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The Challenge Recommences: 1902-1909 1902 Reggie and Laurie Doherty were not only good on grass they were accomplished clay court players and the decision by Captain Collins to play Reggie and the 33-year-old Pim as the singles duo, was not a wise move. Laurie did play with his brother in the doubles, but Collins was going against LTA wishes.
The 1902 Davis Cup encounter was played at Crescent Athletic Club, at Bay Ridge on the outskirts of Brooklyn. The decision was made to play the singles matches on the first two days and save the doubles until the end. Spectators were allowed in for free and although the tie had already been decided, 10,000 spectators watched the Saturday doubles. The British had learnt from their mistakes of 1900, this time they practiced intently and caught the imagination of spectators during their pre-match sessions at Longwood Cricket Club. Dr Pim however was unable to find his form in his match with Malcolm Whitman and found himself losing 6-1, 6-1, when a thunderstorm curtailed the first day's play. The following day Pim won the third set 6-1, but lost the fourth and the match 6-0. William Larned seemed poised for victory against Reggie Doherty leading two sets to one overnight, but returned the next day facing windier conditions and an advancing Englishman, which he found hard to pass. Doherty won 6-4 in the fifth with more accurate serving. After refreshment and lunch both teams returned to play the reverse singles tie. Dr Pim was not expected to beat William Larned, so hopes rested on 'Big Do,' Reggie however lost to Whitman in a stunning 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 victory. Dwight Davis kept his cup, although Saturday's doubles in front of a hopeful crowd were to leave the Americans disappointed as the Doherty brothers won 3-6, 10-8, 6-3, 6-4. 1903 For this was to be a historic occasion, it would be the first and only time that two sets of brothers would face each other on a tennis court. The Doherty brothers contested the doubles against the American's Robert and George Wrenn.
Reggie Doherty had had terrible injuries to his right arm, while playing an exhibition match in Nahant. Collin's asked opposing captain William Larned, whether he could play H.S. Mahony for the first singles and then play Reggie two days later. The Davis Cup rules had been laid down very clearly and no privileges were to be given. Collin's took the controversial decision to forfeit the first singles rubber, in the hope that Doherty would recover in time to play not only the doubles but also the reverse singles. The tie was played at Longwood Cricket Club and with playing conditions much improved; Laurie Doherty levelled the tie after the first day and with his brother Reggie, beat the Wrenn brothers 6-5 in the fourth after some fortuitous rain delays. Once again the two singles matches had been played simultaneously and this caused Collins to comment on what he called: "The refinement of cruelty to tennis lovers." Robert Wrenn lost to Reggie Doherty and William Larned, and Laurie Doherty played an enthralling encounter that resulted in Doherty winning 7-5 in the decider, after controversy at 4-all. Reggie Doherty feeling his arm won through 6-4 in the fifth set against Robert Wrenn. The British Isles had won the tie 4-1. 1904 France and Belgium harnessed the challenge and unable to decide a suitable home venue the tie was played at Worple Road, home of Wimbledon prior to 1922. Belgium beat France, who had the outstanding Max Decugis in their team. Britain beat Belgium 5-0 in the Challenge Round at Wimbledon. Frank Riseley and Laurie Doherty played the singles, while a virtually retired Reggie Doherty played in the doubles.
1905 America and Australasia came through and a week later Larned and Wright led their team to a 5-0 victory. Two days later in the Challenge Round at Wimbledon, Britain shocked the holders winning 5-0, although the Americans had led comfortably in two of the rubbers. 1906 Beals Wright had been reselected to play, having missed the previous years encounter, but onboard SS Celtic for the transatlantic crossing, he foolishly used a toothbrush to open a bottle of water. The neck of the bottle broke and badly cut a finger on his right hand. Only rapid hospital treatment in London saved his life. Raymond Little deputised for the unfortunate Wright, who struggled to get games off Sydney H. Smith in the opening rubber. Smith who had played in the 1905 encounter, retired from tennis later that year, but will be remembered for his fearsome forehand. The Doherty brothers bowed out of Davis Cup tennis by winning the doubles against Ward and Little. Reggie was to die aged 36, and Laurie at the age of 43. Both had been outstanding servants to the early stages of the game in Britain amassing Wimbledon singles titles galore!
1907 Americans Beals Wright and a Yale sprinter, Karl H. Behr, contested the tie against Australasia at Worple Road, Wimbledon and were defeated 3-2. Wright and Behr had won the doubles against Brookes and Wilding, and Wright cornered Wilding 7-5 in the fourth on the final day. Brookes beat Behr winning in four sets, with shots of touch, and with an Eastern grip was able to generate a lot of topspin. Without the services of the Doherty's and Smith, Britain fielded two old-timers to the game of tennis, A.W. Gore aged 39 and H. Roper Barrett aged 33. It should have been a mismatch against the youthful exuberance of Brookes and Wilding, but both proved raw. Having been swept aside during the opening day singles, Gore and Barrett won an epic doubles battle 13-11 in the fifth. Gore then won a baseline battle against Wilding in the reverse singles, but Brookes proved to strong for Barrett. So the trophy went Down Under and became part of Norman Brookes' household, taking pride of place on the dining room sideboard. Brookes' wife, later Dame Mabel would use it to hold flowers at dinner parties and petals that glistened under candlelight. 1908 It made sense to play the tie in America, then re-organise and send a team to play in Australia by the end of November. The LTA asked the USNLTA to guarantee against gate receipts for the semi-final battle. Germantown Cricket Club was offered $2,500 to stage the tie with $1,500 going to the British. The Germantown President however was away, so the deal passed to Longwood Cricket Club, who duly accepted the sum of $1,500.
The LTA had entertained the idea that the tie for a place in the Challenge Round should be played in Australia. The Victorian LTA however responded that the Australasian team had never asked the LTA for any money when visiting Britain for four years. The British team however failed to impress when the tie was played in Boston and William Larned prevailed against M.J.G. Ritchie and the Irishman J.C. Parke, meaning the LTA financier need not plan for the Australia adventure. The American team made up of three independently wealthy gentlemen, Beals Wright and Fred Alexander, boarded the long voyage, arriving one month before the tie determined to get themselves acclimatised and used to the unfamiliar conditions. Wilding and Brookes however were in no mood to surrender their trophy, arising early and practising intensely for the match ahead. Skipping, running, daily three to five set matches in the morning followed by doubles, kept the pair amused, in the Brookes mansion on the edge of Melbourne. Preparations were continuing to be made at the Warehouseman's Ground, in Melbourne for one of the countries greatest sporting events. Temporary stands were built on footpaths to accommodate the sell-out crowd, of a nation willing to flex their sporting muscles. The opening day's temperature was 102°F, but the tennis was of sublime quality. Brookes and Alexander were said to enter the court dressed in jackets and scarves. Alexander proved nervous during the opening exchanges but won the first set 7-5. It was the first time Brookes had lost a set in two years. Brookes took the second and third set, while Alexander stole the third. It was two-sets-all. After a drinks interval that Alexander later regretted not taking, Brookes won the fifth 6-3 and left as they had entered arm-in-arm.
The second rubber was a shorter affair. Wright bamboozled Wilding with a series of drop shots and lobs winning 6-1 in the fourth. The following days doubles goes down in Davis Cup history as a ´classic´. Brookes and Wilding were two sets and 5-4 up in the third, but Wright and Alexander were about to stage an outrageous comeback. R.M. Kidson writing in Australia's Lawn Tennis magazine reported: 'At two sets all, two games to love, Alexander serving and Brookes seemingly done, and making frequent errors, Australasia's hopes were small indeed. Until then, Wilding's fine play almost alone had saved us; but at that moment of crisis the real Brookes reappeared, and from then onwards was the supreme master.' So the Australians prevailed, but needed one further rubber to secure the Cup. Brookes began to make short work of Wright, winning the first two sets 6-0, 6-1. Wright failed to be disheartened and used all his tactical know-how winning the third set 7-5 and Brookes threw away the fourth, making sure he made one last effort for the Cup. Twice Brookes served for the match at 7-6 and 10-9. Both times he wasn't favoured by the courts bounce. Beals Wright had won 0-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 12-10. This effort was to prove in vain. Wilding who had been resting at Brookes home with earshot of the crowd's noise, swept past Alexander in three sets. The Cup was once again Australasian and victory was assured thanks to a New Zealander.
1909 Once again Britain and the United States were the only challengers and once again America prevailed over an inexperienced British side consisting of: James C. Parke, Charles P. Dixon and Williams C. Crawley proved no match for William Larned and William Clothier, both of whom didn't drop a set. On this occasion the match was staged at Germantown Cricket Club in Philadelphia. Larned and Clothier were unable to travel to Australasia for the Challenge Round, so Californian 'rookies' Maurice McLoughlin and Melville Long boarded the sea-liner with inexperience and calls reasoning why America were sending a weakened team. Spectators crammed to see their practice sessions, with up to 4,000 evident at one stage. The Challenge ended up being a disaster for the American team who won one set in 16, at Double Bay in Sydney. |
