The temperature at Melbourne's Koo-yong stadium boiled to 112° last week, but nobody minded except the spectators (too of whom fainted in their seats) and a listless pair of players from sunny Italy. In a mismatch worthy of the Roman Colosseum, Australia's Davis Cup defenders, Rod Laver, Neale Fraser and Roy Emerson, beat back the Italian challengers 5-0, took home the 62-year-old cup for a record tenth time in twelve years.*
The lopsided score merely hinted at the humiliation of Italy's defeat. Not until the deciding first three matches were over did bumbling Nicola Pietrangeli and Orlando Sirola cadge a single...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
