward backhand into the corners of Wood's court, took the first two sets, 7-5, 6-4. Wood stopped smiling, spit out his chewing gum and ran off the third, 6-1. After the ten-minute rest, he still seemed the more confident of the two. When he led at 5-2, it looked as if he had the match well in hand. Then a footfault judge called a point against Wood. Upset, he double-faulted at game point. He played carelessly and lost another game on McGrath's service. His confidence by now completely shaken, he dropped his own serve to make the score 5-all. Both men won their serves until the score was 7-8 on Wood's. Again a footfault judge surprised him when the score was deuce. This time Wood drove out and McGrath had set & match, 9-7.

Odds promptly changed to 6-to-1 in favor of Australia. In the locker room a spectator called to George Lott: "It's up to you to get in there and win!" Said Lott: "Yes, but what's the use?" True to form, Lott and towering Lester Stoefen two days later smashed through Crawford and Adrian Quist, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. The fact that Crawford played poorly gave the U. S. team a glimmer of hope that they might still reach the challenge round against England this week.

That hope seemed brighter when Crawford lost the first set of his singles match to Wood, 6-3, after rain had driven them off the court in mid-set. Crawford was leading 7-6 in the second set when rain again forced them to shelter. Back on the court again, Wood slammed home three games in succession to win 9-7. Playing brilliant tennis, the slim, grinning 22-year-old U. S. contender was swinging into his serve in the third set when a new downpour postponed the match until the next day.

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