Sport: Davis Cup, May 10, 1937

When Australia’s Vivian McGrath appeared on the international tennis scene four years ago, experts could not have been more astonished had he been a kangaroo. For all backhand shots McGrath held his racket with both hands. For a first-class tennist to do such a thing was so unthinkable that tennis experts, instead of trying to explain it, simply regarded McGrath as an antipodean freak. Last week this point of view was confirmed when in Mexico City an Australian team played Mexico in the first round of the Davis Cup tournament. On the team was another Australian who held his racket with both hands.

As a freak tennis player, Australia’s John Bromwich (pronounced Brumage) makes McGrath’s methods look banal. He is ambidextrous. He serves with his right hand, switches to his left for shots on that side, plays shots on his right side with both hands (see cut). Like 21-year-old McGrath, Bromwich is not only a freak but a prodigy. He was just 16 when he won the South Australian championship two years ago, beating Adrian Quist and Don Turnbull, seasoned Australian internationalists. In Mexico City last week Bromwich’s Davis Cup debut was a severe thrashing for Mexico’s Esteban Reyes, 6-2, 6-2, 7-5. Four other victories, in which his teammates (McGrath, Quist, Crawford) lost only one set, put Australia in the second round, five matches to none.

With England’s Fred Perry retired from amateur tennis, the outcome of this year’s Davis Cup Tournament, of which the interzone final starts at Wimbledon July 17, followed by the challenge round July 24, is considered a toss-up between England, Australia, Germany and the U. S. Australia is a slight favorite. Last week, in five other Davis Cup matches scattered all over the world, the tournament got off to a flying start. Results:

In San Francisco, After a winter of bickering as to who would be the ablest partner for red-haired Donald Budge, U. S. No. 1, the U. S. Davis Cup Committee finally picked Frank Parker for No. 2 singles man, Gene Mako for Budge’s doubles partner. Against Jiro Yamagishi, Japanese singles champion, Parker surprised everyone by winning the only match about which there was much doubt, 6-3, 2-6, 8-6, 6-1. His teammates handily won the other four, qualified to meet Australia in the American Zone final at Forest Hills, May 29-31.

In Brighton, England, New Zealand nosed out China, three matches to two.

In Budapest, Belgium beat Hungary 3-to-2.

In Amsterdam, South Africa beat The Netherlands 5-to-0.

In Montreux, Switzerland beat Ireland 3-to-2.