Sport: Davis Cup Routine

Mexico’s record in international sport is neither long nor glorious. At tennis, it consists of the annual beating which the Mexican Davis Cup team receives from the U. S. Last week the four young Mexicans selected to take part in this ceremony arrived in Houston, Tex. to tackle Wilmer Allison, John Van Ryn, Donald Budge and Bryan (“Bitsy”) Grant.

The surroundings at Houston’s swank River Oaks Country Club were novel. Not so the results. Daniel Hernandez, a freshman at the University of Mexico and his country’s newest star, made Grant scramble but the best he got was one set to Grant’s three. Esteban Reyes, nicknamed “Pajaro” (Bird), Mexico’s No. 1, got five games in three sets against Budge. Next day, Allison played 18 holes of near-par golf, joined his partner Van Ryn to run through Flavio Martinez and Marco Antonio Mestre 6-0, 6-2, went back to the links for another nine holes which he started with a birdie. The series became a clean sweep the following day when Grant beat Reyes, 6-4, 13-11, 6-2, and Budge polished off Hernandez.

Unfortunately for the U. S. Davis Cup team, its record against Mexico has never proved a faithful indication of its powers. This year it may well be put out of the tournament sooner than ever. Australia, entered in the American instead of the European zone, will play the U. S. in Philadelphia May 30, with the advantage of a full summer of practice against players who may not have had time to round into mid-season form. Wilmer Allison, acting U. S. captain, last week made the confident predictions which are as standardized a part of preliminary Davis Cup competition as the victory over Mexico: “If we can get by Australia, our prospects will be excellent. . . . This can easily be our year. . . .”