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Against Bromwich, who beat him in the challenge round last year, Riggs displayed a brilliance he had never before shown. His whirlwind attack, baffling service, cunning change of pace so confounded his touted opponent that Bromwich lost the match in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0, 7-5 (the second set took only eleven minutes). Against Quist, Parker pulled an even bigger surprise. Equipped with little more than a powerful backhand, grim determination and deadly accuracy, the onetime U. S. No. 2 player (ranked 8th this year), tantalized the better-equipped Australian, matched him stroke for stroke for two and a half hours, finally won in a dazzling, last-minute rally, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.
Next day, during the doubles, it looked as if even the U. S. kids, Hunt & Kramer, might outplay the disheartened Australians. With only ten days' experience as partners, Hunt, an Annapolis midshipman with a big serve, and Kramer, a University of California freshman with Vines-like strokes and a slam-banging overhead, took the first set, 7-5. Then Quist & Bromwich began to pull together, outsmarted the youngsters, took the match, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5, 6-2.
The last day's matches showed the experts justified. After Riggs had lost to Quist in a five-set battle, Bromwich took Parker in straight sets, and the Davis Cup was Australia's. In spite of this defeat, U. S. tennis fans could be certain that no Australian would even threaten to win this year's U. S. Singles championship. For the following day Sir Norman was to take his team back home to join the army.
Who Won
>Private Alfred L. Wolters, U. S. Marine Corps: the Wimbledon Cup* match (long range, free rifle championship), one of the major events of the annual 100-event National Rifle and Pistol Matches; defeating 1,937 U. S. marksmen and setting a new world's record with 27 consecutive Vs (perfect bull's-eyes) from 1,000 yards, prone; at Camp Perry, Ohio. Previous record: 19.
>Frank Fuller Jr.: the $27,000 Bendix Transcontinental (Burbank, Calif, to Bendix, N. J.) air race. Time: 8 hrs., 58 min., 8.46 sec. Art Chester: the $20.000 Greve Trophy speed race: at an average 263 m.p.h.; after Contestant Leland Williams crashed fatally; at the 19th annual National Air Races, at Cleveland.
*Wilding was killed during air combat in France. Brookes who saw service in Mesopotamia, survived to become the patron saint of Australian tennis. *Presented in 1875 by Princess Louise, Queen Victoria's daughter, to a U. S. rifle team which, while on a goodwill tour, was competing in the British matches at Wimbledon, London suburb since more famed for its tennis matches.