The Recovery of the Davis Cup

by WALTER L. PATE

1

LAWN tennis is the most widely played athletic game. At the outbreak of World War II, fifty-one nations were members of the International Lawn Tennis Federation. In normal years, more than twenty-five countries challenge for the Davis Cup. In 1933, thirty-four competed. Within five months after V-J Day, twenty nations challenged Australia for the Cup. That so many gave thought to tennis and the Davis Cup under the grim post-war conditions shows how great the interest in the game is throughout the world.

The winning of the Davis Cup in 1946 by the United States marked the most extraordinary coincidence in the history of sport. In 1914, at the outbreak of World War I, Australasia (Australia and New Zealand) was the challenger, the United States the holding nation. Australasia, represented by Norman Brookes and the late Anthony Wilding, lifted the Cup by defeating Maurice McLoughlin, R. Norris Williams II, and Thomas Bundy, the American team, 3-2. The trophy made the long trek to Melbourne, where it remained in a vault undisturbed until after the war. In 1920 the United States became the challenger and “Big Bill” Tilden and the late “Little Bill” Johnston went “down under” and defeated Brookes and Gerald Patterson 5-0. In 1939 we held the Cup and Australia was again the challenger. The first match was played September 2, the day after Germany invaded Poland to start World War II. Again Australia (with New Zealand no longer included) won by the same score, 3-2, and again the Cup was taken for another long rest in a Melbourne vault. The year after hostilities ceased, Davis Cup competition was resumed; the United States emerged the challenger and in 1946, at the Kooyong Stadium in Melbourne, defeated the Aussies by the same score as in 1920, 5-0. During our preparation for the contest we kept that 1920 score constantly in mind and were determined to duplicate it and to complete the extraordinary cycle of events. If we are to complete the coincidence, we must hold the Cup for six more years, as we did from 1920 through 1926.

Lawn tennis originated in England in the early 1870’s and during the first few years was played mostly from the base line. As a result, the early players developed excellent forehand and backhand drives and little else. That situation prevailed until the late 1880’s, when a young American, Oliver S. Campbell, who had been interested in the game for several years, developed an attack designed to overcome the advantage of the superior ground strokes of his elders. In 1890 Campbell’s revolutionary style brought to him the Championship of the United States and was the beginning of what has come to be known as the “American type” of game. This style of attack is the chief reason why our country has won more International Tennis Championships than any other.

It was this type of game that won the Davis Cup for us in 1946. We lost the Cup in 1939 to Australia because the singles players on our team were essentially baseliners. They had sound ground strokes and excellent control, but they were content to remain in the back of the court, striving to keep the rallies going until their opponents made errors. Not so Kramer and Schroeder of the 1946 team. Harley Malcolm, the well-known Australian critic, described them as “the most aggressive netrushing players the game has ever seen in any team.” Since the start of the competition in 1900 I’ve seen many Davis Cup matches and I agree with him. That the Australians, whom impartial observers had rated as the best team in 1946, could not cope with the speed, aggressiveness, and attack thrown at them, from the first point of the series to the last, is evident from the overwhelming score: 5 matches to 0; 15 sets to 2. To win the Cup the United States team played 4 rounds, scoring 20 matches to 0, 60 sets to 5, 393 games to 185.

No country has ever approached that record in the history of Davis Cup competition. It was the result of deciding early in 1946 on a definite plan of preparation and tactics. The scheme included using Ted Schroeder, if he regained his 1942 form, in both singles and doubles against Australia. We believed we would survive the preliminary rounds against the Philippines, Mexico, New Zealand, and the winner of the European Zone (which turned out to be Sweden) without great difficulty, and that’s the way it happened. But we knew the Australian assignment would be a different matter, and to be successful an unprecedented attack of unrelenting speed and aggressiveness would be necessary. We realized that the physical condition of our players at the time of the test would have to be extraordinarily good to maintain the necessary pace and accuracy in the blistering Australian heat. I doubt if any team of athletes ever played with more attention to physical fitness than did our Davis Cup team of 1946. How well Schroeder succeeded in conditioning himself is told by his loss of weight: on leaving the Navy, in December, 1945, 172 pounds; on arriving at Melbourne, 155; and on December 26, 1946, the day he played Bromwich, 146, his correct weight when in training.

2

MUCH has been said and written about the selection of Schroeder over Parker to play singles, and I am still frequently asked for my reasons. To me the choice was so obvious that I was amazed that it caused such a furor. Parker is essentially a backcourt player, while Schroeder relies on volleying and smashing from the net position. I doubt if today any player in the world can beat John Bromwich from the base line. Besides his uncanny accuracy and fine length, he has several advantages over all other players for playing a back-court game. These advantages save him much running and enable him to reach many balls that others less fortunately equipped would fail to return. In retrieving balls from either end of the base line he has to do less running than any other current player. On the right side, if the ball is near enough, he uses a two-handed grip; if the ball is too far away, he reaches with one hand and plays a conventional forehand drive. On the left he strokes with a forehand drive, as would a “southpaw.” Add to this style of play the advantage in reach enjoyed by a six-footer and the result is that he has to run much less than any opponent using a backhand drive.

All the members of our team who had seen Bromwich play in 1939 rated him an improved player in 1946, principally because of his drive from the left side. In 1939 that stroke was a defensive shot — accurate and steady, but soft and with a high trajectory. It is now an attacking weapon; flattened out and hit hard, it is perhaps his best shot. It was the opinion of our squad that he could not be beaten by steadiness — not even by Parker’s superb accuracy. We remembered the 1939 Challenge Round at Philadelphia. The score was tied at two all, with only the Parker-Bromwich match remaining to decide the winner. The stage was set for a truly great struggle, but Parker was overwhelmed — 6-0, 6-3, 6-1 — in an uninteresting match consisting chiefly of long-drawn-out rallies from the base lines, during which at all times it was evident that the Cup was lost because Bromwich could outParker Parker.

In 1942 at Forest Hills in the final round of our Championship, Schroeder defeated Parker for the National crown and a few weeks later was in the Navy. During his period of service — over three years — he played no tennis, and when he doffed his uniform in January, 1946, he was twenty-five pounds overweight, was married, had a son and no job. At that time, we had just begun to formulate plans for the 1946 Davis Cup competition, Ted was a great player in 1942 both in singles and doubles. He and Kramer were our doubles champions in 1940 and 1941. If he played as he did in those years, our chances of success would be bright indeed. In January, while he was still in uniform, I discussed the matter with him. He reluctantly asked not to be considered, because he had to get to work to support his family.

No employer was likely to give a new man a two months’ leave to play tennis in Australia or anywhere else. Furthermore, he would not be able to devote enough time to the practice and competition necessary to regain his form and physical condition. So the matter rested for several months, during which time he found a job — fortunately with a Los Angeles firm — and in the late afternoons and on week-ends he played regularly at the Los Angeles Tennis Club, whose membership bristles with fine players, the great Don Budge among them. Soon his touch started to come back and his weight began to drop. Although Budge is now a professional, he worked with Ted regularly and without compensation. Nothing can help a tennis player so much as playing against and receiving instruction from Don Budge, and it is fortunate that his invaluable services are always available to help our Davis Cup teams.

Then late in the summer the good news came. Ted’s employer not only gave him leave for the Australian trip, but urged him to go. And when Mrs. Schroeder joined in the urging, Ted capitulated. Although he had had little tournament play and could not come East for the Championship, I was confident that with a full month of intensive practice and training in Australia before the matches, he would make the grade. My confidence was strengthened by Schroeder’s defeat of Parker in the semifinals of the Pacific Southwest Championship two weeks after the National Championship.

Before the deadline came to name our singles players for the Cup matches, it was necessary to consider all these matters, together with Parker’s defeat by Tom Brown at Forest Hills, and the fact that Schroeder is a great match player with an aggressive attacking game. No important decision was reached until the matter involved had been discussed at length at a powwow in which the players took part. The vote in this case was 6 to 1. Ted justified our decision by beating Bromwich in a truly great match, during which he kept the pressure on his opponent at all times except during the fourth set, which he used as a breather after getting off to a bad start. The stroke analysis of the match tells the story better than words, Schroeder’s placements and aces totaled 55, Bromwich’s 27. Nearly all of Schroeder’s were volleys and smashes, and most of Bromwich’s were passing shots from deep court. While the Australian made fewer errors, his steadiness could not overcome that 2 to 1 margin in earned points. Once more the “American type” of game prevailed. I am sorry that Ollie Campbell wasn’t there to see his methods triumph.

3

THE team was built around Jack Kramer, our 1946 champion; and, as we anticipated, he was magnificent. Playing better than ever before, he won each of his three matches without the loss of a set and established himself as the world’s No. 1 player. In my opinion the game he played against the Aussies would defeat any player of recent years. We should have to go back to the Budge of 1937 and 1938 to find his master.

Of the other four players who made the trip, Gardnar Mulloy was outstanding. At thirty-two he played the best tennis of his career and was very helpful in building up the morale of his teammates. Each Davis Cup contest consists of four singles matches and one doubles match. The country winning three of the five matches is the victor. Only four players may be named by each side. Two of them must be nominated to play all four singles contests and no substitution may be made except in case of incapacity or until one side has won three matches. Any two may play the doubles match. Consequently, two, three, or four players may be used to play all five matches.

The four players selected were Kramer, Schroeder, Parker, and Mulloy. Kramer and Schroeder were chosen to play all five matches. However, with the winning of both singles on the opening day and the doubles on the following, the Cup was won, and that made it possible for the captains to make substitutions for the remaining singles matches. As there was intense interest in the Kramer-Bromwich contest, no substitution was made for that match. Frank Parker was offered the opportunity to play Dinny Pails. I believe he could have won. He declined. Mulloy gladly accepted. We were pleased to reward him for his invaluable assistance in our practice and training. In an inspired mood he defeated Pails in straight sets in the best-played match of his many years of competition. Billy Talbert’s troublesome knee and Tom Brown’s attack of influenza prevented them from playing their best, and both displayed fine sportsmanship by asking not to be considered for the team.

In Australia there are more sports fans, in proportion to population, than in any other country. The attendance on each of the three days was the largest that ever witnessed a tennis match. The Kooyong Stadium was enlarged by 10,000 seats, making its capacity greater than that of Forest Hills or Wimbledon. All reserved seats were sold several months in advance of the event. Speculators charged the equivalent of $12 for a single day’s ticket. About 15,000 saw the matches each day. Their fine display of sportsmanship has never been surpassed by any tennis gallery in any country. The Australian newspapers gave more space to the event than ours do to a World’s Series. On several days no news whatsoever appeared on the front page of some of the leading dailies other than tennis articles and illustrations.

From certain sensational newspaper articles it might appear that there were several clashes between the two teams and between myself and the officials. Actually there were two trifling incidents, which were considerably exaggerated in print. When serving, if the first ball is good, Bromwich immediately drops the second ball so that his left hand will be free to join the right in holding the racket. During singles play the dropped ball rarely disturbs his opponent because he doesn’t run in under his service and the ball is tossed backward so that it comes to rest behind the base line. In doubles, however, he follows his service to the net, as do all good players. He does not know until after he starts forward whether his first service is good. If it is, he drops the second ball, his forward motion is imparted to it, and it bounces and rolls toward the net — most of the time not stopping until well inside the service line. During the Victorian Championship, held prior to the Davis Cup matches, Talbert and Mulloy were playing Bromwich and Long. The moving ball distracted the Americans’ concentration and they requested the umpire to ask Bromwich to throw the loose ball backward so that it would not roll on the court. Bromwich gracefully complied. There was no protest or further reference to the matter, and as far as the players and officials were concerned, that was the end of it. But not so with the reporters. They harped on the incident for several days and hounded the players and me for interviews about the “protest.” They asked repeatedly if I would protest against Bromwich’s dropping balls during the Cup matches and were disappointed when they received a negative reply.

When we asked permission to wear spikes on the slippery turf and were denied, the unimportant incident touched off another explosion in the press. But it was quickly forgotten, as it deserved to be.

Hospitality was showered upon us to the point of embarrassment. Invitations poured in at the rate of three or four a day, and obviously only a few could be accepted. It came to such a pass that I had to make an announcement in the press that we must regretfully decline all invitations to social functions because acceptance would interfere with our training program, but the announcement had little effect. We found the Australians to be a fine, wholesome, friendly people— nearer, perhaps, in temperament and outlook to the average American than any other nationality. We made many friends.

It is always nice to win and we were happy over our victory, but if we had lost, the long trip and the tremendous effort expended in preparation would have been well worth while because of the fine impression all our players made. There can be no doubt that our visit strengthened the friendly relationship already existing between Australians and Americans. The United States Ambassador to Australia, the Governor-General of Australia, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, United States General E. B. Sebree, wrote letters to the United States Lawn Tennis Association stressing that fact, and for several months after our return I received similar letters.

Our victory entitles us to hold the Cup for one year. We may retain it longer if we are fortunate, but eventually and to a certainty we’ll lose it. That is as it should be, and that’s the way its donor, the late Dwight Davis, planned it. In donating the trophy he had two objects in mind: first, to encourage international good will and understanding; and second, to stimulate interest in lawn tennis, which he believed to be the best of all sports. Both objects would be defeated if one nation should hold the Cup indefinitely. Interest in the competition would gradually die and there would be eventually another “The America’s Cup” hidden from sight and out of mind in some vault.

There was but one sad note to an otherwise unblemished experience. Australia has produced, per capita, more than her share of great players, and I was delighted to renew friendship with many of them — Norman Brookes, Gerald Patterson, Jack Crawford, Jim Anderson, O’Hara Wood, Vivian McGrath, Jack Hawkes, Harry Hopman, and others. I recalled how superbly they performed in their youth, and then thought how sad it is that none of them will ever again be seen in action on the center court fighting for their country and glory. What a pity it is that tennis champions and beautiful women cannot resist the effect of advancing years. Some wit once said, “A wife at forty reminds me of a bank note. One should be able to exchange her for two twenties.” How applicable that observation is to a tennis player!

After the Cup was won, it was presented to us in a formal ceremony in the stadium. Fifteen thousand people cheered as wholeheartedly as though their team had won. Now it was my responsibility to safeguard it and see that it got to New York. My first step was to put it in a vault and to insure it in transit for $8000. The team had traveled by air on the way out and was to return the same way. We wanted to take the Cup with us on the plane.

The Cup is in three pieces — bowl, tray, and plinth — and is contained in a large hardwood case. When the case arrived at the airport, it was found to be too large to pass through any opening in the plane. The Australian National Airways solved the problem by making two smaller boxes. The combined weight of the trophy and cases was over 400 pounds. The cost of transporting the trophy by air from Melbourne to New York would normally exceed $1000. It was carried all the way free of charge. Our Tennis Association is indebted to the A.N.A. for flying it across the Pacific, to the Western Air Lines for carrying it from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and to the Eastern Airlines for the last lap to New York.

4

How does our 1946 team compare with former Davis Cup teams? At the risk of making my neck vulnerable, I will venture an opinion. The first contest took place in 1900. I witnessed it and have seen all the great players in action since. On the form shown at Melbourne by Kramer, Schroeder, and Mulloy, no players before the great Australian-New Zealand combination of Norman Brookes and Tony Wilding would have had a chance against them. That brings us down to 1914. From then to the present time the only comparable teams are Johnston-Tilden, United States; Cochet-BorotraLaCoste-Brugnon, France; Perry-Austin, Great Britain; and Budge-Mako-Riggs, United States. That rating ought to start something! There have been other great players, Ellsworth Vines and Maurice McLoughlin among them, but all were unfortunate in not having, when they were at the height of their games, at least one teammate in the same class.

The history of the Davis Cup competition follows a fairly definite pattern. Success has rarely come to a nation with but one great singles player and no player to team with him to make a formidable doubles combination. In Tilden and Johnston we had not only two great singles players but a fine doubles team. France was fortunate that her “Four Musketeers” were contemporaries. They comprised the best-balanced team any country was ever able to assemble, because two players could be relied on for singles and the other two for doubles, thereby giving the singles players a full day of rest and permitting the singles and doubles players to concentrate on their specialties. We had no great singles player in 1937 to rely on except Budge. He could be counted on for two matches, but three are required to win. Mako made an ideal partner for him in doubles. They were a very strong team.

What are our chances in the 1947 campaign? We shall count on Jack Kramer for two singles matches. If Ted Schroeder can give the time necessary to prepare himself adequately for the Challenge Round, we shall have another fine singles player and also a strong doubles team, but at this writing it is problematical. Frank Parker is working hard on his game and is determined to regain our Championship and to make the team. Gardner Mulloy and Tom Brown are also likely prospects.

This year Australia has challenged in the American Zone and will almost certainly come through, and has, I believe, better than an even chance to win the Interzone final against the European Zone winner. Australia’s team, consisting of John Bromwich, Dinny Pails, Colin Long, and Geoff Brown, is most formidable. I pick them to become the challengers. Bromwich will certainly play both doubles and singles. Pails I think will have the other singles assignment. He has a strong orthodox game with a devastating service, fine ground strokes, and good stamina. Of all the Australian players, he and Geoff Brown have the most aggressive games. With the additional experience which he will acquire in Europe this summer, he will be very dangerous. Brown holds his racket with two hands for his forehand drive, hits hard, — much harder than Bromwich, — and has a very strong service. I think ho relies unduly on those shots, with the result that other departments of his game suffer. Colin Long, the fourth member of the team, is husky. He has a powerful overhead and volleying game and may partner Bromwich in the doubles match. They will indeed make a strong combination. It is the same team which we defeated at Melbourne last December, with the exception of Brown, who replaced Adrian Quist.

The Australian officials believe that one of the factors contributing to the defeat of their team last year was lack of international competition before the Challenge Round, and have attempted to overcome that handicap by sending their players early this year to Europe for several months of competition, winding up with the British Championship at Wimbledon. That program, I am sure, will improve their play considerably, and means a tougher assignment for us. If they become the challengers, we shall be fortunate to stop them. They may take the famous Cup from us, but there is something we brought back with us from Australia last January that they never can take from us. That is the memory of their friendliness, rare hospitality, and outstanding sportsmanship. After their visit to us this summer, may they take with them similar recollections of us.