Davis Cup

Trying to win the Davis Cup for the last four years has meant eventually trying to beat the top British tennists. This year, with England's Fred Perry turned professional, experts figured that the Davis Cup final would really be the interzone matches between the U. S. and Germany. Soon as the draw was announced last week, experts alsc knew that the U. S. and Germany would split the first two matches--U. S. No. i Donald Budge trouncing Henner Ernst Otto Henkel, and German No. i Baron Gottfried von Cramm trouncing Bryan ("Bitsy") Grant. The opening matches turned out just so and the one doubles match became pivotal. Paired as always with husky Gene Mako, Budge did not hit his stride until von Cramm & Henkel had won one set and run the second to 5-3. Then Budge & Mako smashed through Henkel's service, went on to take the set 7-5, the next 8-6 and the last 6-4, after Germany had led 4-1.

Next day as anticipated Henkel made the score 2 matches all by beating Grant 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; and Germany's last chance was that von Cramm, a courtly green-eyed Berliner, who does little but play tennis, dance and drink champagne, would be able to reverse his straight-set defeat by Budge in the All-England final (TIME, July 12). Von Cramm this time got the first two sets (8-6. 7-5), but Budge got the match that put the U. S. in the challenge round against Great Britain (6-4, 6-2, 8-6).

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